Ozric Tentacles: Spirals in hyperspace
(Magna Carta- 2004)
Category : none

There are thousands and thousands of bands out there, but very few of them have something instantly recognisable. I like to use the image of a desert of countless dull looking rocks, with every now and then some sort of precious crystal. To me, one of them is Ozric Tentacles. Multi-faceted and complex and glowing in many different colours this particular crystal has the ability to draw your gaze ever closer until eventually you lose yourself in it.

The music of Ozric Tentacles is also contradictory by nature in the sense that it can be very complex but at the same it comes across as being completely natural and organic. It's relaxing as well as energizing. Retro as well as contemporary.

With its influences ranging from seventies psychedelic Rock, Progressive Rock, Eastern music and some forms of Ambient dance music, they sometimes sound like an update of seventies Space Rock bands such as Hawkwind (without vocals and with more trance (and dance) inducing drum rhythms) and especially of Steve Hillage. Hillage even appears as one of the guest musicians on this CD.

This does not mean that Ozric Tentacles simply took the music of pioneers who preceded them and gave it a new gloss. The music of Ozric Tentacles has enough individuality and originality to mark them as pioneers in their own right. This is something which you have to keep in mind, even when I tell you that 'Spirals in Hyperspace' just brings more of the same. That sounds way more negative than it actually is. What I mean to say is that the CD is as good as most of their preceding releases, but that it offers nothing really new when compared to their previous output. The music flows as it always has, in that typical Ozric fashion, and it is as enjoyable as ever. It's therefore not a disappointing addition to their already quite impressive discography, and as good a place as any to start discovering their music.

Website: http://www.ozrics.com