WATCH HERE FOR MORE OZRIC TENTACLES' CD REVIEWS
COMING SOON FROM ALTERNATE DIMENSION . . .
Google Adsense Secrets
Earn Cash Easy!
I can help you.
ED of the Ozrics gets uniquely wild and thus creative -- but of course!
Picture Credit: Mr. Paul W. Cashman, (live gig shot taken during Ozrics USA 2000 tour)
EER-MUSIC.com says, "Thanx man!"
Ozric Tentacles - Swirly Termination
Mad Fish
Eclectic goodie!
Artist: Ozric Tentacles (www.ozrics.com)
Title: Swirly Termination
Label: Mad Fish (www.snappermusic.com)
Genre: Space-Progressive-Rock
There is a shroud of mystery surrounding Ozric Tentacles' "Swirly Termination" album. From the research I conducted I found that the group considered this as an incomplete recording and an obligatory release to satisfy their commitment to the label. Another oddity was that it was listed in the massive AMG database without a review. The group does not list the CD on their site either. Its too bad they aren't recognizing this fine achievement of instrumental progressive space rock. There are also no credits listed on the CD inner sleeve. I found a listing of past and present group members on the group's site, so I am assuming it was the present members that performed on this year 2000 release. Well, I hope this is the lineup that played on this album. I am sure someone will let me know if its incorrect. I had no way of finding out through the usual methods.
Regardless of the inconsistencies and incompleteness of this release in other areas besides the music itself, I found it to be a fantastic listening experience that left me wanting to hear more of the same. Ed Wynne plays key role with his authoritarian guitar playing pushing Seaweed (keyboards), John Egan (flute), Zee Geelani (bass), and RAD (drums) into instrumental warp drive. Some Middle Eastern influences are detected from time to time along with whirling dervish keyboard playing and fat power chords that make this group a difficult one to classify. They border on techno at times then jump right back to the prog sound very quickly. That's what keeps everything interesting while listening to Ozric Tentacles. I look forward to hearing more.
©"Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
APRIL 3, 2002
1. Steep (Ozric Tentacles) - 3:12
2. Space Out (Ozric Tentacles) - 8:28
3. Pyoing (Ozric Tentacles) - 4:29
4. Far Dreaming (Ozric Tentacles) - 5:24
5. Waldorfdub (Ozric Tentacles) - 6:13
6. Kick 98 (Ozric Tentacles) - 6:03
7. Voy Mandala (Ozric Tentacles) - 11:52
The Band:
ED WYNNE gtr, keyb'ds
JOHN EGAN flute, vcls
ZIA GEELANI bs
SEAWEED keyb'ds
RAD drms, perc
Previous Members :
ROLY WYNNE bs
NICK VAN GELDER drms, perc
GAVIN GRIFFITHS gtr
JOIE HINTON keyb'ds, samplers
TOM BROOKES keyb'ds
PAUL HANKIN perc
MERV PEPLER drms, perc
MARCUS
GENERATOR JOHN
Listen to samples & Buy CDs/DVDs here
CD/DVD Shopping Quick Links
|
|
|
BUY ME!
Ozric Tentacles: The Hidden Step (CD, 47:50); 2000
Stretchy Records Ltd., CD3
Cyberhome(s): http://www.mp3.com/OzricTentacles
http://www.ozrics.com
Ready to climb the pyramids and then walk out onto the hidden
step, to enter the unknown ascending passages, to stare into ancient
constellations of the near future, to see Ka's wings glisten in the
obsidian-eyes of Anubis and hear the echoes of synths and axe
across the Nile?
Then follow the Ozrics across the desert of mainstream music's
boring wasteland and taste of the oasis of genius via the eternal
song of Ed and gang. They are back! And what of that "song that
remains the same"? What of that twisted and spiraling jam that only
the Ozrics can weave? Yes, they do it again herein with an eye
towards ancient Egypt and those ever-deepening occult mysteries.
The bizarre-hip-cool synths remain, the wild guitar still screams,
the polyrhythms swell, bass doth boom weird, and the insane piping
of flute persists. Sometimes I think the Ozrics are destined to
awaken Cthulhu with their cryptic song-smithing and manic
delivery. I have heard of their live shows being beyond description
and descending upon the audience like spectres from Stonehenge's
first rites.
I refuse trying to describe this music as the deeper I attempt to
analyze it the more the beauty falls away into reason vs. just letting
the Ozrics "do me in and envelop my psyche". Excuse me folks, I
need to stop typing and begin swirling aneath the full moon . . .
~ John W. Patterson
Personnel: (As stated in liner notes) Ed is guitars, synths, samps,
spins . . . Seaweed is synths, twists, spirals . . . Zia is basses and
knuckles . . . John is flutes & air . . . Rad is drums, perc, yesmate
Tracks: 1. Holohedron, 2. The Hidden Step, 3. Ashlandi Bol, 4.
Aramanu, 5. Pixel Dream, 6. Tight Spin, 7. Ta Khut
Listen to samples & Buy CDs/DVDs here
CD/DVD Shopping Quick Links
|
|
|
BUY THIS NOW!
Ozric Tentacles: Waterfall Cities (CD, 57:29); 1999
Stretchy Records Ltd., CD1
Cyberhome http://www.ozrics.com
To attempt to review the Ozrics is like trying explain an aural
rainbow to a deaf man. I approach cautiously for I hold this group
on a pinnacle of splendored respect. As the day I had to review
John McLaughlin and The Mahavishnu Orchestra's remastered re-
releases, so too I am timid to tread such hallowed grounds of
instrumental magic and total ear pleasure.
Here I go . . . beware my bias.
For many years I held off on buying a CD player, happy with
my awesome turntable and high-end cassette deck – then I sampled
an Ozric Tentacles CD. I was riveted in place, delighted, enthralled,
blissed out, spinal chill factor was off the scale – and that was just
the first 5 minutes into the CD! I of course snapped that puppy up
and wondered why I had never heard of these guys. I knew of
about every eclectic, proggy, fusion, art rock, off-beat psychedelic,
thing ever recorded and here in my hands was a perfect blending of
all that and kickin' jammin' out the wazoo!
Well after many years of buying and collecting Ozric goodies, I
had completely given up on their former label ever sending any
promos as they never replied to many requests. Oh well. And then
Ed and the guys got wise and formed Stretchy Records to do it the
way they wanted it done, if you catch my drift. And in 2001,
promos arrived with even a T-shirt I proudly wear.
What do these guys sound like? Imagine endless swirling jams
of synths vs. guitars with wild bass lines meshed with drumming of
sheer madness. Did I mention mesmer-flute? You may feel reggae
has crashed into spacerock and then progressive rock spaced out
fusion riffs explode! These instrumental masterpieces flow track to
track like wizards battling across chasms of rainbow-hued rocks,
dripping with myriads of tone and modal colorings. Their music
takes you through ethnic flavors and distant lands' rituals of song
and scales eclectic. The Ozrics will mystify and confuse many
normal-neuroned listeners but for those of us ready to trip out and
get off in the songs of absolute coolness with some beatz you can
actually dance to – I heartily recommend, totally adore this band's
groove and daring flights into 100% strange beautiful. "Go Ed, go!
You are one wild dude!" ~ John W. Patterson
Personnel: (As stated informally in liner notes) Ed is guitars, synths,
tendril manipulations . . . Seaweed is synths, whoopz, fizzles . . .
Zia is basses and snapiness . . . John is flutes & twirlings . . . Rad is
drum pounding
Tracks: 1. Coily, 2. Xingu, 3. Waterfall City, 4. Ch'ai?, 5.
Spiralmind, 6. Sultana Detrii, 7. Aura Borealis
Listen to samples & Buy CDs/DVDs here
CD/DVD Shopping Quick Links
|
|
|
Nodens Ictus: Spacelines (CD, 59:59);
Stretchy Records, StretchyCD2, 2000
E-mail: simon@ozrics.com
Cyberhome: http://www.ozrics.com
10 words or less: Ambient Space music as a substitute for psilocybin.
Elaboration: If you are familiar with Ozric Tentacles, then you will know how
this sounds. Take all of the absolute finest Ozric Tentacles Ambient Space
jams from their past (what is it now 17, 18, 19) albums and put them on one
album you would have Nodens Ictus' Spacelines. Indeed, Nodens Ictus is
Ozric Tentacles. Though all of the tunes are previously unreleased, 6 of the
11 tunes on this album are from the 80s; 3 are from the early 90s and only 2
were recorded in 2000. Track two is one of the new ones and is as fantastic
as the rest of the album. It starts with Synth washes before the mellow Drums
kick in; just as we begin to float away to the melodious sounds, the bridge
confronts us with some alter dimensional punctuations to close. Track ten is
the other new piece; A sequencer provides the melody of an Asian pentatonic
sort behind which Synthesizers float in and out of focus with Kettle Drum
sound interspersed at regular intervals. Man, I love this stuff! Highly
recommended to any Ambient music aficionado as well as all Ozric Tentacles
fans! ~ L Perez
Listen to samples & Buy CDs/DVDs here
CD/DVD Shopping Quick Links
|
|
|
Ozric Tentacles - Jurassic Shift
Original Masters
Rare CD!
Artist: Ozric Tentacles (www.ozrics.com)
Title: Jurassic Shift
Label: Original Masters (www.snappermusic.com)
Genre: Progressive Rock
Jurassic Shift was recorded in 1992-93 and re-released by Snapper Music as a remastered edition in 1998. The label knew what they were doing when they chose this album as one of their remastered series from the Ozric Tentacles catalog. This has to rate as a career apex for the group. Every album I have heard thus far has been extraordinary, but this is one step above that. This is the kind of release that makes a group a well known commodity in a particular style of music. There are not too many groups that can claim they are doing something completely original or something no one else is doing, except for groups like this. They are, and remain the exception to the rule. I have always found it impossible to single out any one song on any of their recordings, every one is fantastic. An album is an event, one large endless jam session that is in a continual evolutionary state that's right on the edge of exploding into something entirely new, like a supernova. As each song begins and ends, and then the entire process starts again, you don't ever feel there was a break in between songs. They keep you entranced, excited, mystified, and always wondering what is going to happen next. And that after all is their strong appeal and a pioneering niche they created all for themselves.
The mind melting keyboards, the Middle Eastern influences, the hyper drive guitar riffs…its all here for you to throw yourself into. Be careful though, this stuff will carry you away; just remember to check back in.
©"Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
NOV. 6, 2002
1. Sun Hair (Ozric Tentacles) - 5:43
2. Stretchy (Hinton/Wynne) - 6:51
3. Feng Shui (Ozric Tentacles) - 10:24
4. Half Light in Thillai (Wynne) - 5:35
5. Jurassic Shift (Ozric Tentacles) - 11:05
6. Pterandodon (Ozric Tentacles) - 5:40
7. Train Oasis (Wynne) - 2:45
8. Vita Voom (Ozric Tentacles) - 4:48
Ozric Tentacles:
Joie Hinton - Keyboards, Sampling, Atmosphere
Merv Pepler - Drums, Ethnic Percussion
Ed Wynne - Guitar, Keyboards, Koto, Sampling, Atmosphere
Roly Wynne - Bass
Bum - Art Direction
John Egan - Flute
B.L.I.M. - Art Direction
Marcus ? - Percussion, Ethnic Percussion
Zia - Bass
Listen to samples & Buy CDs/DVDs here
Please visit my BUY IT E.E.R. NOW INDEX PAGE
