Ozric Tentacles

[KevShmev]

A friend of mine has really been pimping this band to me, so I am checking them out now.  So far, me likey!  Some very cool, laid back, chilling music.  

Who's a fan?

[RandalGraves]

A friend of mine has really been pimping this band to me, so I am checking them out now.  So far, me likey!  Some very cool, laid back, chilling music.  

Who's a fan?

I've heard two tracks (thanks to Pandora) and I loved what I heard.  I've yet to seek out more of their work though . . . I probably should.

[reneranucci]

I´ve got a couple of their albums (Arborescence and Erpland) but I haven´t been able to get into them. I think it´s the only band I´ve heard that I can honestly say that doesn´t sound like any other music in the world. And I think that makes them hard to listen to: if you want funny straightforward music with good chops, well they have a little bit of that, but it´s not a funny band. If you want something relaxing and atmospheric, that´s an element of their sound, but they will surprise you with much more. And it´s not easy to remember how their songs go, they´re not "catchy" enough. I´ll give them another spin and see what happens.

[PixelDream]

I was obsessed with that band for a few years from when I was 16.

I have all their studio records and live albums, dvd's etc. Just collected everything. Seen them live a couple of times.

Their 90's albums are very much band-driven instrumentals with a lot of electronics and flutes, but their last few albums the 'real' drums are more and more disappearing, making them sound more like an Ed Wynne solo effort.

Get any of their albums, just preferably NOT one of their latest three (Spirals in Hyperspace - The Floor's Too Far Away - The Yum Yum Tree). Those three records can be seen as Ed Wynne solo records, as they're not collaborating as a true band nowadays. As a result, much of the stuff on these records are synthy and programmed. I definately prefer their more organic, jammy sound.

Be sure to check out 'Live @ The Pongmaster's Ball DVD', 'Spice Doubt: Streaming in the Ether', and 'Erpland' for their jam/folk/ethnic sound. Then get 'Waterfall Cities' and 'The Hidden Step' for a perfect blend of band-driven and electronic stuff.

Trivia:

* Frontman and guitarist Ed Wynne is referred to by Jordan Rudess on the Metropolis 2000 Commentary track. During the instrumental section of 'Beyond This Life', Petrucci kicks in with a guitar solo and the psychedelic effects are layered on him.
* Their song 'Sploosh!' was used in a BMW commercial (that's pretty weird for such an unknown band).
* Porcupine Tree once opened up for Ozric Tentacles.

[YtseBitsySpider]

Im the opposite to the above guy. I also have it all, but I've never seen them live.
I prefer their newer stuff and the more "ed-centric" material.
Yum Yum tree is fantastic and made my top 10 of 2009.

I suggest ripping it all, making a massive playlist and letting it run.  Curious Corn, Waterfall Cities....Jurasic Shift.....just get it all.

I think I sent Magic Valley out during the last Track of the Day round.

[PixelDream]

Yeah, it essentially doesn't matter which album you get. And to be honest, the Ed-centric stuff does have some gems between them.

Tracks I'd recommend for someone unfamiliar with the Ozrics:

Band tracks, ethnic, electronic, psychedelic:

'Coily' (from Waterfall Cities)
'Pixel Dream' (guess where I got my forum name from) (from The Hidden Step)
'Eternal Wheel' (from Erpland)
'Vibuthi' (from Become the Other)

Pure synth/programming goodness, danceable, beats:

'A Tight Spin' (from The Hidden Step) - AMAZING acoustic guitar solo here
'Chewier' (from Spirals in Hyperspace)
'Psychic Chasm' (from Spirals in Hyperspace) - A somewhat Drum 'n Bass-y collaboration with Merv Pepler, former drummer of Ozric Tentacles, now in Eat Static.

Nick van Gelder used to drum for the Ozrics btw, he later appeared on the first few Jamiroquai records.

[YtseBitsySpider]

really!!

Huh...I loved those first Jamiroquai discs....there was track I always loved the drum work on......


hmm...what was it..

oh.

"Function at the Juction"
great beginning.

[Mladen]

Waterfall Cities is the only album I've listened to. It was pretty darn good, I might check out some other Ozric Tentacles works...

[KevShmev]

So far, the songs I am liking the most are:

"Splat!"
"Tight Spin" (my two favorites thus far)
"Eternal Wheel"
"Jurassic Shift"
"Bizarre Bazaar"
"Spacebase"
"Sun Hair"
"Chewier"
"White Rhino Tea"
"Psychic Chasm"
"Curious Corn"

[Orbert]

I like them a lot.  I have maybe half a dozen albums of theirs, and really like the semi-structured approach to jamming.  When I get together and jam with the guys back home, that's the kind of jamming I'm shooting for.

[LudwigVan]

I've got one album, Live Underslunky.  It is cool music with great musicianship, but for some reason, I tend to lose interest after the first few songs.  Maybe it's the lack of vocals... I think I need them to keep my mind from wandering away from the music. 

[PixelDream]

It all sounds the same. Not exactly, but in the end you know exactly what you can expect. It's just great music to drift off to, forget about all your personal problems for a moment and just 'be'. I believe Allmusic.com said something like that about their album 'Jurassic Shift'. And gawd, I love those eastern melodies and pulsing rythms.

One of their most epic tracks has got to be 'The Throbbe' (especially live), and 'Vibuthi' (outstanding eastern melodies again).

[SoundscapeMN]

better live, hippie chics will dance (and get high) with you 

[KevShmev]

Still digging this.  This is great stuff to chill, relax, or even fall asleep to.  Yeah, it is all pretty samey, but in the right context, it is pretty sweet.

[PixelDream]

Definately. I went to see them live again with a friend, a few months ago. Come the last song, we were both hoping for Eternal Wheel, for both of us our favorite track. We got it! It was amazing.

I'm kinda looking at this festival for the summer: https://ozorafestival.eu/2011/
It has Ozric Tentacles AND Shpongle. Awesome.

[Beowulf]

Saw them live a bunch of years ago in Dallas.  Still love all of "Strangeitude" album.  Good stuff.

[Global Laziness]

It's just great music to drift off to, forget about all your personal problems for a moment and just 'be'.

Absolutely this. The Ozrics are a top 20 band for me; I love the experience of listening to their music. Jurassic Shift is my favourite album of theirs.

[pain of occupation]

my buddy got me into em this past summer. pretty good stuff, though exploring their discography is quite the undertaking.

[YtseBitsySpider]

WOW.

Paper Monkey?
(2011) release.

I had no idea.
That's the greatest thing ever, finding out one of your favorite bands released an album and you didn't even know.

I have it waiting for me at home to listen to.
The title track sounds AWESOME with Ed doing all kinds of crazy guitar stuff.

[YtseJamittaja]

WOW.

Paper Monkey?
(2011) release.

I had no idea.
That's the greatest thing ever, finding out one of your favorite bands released an album and you didn't even know.

I have it waiting for me at home to listen to.
The title track sounds AWESOME with Ed doing all kinds of crazy guitar stuff.

Lemon Kush ftw!!!

[SystematicThought]

I'm happy to see some love for OT. I thought I was the only fan on the forum. I got into them last year when they would always pop up on Porcupine Tree's Playlist on Pandora. There's a song I always heard that was live that I haven't been able to find again. It had a really cool sounding acoustic guitar.

I love Waterfall Cities and Curious Corn. The only thing I hate about the band is that I think a lot of the people would think that only stoners listen to that kind of music. I love it and I haven't touched any of that stuff nor would I. 

All in all- great band

[YtseBitsySpider]

Im a huge fan, I have nearly everything by them including weird old garage recordings.
I usually pimp them in the roulettes im in.

describe that song more..I have a massive playlist with all their stuff.

how long is it? generally?

[darkshade]

Why have I never posted in this thread. Ozric Tentacles are one of my favorite bands. I have 9 of their albums, and they're all good. I have no intention of getting any more since they all sound the same, but If I hear one from a friend or something, I'll probably get it, as they're so consistent.

Erpland and Jurassic Shift are my favorites, but their newest album is the freshest album they've done since the 90s IMO.

[tartarus250]

love the ozrics me and my friends have been to see them more times than i can remember defo a top ten band for me but seing them live is defo the best way to hear thier music :-)

[PixelDream]

I saw them again last week, in Holland. In a venue, playing for 30 people. Yes, 30.

30 spaced out, euphoric people. Including me and my friend. Despite missing John Egan on flutes, the band was tighter than ever (their current drummer is unreal!). Loved the 'Paper Monkeys' songs as well.

So yeah, glad to see this band still going strong. And even in a half empty venue they still seem happy to give us this great experience of forgetting EVERYTHING and just feel the love of their spacey music.

[ytserush]

Why have I never posted in this thread. Ozric Tentacles are one of my favorite bands. I have 9 of their albums, and they're all good. I have no intention of getting any more since they all sound the same, but If I hear one from a friend or something, I'll probably get it, as they're so consistent.

Erpland and Jurassic Shift are my favorites, but their newest album is the freshest album they've done since the 90s IMO.

Really? I've got a half-dozen albums myself and I was considering downsizing my collection.

Prog Magazine profiled them recently and mentioned the recent album and had nice things to say about it, but they tend to be the AC/DC of space rock and I was hoping for something a little different from them so maybe this is something I should check out.

I tend to like the older stuff too. I think Waterfall Cities was the last one I have and was considering dumping that one.

[Orbert]

the AC/DC of space rock

By this, I'm guessing you mean that they're great if you like it, but their albums all have a very similar sound.  The new album sounds remarkably like the older stuff.  Maybe updated a little bit, but essentially the same formula.  Good, different, and yet the same.

[darkshade]

the AC/DC of space rock

On one hand I understand this, but OT's sound has (slowly) progressed from the world music/funk/prog rock of the 90s, to the space/techno/house funk-jam of the 2000s.

Of course, if you made a mix of 90s and 2000s Ozrics, I'd have a hard time figuring out which songs were the newer or older ones, with some exceptions.

[YtseBitsySpider]

I enjoy them for Ed.
It's how ed comes in, goes out, comes in again.

And the new album is very ED.


So I'm pleased.
Lots of great guitar work
and the drumming is fab too....

[ytserush]

the AC/DC of space rock

By this, I'm guessing you mean that they're great if you like it, but their albums all have a very similar sound.  The new album sounds remarkably like the older stuff.  Maybe updated a little bit, but essentially the same formula.  Good, different, and yet the same.

Yes.

I guess at this point, I'm not enough of a fan to have everything. I just need to decide which ones are my favorites and go from there.

[Sketchy]

I've not heard their stuff yet, but I found some albums in Cambridge yesterday so today I shall listen. (One is vinyl though, and I don't have a player. I just got it because it is pretty).

Edit: OH HELL THIS IS GOOD (I have dErpland on CD, which I bought as I'd just found Curious Corn on vinyl. I look forward to at some point hearing that too, but Erpland is so good.)

[PixelDream]

Enjoy, 'Erpland' is the classic of the 'classic' line up, and 'Curious Corn' is fantastic as well.

For anyone checking this band out, 'Live @ The Pongmaster's Ball' DVD is a must have.

[darkshade]

I have a bunch of Ozrics albums.

90s:
Erpland
Strangeitude
Jurassic Shift
Aborescence

2000s:
Spirals In Hyperspace
The Floor's Too Far Away
The Yum Yum Tree
Paper Monkeys

I'm missing a large chunk of albums between the 90s albums I have and 2000s ones, so I know I'm missing the progression from the world music proggy albums from their early work to the electronic funky albums of the last few years. I'm also missing their first major label album Pungent Effulgent from 1989. Thing is, I have so many of their albums already, I don't know if I feel like getting any more right now. Still a great band, and I've been revisiting their albums lately, and it's been just great.

I'll rank the ones I have too, just because:

Erpland
Aborescence
Spirals In Hyperspace
Jurassic Shift
The Yum Yum Tree
Strangeitude
Paper Monkeys
The Floor's Too Far Away

[SystematicThought]

Im a huge fan, I have nearly everything by them including weird old garage recordings.
I usually pimp them in the roulettes im in.

describe that song more..I have a massive playlist with all their stuff.

how long is it? generally?

I've still been trying to find it.

It's a live song and the guitar is really mixed well and there's massive cymbal rolls on the china in the beginning. I haven't heard it since

[Sketchy]

Erpland seems to me to sound like several very skilled musicians jamming round grooves in odd metres while stoned for an hour.

And I can also see why it pops up on Porcupine Tree things on pandora. It's got a pretty similar atmosphere, and hell I love it.