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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)
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OZRIC TENTACLES
SPACE FOR THE EARTH
Kscope records
released: 9 October 2020

I have been listening to Ozric Tentacles for many, many years. I first heard their 1994 Arborescence release while sampling used CDs in an actual brick and mortar record store. When I heard the track, "There's A Planet Here", through the headphones, I immediately decided that day to go out and purchase a CD player. Yes, Ozric Tentacles had that kind of effect on me. They shifted me into a new realm, so to speak, with their lysergic acid, soaring guitars, bubbling synthesizers, and huge bass grooves -- they reminded me of Steve Hillage's solo releases, Gong and a touch of Hawkwind. Yet the Ozrics were unique in their own tripped out way. Nobody really sounded like them. I own every CD they have released and now in 2020, I sit listening to and enjoying Space For The Earth.

It weighs in at ~ 47 minutes with Ed Wynne, Silas Neptune and Balazs Szende providing the psychedelic groove space as the main musicians. The official release notes state, ". . . features special guest appearances from former members synth player Joie Hinton, drummer Nick Van Gelder, flautist Champignon and percussionist Paul Hankin. Psychedelic voyager Gracerooms also contributes additional synth layers."

So is it worth a streaming listen, an actual download, or perhaps even a purchase? Well, if you are an Ozric Tentacles fan, of course it is a must-own. Yes, it is a fine release, continuing the superb Ozric legacy. I have been listening to this release all day and my only criticism is -- I wish it was 70 minutes long. You can never get enough of great compositions like you find on this release. Stand out tracks were the very upbeat, in-your-face "Popscape" and the guitar-drenched-driven "Harmonic Steps". But by no means are the other five tracks weak. It is all well done. Thank you, Ed Wynne, for continuing to give us such superb music for so many decades! Highly recommended trance grooves within . . . ~ EER EDITOR of EER-Music.com and JazzRock-Radio.com

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 

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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 . . .
	~ EER EDITOR



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

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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!"

~ EER EDITOR

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

 

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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

 

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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

 

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