Ozric Tentacles
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Ozrics_newcastle_2005.jpg
The Ozric Tentacles (commonly known as the Ozrics) are an instrumental band from Somerset, England, whose musical can loosely be described as psychedelic progressive rock. Formed in 1984, the band have released well over 20 albums as of 2005, and become a cottage industry selling around a million albums worldwide despite never having major label backing.
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History
The original lineup met on June 21st, 1984, at the Stonehenge Free Festival and their name arose from discussions of hypothetical cereal brands. In the 1980s the band built a fanbase on the festival circuit, becoming particularly associated with the Glastonbury Festival, and made a series of cassette releases, sold at gigs and via a fan club.
Their first label release was Pungent Effulgent in 1989, which was also re-released in the early 2000s, packaged with Strangeitude. This was followed by Erpland (1990), an album dedicated to Erp, a character which appears on many of the band's album artworks. 1991 saw the Strangeitude LP. The track "Sploosh!" was used by BMW in an advertising campaign and became the band's only single. By 1993 the band had grossed over three million dollars, and their Jurassic Shift album reached the Top 10 of the UK Album Charts.
The band have gone through myriad line-up changes, with only Ed Wynne (guitar, keyboards) and Champignon (flute) keeping a constant presence since the early 1990s. Many members left to pursue more electronic music spin offs acts, namely Eat Static, Nodens Ictus, ZubZub (Former Ozrics bassist Zia's new project) and Moksha. Nevertheless, the band maintained their identity and continued with this prolific rate of albums throughout the 1990s, and into the new millenium. They also continued to tour extensively, releasing a live DVD in 2002.
The band are famous for their live performances, fronted by Champignon, who dances around the stage in a trance-like manner and occasionally plays the flute. Ozric Tentacles have long taken an audio-visual approach to live performance, with an integrated lighting and projections crew. As of 2005, the lineup features Ed Wynne (guitar, keyboards), "Champignon" a.k.a. John Egan (flute, vocals), Hagos (bass), Ed's wife Brandi Wynne (keyboards) and Metro (drums, percussion).
Musicology
Their music is a highly psychedelic mixture of thumping basslines, sound effects and danceable keyboard and guitar work, with a progressive rock sound influenced by Steve Hillage and Gong. Many of the Ozrics songs are in unusual time signatures and/or unusual Eastern-influenced modes. Furthermore, they often feature complex arrangements which change time signature, key signature and tempo frequently in the course of a track. In places, this is deliberately confusing; however, there are also moments of straightforward funk-influenced grooves.
These progressive rock features are mixed with electronic elements, including densely layered psytrance- and techno-influenced arpeggiated synthesisers, pads, synth basslines, effects and programmed drumbeats. They also have a strong influence from dub and ambient music, with many extremely relaxed tracks which balance the frenetic, intense material.
Discography
Cassettes
- Tantric Obstacles (1985)
- Erpsongs (1985)
- There Is Nothing (1986)
- Live Ethereal Cereal (1986)
- Sliding Gliding Worlds (1988)
- The Bits Between the Bits (1989)
Albums
- Pungent Effulgent (1989)
- Erpland (1990)
- Sploosh / Live Throbbe EP (1991)
- Strangeitude (1991)
- Live Underslunky (1992)
- Afterswish (1992)
- Ozric Tentacles (1993)
- Jurassic Shift (1993)
- Arborescence (1994)
- Vitamen Enhanced Box Set (1994) - Their previous cassete works on cd
- Become The Other (1995)
- Curious Corn (1997)
- Spice Doubt (1998)
- Waterfall Cities (1999)
- Floating Seeds (1999)
- The Hidden Step (2000)
- Pyramidion (2000)
- Live at The Pongmasters Ball (2002) - live DVD
- Spirals in Hyperspace (2004)
External Links
- Official Ozric Tentacles Site (http://www.ozrics.com)
- Official Ozric Tentacles Fan-site (http://www.geocities.com/ozrictentacles_web/)
- Interview in Sound on Sound magazine (http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_articles/aug96/ozrictentacles.html)