Ozric Tentacles – Lotus Unfolding

Kscope (October 20^th 2023)

Reviewer: Chris O’Connor

I can honestly say I have followed the Ozrics since day one, I am old enough and ugly enough to have been involved in the free festival scene, and I bought all the band’s earliest tapes in 1985/86: ‘Erpsongs’, ‘Tantric Obstacles’, ‘Live Ethereal Cereal’, ‘There Is Nothing’, and ‘Sliding Gliding Worlds’, and I’ve been a fan ever since. I’ve also seen them live dozens of times.

I will also be honest, for a while. From the point they recorded ‘The Floor’s Too Far Away’ up to the point they recorded ‘Space For The Earth’, it kind of felt like they had coasted for a bit. Even listening to main man Ed Wynne’s own solo album ‘Shimmer Into Nature’ – it seemed as if he had been keeping his best material for himself.

Don’t get me wrong, even an indifferent Ozrics album is better than a lot of Heavy Metal albums I can think of, so in no way am I denigrating the band. From ‘Space…’ onward, the band have seemed to have found themselves again, and the music has again become more focussed.

Now, in 2023, we have another new Ozrics line-up: Ed Wynne – guitars, keyboards, samples, koto, bass, fretless bass, drum programming, Silas Neptune – keyboards, synthesizer, guitar, samples, saz, Brandi Wynne – bass, keyboards, and Tim Wallander – drums, percussion, and a brand-new studio album – ‘Lotus Unfolding’.

This new release features just six tracks: ‘Storm In A Teacup’, ‘Deep Blue Shade’, ‘Lotus Unfolding’, ‘Crumplepenny’, ‘Green Incantation’, and ‘Burundi Spaceport’. Now granted, six songs probably doesn’t sound much like an album’s worth, but in actual fact, as most of the songs are fairly epic, so it’s a good 50+ minutes in length.

So, what does it sound like? Well, it sounds like the Ozrics of course! But, how to explain their sound to the uninitiated? ‘Swirly’ springs to mind – which is not very helpful I grant you. The music is instrumental, very groovy and free-flowing. It could be described as bass led, with layered pulsing synthesizers, fluidic and spiralling guitars firing into the stratosphere, with groovy and trippy drumming underpinning the whole thing. In short, imagine Gong jamming with The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Tim Wheater, and Nik Turner – whilst on acid? That is sort of, maybe what they begin to sound like, which I guess is also conversely not quite close – as they actually just sound like themselves! They are a genuinely unique musical proposition!

Now, when it comes to meaningful co-ordination – I have three left feet, and am incapable of dancing in any conventional way. I tell you this, because after getting a bit ‘wobbly’ with the band (whilst professionally interviewing them *coughs*) backstage at the ‘Robin 2’ venue in Bilston many years ago – herbal cigarettes and other ‘interesting natural substances’ MAY have been involved – I was later ALLEGEDLY seen to be doing what might loosely be described as ‘interpretive dancing’ during the set that followed. Ahem … moving swiftly on …

So, ‘Lotus Unfolding’ is a set of gorgeous, free-flowing numbers, that are sort of like experiencing a beautiful pristine stream or river, that is lazily meandering its way through a field, on a hot, sunny, drowsy day – if you get my drift? The best way to truly experience the music, is just to dip your feet in (as you would in said stream/river) and to let the music wash over you and carry you away. This may all sound a little whimsical, but honestly – it really is the most effective way of finding your way. Don’t fight it, let the sun bath your body, and let the pure water soothe you. Yes, I am an old hippy, deal with it.

Part of me feels I should apologise for the fact that this is not a very ‘technical/clinical’ review, but the fact remains that the Ozric Tentacles are very simply NOT your average band, so trying to write ‘that’ kind of review is basically redundant. Nearly forty years into their career (dear Gods I really AM old!) and the Ozrics are showing no signs of slowing down – well in the career sense anyway. For me, they have the same glorious appeal as The Grateful Dead, Hawkwind, Tangerine Dream, Acid Mothers Temple, Frank Zappa etc … they are a way of life, and not a conscious choice. You will either ‘get’ them … or you won’t, but if you fall into the latter camp? I pity you – as you are missing out on something truly wonderfully, eminently, timelessly…cool.

Tracklist:

1. Storm In A Teacup
2. Deep Blue Shade
3. Lotus Unfolding
4. Crumplepenny
5. Green Incantation
6. Burundi Spaceport