Review: Ozric Tentacles – Harmonic Mind

Kscope – September 18^th, 2026

Reviewer – Chris O’Connor

Ah, the Ozrics. Here is a band I can honestly say I have been a fan and follower of since their very earliest free festival days… and in my case, happy daze! I think it was 1985 (maybe?) when I bought their first cassette, ‘Erpsongs‘, and I’ve been a joyful devotee ever since. There is something so effortlessly wonderful about their genius, groovy, trippy meanderings; music seemingly capable of transporting you somewhere else entirely, with something for virtually every mood.

There have been so many iterations of the Ozrics that I have honestly lost count. Ed Wynne (guitars, keyboards, samples, koto, bass, fretless bass, drum programming) and his merry band of men and women have now released – I think! – sixteen studio albums and maybe ten live albums, alongside numerous compilations, boxsets and remix albums. The Ozrics family tree has also spawned numerous side projects, including Eat Static, ZubZub, Nodens Ictus, Champignon and The Ullulators.

Now, I absolutely cannot dance. Even before I needed a walking stick for balance, I couldn’t dance, having apparently been blessed/cursed with three left feet! However, at various Ozrics shows in the past, thanks to ahem the imbibing of “herbal cigarettes etc”, I did occasionally lose those inhibitions and indulge in what might playfully be described as “Interpretive Dancing”, losing myself completely in the band’s beautifully cosmic aural manoeuvrings.

Make of that what you will!

So, to Ozric Tentacles in 2026… and oh my goodness, it has just occurred to me that I’ve now been a fan for more than forty years.

Good grief!

Joining Ed in the current incarnation are Silas Neptune (keyboards, synthesizer, guitar, samples, saz), Saskia Maxwell (flute), Corey Atheleny Wallace (bass) and Pat Garvey (drums/percussion). As much as I still miss the days/daze (haha!) of Jumping John, Seaweed, Zia and Schooey being onboard, it simply has to be admitted that the current lineup is bloody wonderful.

By Ozrics standards, ‘Harmonic Mind‘ isn’t a particularly long album. My maths may be rubbish, but even I can work out that it clocks in at under forty minutes – and consequently it never once outstays its welcome.

Opening with the gloriously funky ‘Guardstones’, it’s immediately apparent that this new album is going to deliver everything you could hope or wish for. Ed‘s glorious guitars and swooshing synths drive proceedings, but Silas adds so much colour and texture to the mix, while the rhythm section is simply sublime. Finally, Saskia weaves divine flute lines through everything… just perfect.

‘Space Platform’ is even better. Again, it’s fabulously funky, with Corey‘s bass playing particularly awesome. He and Pat underpin everything with seemingly liquid ease while layers of sweeping synths and scything guitars dance above them, making this an absolute killer track.

The title track begins with subtle acoustic guitars before languid bass, funky drumming and dreamy synths gradually take flight. Ed‘s guitar playing is beautifully restrained initially, allowing the music to move and groove organically. As ‘Harmonic Mind’ unfolds, however, it steadily gains urgency, ultimately becoming a fast-paced Space Rock epic. You can actually feel the music surging forward with increasing momentum. It’s genuinely glorious and one of the album’s highlights for me.

‘Malachite’ feels as though it stretches musically into infinity before contracting again with equal ease. It’s subtle one moment and almost bombastic the next, with the rhythm section absolutely inspired throughout. There is plenty of synth interplay between Ed and Silas here, with the guitars almost taking a backseat – relatively speaking, of course!

‘Tillamook’ is the second truly epic track here and, hand on heart, one of my favourite cuts. It’s funky as hell and grooves with authentic, languid ease. More than anything, it’s the perfect embodiment of what makes Ozric Tentacles so bloody amazing. This is one of those pieces where you simply close your eyes and willingly allow the music to carry you away as it gradually envelops you in its wonderfully otherworldly magic.

Finally, ‘Sumipad’ feels like a more measured and considered piece. The synths play a more prominent role than the guitars and there’s a definite sense of the journey winding down. Once again, Corey and Pat are magnificent, holding everything securely together while allowing the music above them to flex, bend and seemingly change shape. That may sound an odd way of describing music – but genuinely, that’s how it feels.

Trying to describe Ozric Tentacles to somebody who has never experienced them has always been rather like trying to describe a colour that doesn’t exist. Space Rock, Psychedelia, Prog, Electronica, Jazz, Dub, Funk and countless other ingredients somehow collide, yet the resulting sound remains unmistakably and uniquely Ozrics. ‘Harmonic Mind‘ captures everything I’ve loved about this extraordinary band for more than forty years while demonstrating that the current line-up has plenty of its own magic to contribute. It’s funky, psychedelic, beautifully played, occasionally bonkers and utterly transportive. Turn the lights down, turn the volume up, close your eyes and let the music take you wherever it damn well pleases.

As for the interpretive dancing?

At my age, I think I’ll leave that bit to somebody else.

Track List: 

1. Guardstones
2. Space Platform
3. Harmonic Mind
4. Malachite
5. Tillamook
6. Sumipad

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