When Eric Ettinger isnB次元官网网址檛 plying his trade as a support worker for special needs adults, or volunteering for the Care-A-Van, he spends a lot of his time creating music, as Oktiv6.

The long-time Comox Valley resident - he and his family moved to the Valley from Port Alice 28 years ago - has been creating music for many years. The name is somewhat of a play on words.

B次元官网网址淚 chose the name because an octave is a musical measure and five octaves is the maximum that any human being is capable of, so I decided to be Oktiv6 to sort of infer that I am some sort ofB次元官网网址� outside of that regular spectrum,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 say (my genre) is sort of a mellow West Coast hip-hop soul sort of sound.B次元官网网址�

Ettinger said his music has evolved through the years.

B次元官网网址淚 used to be more of a straight-up rapper when I was a younger guy. I was in a couple of duos over the years - one called Still Life, and one called Butterfinger Bombsquad - but I do a lot more singing nowB次元官网网址� a lot more of the R&B thing, mostly because I found that people like it.B次元官网网址�

Much of Otiv6B次元官网网址檚 music reflects where he lives - Vancouver Island. His videos are shot around the Island, with many recognizable spots, such as the Buckley Bay ferry terminal, the Campbell River marina, Nanaimo, and even tubing on the Puntledge River.

He said singing about oneB次元官网网址檚 local surroundings is typical of rap.

B次元官网网址淚 think most hip-hop is about representing where you are fromB次元官网网址� I donB次元官网网址檛 want to be too (tied down) to that, but I do like that to shine through in everything I do. ItB次元官网网址檚 a big part of (the genre) though. IB次元官网网址檓 sure youB次元官网网址檝e heard lots of rap songs, itB次元官网网址檚 always California this or New York that, singing about where youB次元官网网址檙e from.B次元官网网址�

On his YouTube page, Oktiv6 describes the song Courtenay Love as a song B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址� for all the small town Island fam!B次元官网网址�

He gives shout-outs to communities from throughout the Island in the song.

B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檙e from Sayward, or wherever, you donB次元官网网址檛 get to hear that often, so I thought I would try to give something for the small town folks, because IB次元官网网址檓 from a small town. I know all about being in an isolated community. You just donB次元官网网址檛 get things like that.B次元官网网址�

Oktiv6B次元官网网址檚 music can be found on Spotify and Apple Music, and he is on the verge of releasing his first album - Sound Awake.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 still one song just being tweaked and processed, but that should be any time in the next week or two.B次元官网网址�

The first video from that album, Know By Now dropped on April 20.

B次元官网网址淭hat was all shot at the (Courtenay and District) Fish & Game, at Boomtown,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e did sort of a time-travel thing with it and got a lot of cowboy extras. The Fish & Game cowboy action shooters were very accommodating and very helpful with that process.B次元官网网址�

When heB次元官网网址檚 not producing his own music, he fronts for a local band.

B次元官网网址淚 also work with a band called The Jays (which is) primarily a funk band, so itB次元官网网址檚 a little bit different when I have the band with me, but I donB次元官网网址檛 always (play with them),B次元官网网址� said Ettinger.

Comox Valley music fans may recognize The Jays as the band formerly fronted by Allanah Clark before she moved to the Mainland. Ettinger has been working with The Jays for just over a year.

B次元官网网址淲hen (Clark) moved off to the city, they were in need of someone to front them. ItB次元官网网址檚 a pretty different direction, but I am sure thatB次元官网网址檚 kind of refreshing for them. We linked up and it has worked out really well.B次元官网网址�

The Jays is a three-piece band, featuring Jesse McCloy on guitar, Jacob Gregory on bass and Jonathan Hinds on drums.

Oktiv6 and The Jays have a few gigs lined up for the summer already. They will be playing Church Street Pub, as well as the Comox Valley Exhibition in late summer.

B次元官网网址淲e are still waiting to hear back about a few things - we have a lot of applications out there - but we are hoping to have a lot of shows booked over the summer, both locally and around,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淒efinitely want to get more gigs, but you know, weB次元官网网址檝e lost a lot of venues through COVID, so things got toughB次元官网网址� it was really tough on the music business, that whole thing.B次元官网网址�

While Oktiv6 and The Jays have not produced any original work to date, Ettinger is hopeful that will change soon.

B次元官网网址淛acob has a professional studio, so we are capable of recording the whole band over there and I think thatB次元官网网址檚 kind of the direction we will be going,B次元官网网址� he said.

Oktiv6 is fresh off a small Island tour with Vancouver hip hop star Junk, accompanied by NanaimoB次元官网网址檚 rising star Sirreal, as well as longtime friend and collaborator RevRon also of Nanaimo. The tour made stops in Ucluelet, Alert Bay, Port Alberni, Nanaimo and Parksville. Many of these same artists travelled with Oktiv6 on the B次元官网网址淩ed KingdomB次元官网网址� tour, which saw the group visit 23 different cities in both B.C. and Alberta in September 2022.