OZRIC TENTACLES
OZRIC TENTACLES “Lotus Unfolding”
By Dark Starr
To some degree you know what you are going to get with an OZRIC TENTACLES album. Their brand of space prog is pretty consistent. This fully instrumental set lives up to those expectations. Yet, each thing is unique in character. They have delivered another solid release with this one.
The opening "Storm in a Teacup" comes in very ambient and grows upward gradually. It's keyboard dominated at first, but becomes more of a frantic, full-band arrangement from there. The piece powers out into some really soaring and frantic jamming. It turns toward space rock later.
The opening keyboard textures on "Deep Blue Shade" call to mind SYNERGY. The track grows out from there, but still retains that sort of vibe. There is definitely a space rock element at play. The thing gets into some really soaring and powerful territory. TANGERINE DREAM is another fair reference point on the number.
Mellow, trippy keyboard sounds get the title track underway. Some flute comes over the top as the keyboards rise up slightly. There is plenty of electronic texture here. but this also includes some killer expressive guitar soloing. TANGERINE DREAM is definitely valid as a comparison on this one.
Longer than the opener by almost twenty seconds, at nearly ten minutes, "Crumplepenny" is the epic of the set. It's not any kind of big change, but it has its own identity. It has a good balance between more energized and mellower sections. It also has a good groove. It's a solid number in keeping with the group's sound.
Trippy music is on the menu at times on "Green Incantation." It gets harder rocking at other points. I really like the keyboard interlude around the halfway mark a lot. It starts to drive out with a lot of intensity beyond that point. It is quite a dynamic ride.
Trippy and energized sound is on the menu as the closing "Burundi Spaceport" gets going. I really love some of the bass work on this thing. It brings a solid album to a close.