Tribe of Cro: Hydroculture (CD, 73:31); U. F. Cro Records, U. F. Cro 777, 1998
T.O.C. HQ
PB 22
1730 Asse
Belgium
Email: crohinga@glo.be 
URL: http://private.convey.ru/elik/TribeCro/index.html
Tel. & Fax ++49(0) 73832210


        Aurally envision Hawkwind meets Gong and Ozric Tentacles on the astral plane. 
They pull together a Latin American flamenco head trippy groove. Guitars are dominant 
as synth birds invade the recording studio, swooping in and out in a Tim Blake/Tomita 
attack. This is a whirling dervish delight with ample jammin' guitars and space-
noodlings. Wah-wah, fuzz, Dr. Distorto arises from the '70s seas to stomp yer brains. 
That was "Be" weighing in at 10:39.
        "Tocrack" is way cool, creepy vox with synth wanderings through alien 
nightmare-scapes. Good  music for a bad trip. "Where Science and Magic Meet (& 2 
veg)" is Monster Magnet, ('90s Captain Beyond clones) flirting with Hawkwind again. 
Mucho heavy guitars here to peel your cerebral paint. A laidback, space rock, groove-
fest. "Life" at 10:02 could quite possibly brainwash you into thinking your are a pitiful, 
brainless slug, comtemplating one more salted beer in the restaurant at the end of the 
universe. Bizarrest stuff I've had the pleasure to experience since Tonto's Expanding 
Head Band's Zero Time. Well done! Move over Ozrics, da Tribe is here.
        Title track "Hydroculture" flays your neurons with old LP static flowing into 
mean guitars over that ever-present synth forest of sounds swimming in your head. An 
extended jam at 7:56. "And the Ants Marched (on)" wins my vote for the most Ozric 
Tentacles-like cut. It also is the first cut with less of that "one-too-many-ludes-
dirge/drone" and more of an upbeat, lively St. Vitus' Dance with associated freneticisms. 
You'll be tired should you try to pogo to this 6:44 worth madness. Well, TOC does slow 
it a tad for the killing of the guitar at the track's outro.
        We're back to the horror flik-track on the 7:17 "Truant". Not for weenies, this 
one. Paranoia illuminated with extreme twisted vox and samples. Remember those 
extruder toys to mutilate your fav rainbow mix of Play-Doh? This tune extrudes your 
grey matter nicely. "I am a Cube" intros with repeating vocals, Monster Magnet rock-
grooves overlaid with synth-vox in that reverby, grunged, gritty Skinny Puppy or 
Ministry style. Most like Mitch Mitchell loud-arse drumming award on this one. Rock on.
        "Bagalute" adds a bagpipe for the most unique trance rock piece I've ever heard. I 
keep looking around for Clannad or Horslips. Instead I see Russia's Yuri Elik and his Ole 
Lukkoye masterpiece. This is more Balkan or Serbian, dancing in the Urals kinda folk-
trance rock. "Figwort" at 10:09 has that Ozrics drumming and bass lines but the guitar 
work is "gonads-to-the-pyramids" tuff stuff. This is heavy psychedelia for the swaying 
loonies on the permafrost tundra. Let's go hunting Wooly Mammoths! "Endoplasmic 
Reticulum" winds it up as a tiny 1:06 CD-filler, non sequitur.
        This is good stuff, done very well, with each song drifting right into the next. 
73:31 goes by quite quickly with Tribe Of Cro's Hydroculture. I have but one small 
criticism. Every song was structured nearly even tempo and repeated itself into oblivion. 
This is okay in this genre, I suppose. A changeup or well executed sudden transition into 
a novel soundscape or two within a song structure would serve to heighten listener 
interest and anticipation. All in all, way to go TOC!
        ~ John W. Patterson, Eclectic Earwig Reviews



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More info:

TRIBE OF CRO  

Cosmic Jazz - Jazz Cosmique - Kosmitcheskiy Jazz  -  Kosmische Jazz  - 
Cosmico Jazz


Since the foundation in December 1994 by experienced British underground musicians 
and the then twelve year young Belgian drummer,  the TRIBE OF CRO continiously hit 
the European roads, building them a loyal following.  With the releases of the "Potlatch" 
LP, the "Sporadic Spiro-Gyra" CD and especially the "Hydroculture" CD, the band is 
warmly welcomed in the specialised international music press of progressive rock, 
alternative rock, space/psychedelic rock, trance, metal, and even jazz circles.

Their music has often been described as "a new musical step", reconciling the early vibes 
of Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Gong, Hawkwind,... with the newest technologies available 
and their visions of the 21st century, thus creating an innovative new style of modern 
music: Cosmic Jazz.

During 1998 TRIBE OF CRO's spontaneous live performances could be experienced 
during major events such as the "Highlife Festival" in Holland, the "Dour Festival" in 
Belgium, the "Herzberg Open Air Festival" in Germany, the "Ragnalove Festival" in 
France, the "Ancestral Powers Festival" in Austria.... Another highlight of the year is  
young drummer Kev's honourable endorsement by Premier Drums. In 1999 TRIBE OF 
CRO will tour Europe and the USA. A new CD is recorded to be ready by May/June 
1999.


MUSICIANS

Niall, Mik, Ade - guitars, Marcel - bass, Phil -keyboards, samplers, Kev - drums


DISCOGRAPHY

1995 - "Tribal Jam" (private tape release, deleted)
1996 - "Potlatch" (LP, Mushroom Runner Records 003, Germany, deleted)
1997 - "Sporadic Spiro-Gyra" (CD, EBSCD 125, UK)
1997 - "Implosion" (track on Floralia 2 compilation CD, Italy)
1998 - "Hydroculture" (track on Gew-Gaw compilation CD, Greece)
1998 - "Hydroculture" (CD, U.F.CRO 777, Belgium)
 

           
 QUOTES

"a virtual supergroup" (Eurock, USA) - "a ten thumbs up" (Cranium, New Zealand) - 
"One can but revisit" (Rif-Raf, Belgium) - "fasten your seatbelts for a journey 
through space" (Spin City, Belgium) - "sheer strength" (Escalpiendo Milagros, 
Argentina) - "an improvisational heaven" (Rustic Rod, UK) - "a Kandinskyesque 
geometry" (Rockerilla, Italy) - " a step forward for the entire genre" (Exposé, USA) - 
"guaranteed to thrill" (Ptolemaic Terrascope, UK) - "great creativity!" (Delire, 
Canada) - "marvellous to float away" (Samson All Areas, Holland) - "superb, totally 
zonked out" (Crohinga Well, Belgium) - "taking you to the four corners of the inner 
mind" (Aardschok, Holland) - "trance cosmic, cosmic jazz" (Aural Innovations, USA) 
- "not to be missed" (Big Bang, France)

"Album of the Month" - Cranium, New Zealand
"N° 1 Elitaire 40" - Radio Centraal, Belgium
"N° 3 Subterranea" - Rockerilla, Italia
"Discovery of the Week" - Delire Radio, Canada                                                                             

CONTACT & BOOKINGS


THE TRIBE OF CRO vzw
Dendermondse Steenweg 103
1730 Asse
Belgium
tel: 0032 (0)2 4529226
e-mail: crohinga@glo.be
URL: http://private.convey.ru/elik/TribeCro/index.html
Bank: ASLK 001-3130709-13
BTW: BE 462.542.916