Search - Ozric Tentacles :: Spirals in Hyperspace

Fasten your seat belt..

spiral_mind | Pennsylvania | 09/11/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Here those wacky lads go again. For close to twenty years the Tentacles have carved out their own niche in music, spinning out one sensory trip after another full of swirly atmospheres and mind-expanding psychedelic grooves. That basic sound hasn't fundamentally changed in that time; their specialty is still one of super-tasty wild sonic colors, spinning jam-band ethos and wild psychedelia into an otherworldly trance of electro-space rock. Until some mad genius shares the secret phase-shift portal to dimension Z with the rest of humanity, music like this is the closest thing to the experience we'll probably have.



So if you've heard them before, you have a good idea what to expect. The difference from previous discs here is in the prominence of electronics: over the Ozric career there's been a gradual shift from earthy tribal rhythms to a more techno-oriented sound, and Spirals in Hyperspace has more programming and twiddly bits than ever before. (I couldn't resist.. this is the kind of music that phrases like 'twiddly bits' were invented for.) The only disappointment, as has been pointed out, is that this recording doesn't really show what divine fire the group can make when they're collectively hitting on all cylinders. It's more of a studio collage pieced together by founder Ed Wynne, who handles most of the tweaking and programming.. and synth.. and well, basically most of everything. That's not to say that there isn't a good helping of real live playing throughout this disc, but it's minced & blended with a good helping of hyper beats and dance-floor thuds. Add a somewhat higher-than-usual amount of synth riffs/atmospheres and far-out guitar effects, and you've got the most cosmic Ozric album yet.



For a taste of the collective band at work, go back and try The Hidden Step first; if you think you'd prefer the more acoustic/ethnic percussion, go for Pungent Effulgent or the masterpiece Erpland. I say this one's worth some good spins despite the studio-crafted factor. Even if it doesn't quite reach the plateau of maximum Ozrictude, this batch of textures is still one tasty ride."

A Troubling Trend....

spiral_mind | 03/26/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"First the good news, if you're a direhard Ozric fan check this album out. It is an interesting extension of their sound, and contains some places they have never gone before in their back catelogue.Now for the bad news....I find "Spirals in Hyperspace" to be by Ozric standards a bit of a dissapointment. Admittedly the production is excellent and there are still lots of creative moments, however Spirals continues a troubling trend toward Ed Wynne monarchy. Consider that only 3 tracks have live drums, and 1 track featuring live bass. This gives the mix an even more synthetic feel than normal, as well as a lack of compositional "chemistry" as its pretty much Ed behind the controls. The songs as forementioned do include inspired and creative moments however many seem overall to have an unfocused feel. Rather than having an overall riff, theme, or melody, which holds the song together, the songs on Spirals begin and just seem to go wherever they please. Those familiar with Ozrics music know this isn't necessarily a bad thing, I however feel like it is done to an excessive degree here and which doesn't really work overall. Finally there is the obvious disparagment of the live band tracks and the Ed solo programing which makes it seem less unified than a tradtional Ozric album. In all this album is way better than no album....but leaves much to be desired."

Precious moments?

Listener | BayArea, CA | 07/30/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The moments I'm referring to are those first listens with a new Ozric CD, taking each track and saying, "Ah, now there's something Jurassic..." or "A bit of Erp in that one, eh?" -- A game one Fellow Fan and I play with every new release: if each track had to belong on a previous album, which would it be?



Well, one reviewer has hit it on the head: the Ozrics have become the Edrics. With an album that's 80~90% programmed, you don't find the rich earthy tones of an Erpland, or the Strangeitudinal trek to the Bazaar.. and so the comparison game doesn't reach back any further than Waterfall Cities. The strongest likeness is with Ed's (and Joie's?) side project Nodens Ictus: Spacelines.. synths, synths, and more synths.



And to these ears, still 4-star enjoyable. The percussion on Psychic Chasm (before the tune turns into "let's have fun with some sound effects") and the acoustic guitar on Zoemetra are CD highlights.. and Spirals certainly gives fans more to choose from than the previous trend of 7-track releases (though I think I could have whittled this one back down to 7 tracks...). Bottom line: a must-buy for OT people, but not a starting point for newbies. Introduce yourself to some Erpland or Pungent Effulgent, and work your way to the present..

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