Ozric Tentacles

[Viero_Berlotti]

So it's their 30th anniversary this year and they are set to re-release and re-master their first 6 albums on a box set. Plus a tour as well, although I don't think they've ever stopped recording, touring or playing live in their 30 year existence.

For me they are one of the most underrated and 'forgotten' British bands out there. Briefly fashionable in the mid-nineties they've been critically overlooked since then, and sometimes unfairly dismissed as out-of-date, new-age, hippy nonsense.

They still remain one of my favourite bands though, they were the first band I ever saw live, so that might go some way to explain my deep rooted affection for them. I'm definitely going to see them on this tour though, as I've not seen them live since their mid-nineties peak in popularity.

Listening back to Jurassic Shift recently I'd also forgotten quite how jazz-funk they could be. (Which admittedly probably makes them even more unfashionable in some respect).

http://youtu.be/csM8IIaXFYM

[Don_Preston]

I own a couple of their albums. But I can never listen to them. It's the horrid keyboard sounds which just remind me of Marillion which does it.

[BlodwynPig]

Thank you Viero - Ozrics are my favourite band and I've plugged them a few times on here to little joy (as would be expected by a crowd bred on Beatles and Bowie).

I'm going to Liverpool and Manchester this year for a live double header. What with all the turmoil recently (their house and studio in Colorado being burned down in the wild fires, Ed's illness), its amazing they are still going strong - although Brandi was seen as a somewhat Yoko figure by many fans, her energy has kept things moving in the last few years. The Vitamin Enhanced reissue should be interesting. I have an original copy, but Brandi has said that this release will be greatly enhanced both aurally and visually.

Which gig are you going to Viero?

[Viero_Berlotti]

Which gig are you going to Viero?

Should be going to Manchester. Trying to get tickets at the minute but the Band On The Wall website is down. Not even sure if Band On The Wall are selling tickets yet, they weren't last week when tickets were available on Ents 24 for all other UK dates.

Also Acid Mothers Temple are playing at the Band On The Wall on the 10th October. So it's looking like October could be a pretty much psyched-out month.

[Puffin Chunks]

I've got a lot of time for the Ozrics, but I can definitely see why they're not every one's cup of tea. How much of the original line-up actually remain? They've always been very transient in terms of their line-up, but going for 30 years is an achievement. Their approach to producing their own records, especially with their cassette only albums is something that should definitely be admired.

Oh and they wrote Kick Muck, which makes them pretty much amazing in my eyes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kxr3N2ht6Q

[checkoutgirl]

They have been sampled by and no doubt influenced The Future Sound Of London to a hefty degree, this affords them autorespect from me. I'm probably past the phase in my life where I can be bothered to get into this type of band. Then again, this is some nice ambient noodlings - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqyWf7-Sqi0

[vrailaine]

My friends uncle was in them at some point years ago. We were burg surprised to discover they were any good at what they do, what with that name and all.

[BlodwynPig]

Just Ed Wynne who is left from the original lineup - Roly committed suicide in 1999, Gavin Griffiths went on to the Ullulators and is currently putting together some compilations of Ullulator material - check them out if you like early Ozric material. Nick Van Gelder (Tig) joined Jamiroquai (!) and does his own music now.

I think FSOL swapped the Ozric samples for a synth or two, which then shaped the Ozric sound for years to come.

[BlodwynPig]

Oh, yes, Black Ship is correct, Ozric material circa Jurassic Shift did appear in an episode of Byker Grove.

Also, on a comedy note - Martin Clunes was friends with the band in the early days and is allegedly responsible for some of the early track names.

[Black Ship]

Oh, yes, Black Ship is correct, Ozric material circa Jurassic Shift did appear in an episode of Byker Grove.

Also, on a comedy note - Martin Clunes was friends with the band in the early days and is allegedly responsible for some of the early track names.

Didn't they do the theme tune? That was what I was getting at with that tag.

[Neville Chamberlain]

Not so long ago, I mocked the Ozrics on these here very forums and was roundly chastised by blodders himself. My negative view of them was based on absolutely minimal listening to their music and more the mental image I'd built up of them in my head. For me, they'd become inextricably linked with the awfulness of Glastonbury (the actual town itself, not the festival), which is very close to where I grew up and is full of aggressive beggars, spiritual types and evil religious charlatans - but that was before I'd really listened to them properly. Now I've listened to them properly and I've come to the conclusion that they're really rather good and I regularly find myself "wigging out" to their cosmic noodlings. Far out!

[BlodwynPig]

Didn't they do the theme tune? That was what I was getting at with that tag.

No, where did you hear that - they did appear on a ghetto blaster, but not in the theme tune. That was done by a blues rock band called Kane Gang.

[BlodwynPig]

From youtube (I am unsure about this):

butiamthedoctor 2 years ago
It's not the first season titles, when Byker Grove started in 1989, it had the Kane Gang's theme tune, before it was redone by Ozric Tentacles. It was very much a drama serial then, written by one author. The Ozric Tentacles theme and the jumping titles came with the third or fourth season.

[Puffin Chunks]

I'm pretty sure they had nothing to do with the title theme. It would be very out of style from their normal stuff.

From a Sound on Sound interview in '96:

Observant 'fans' of the childrens' TV show Byker Grove masquerading as SOS readers may be under the impression that Ed's television connections have not entirely been severed -- and, to a degree, they'd be right. Here the Ozrics are credited with additional music -- mercifully not the title theme -- for which they receive no payment whatsoever

Source: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_articles/aug96/ozrictentacles.html

[BlodwynPig]

They were on 6 Music with Mark Radcliffe earlier this week, a lovely chat and they played a draft of a new track, which had a kick muck riff in the middle.

Viero, did you get tickets for Manchester?

Just listening to this now, still amazes me, 20 years on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzNPlQjL13A

[Viero_Berlotti]

Viero, did you get tickets for Manchester?

Yes, I will be there trying to recreate my youth by standing at the back with my arms folded and nodding my head slightly out of time to the beat.

Shame it's mid-week with work the next day or I'd go crazy for this.

EDIT: Here's a link to the 6Music interview last week: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01f0yjn

[sproggy]

Liked how receptive they were to the people suggesting names for the new track.

[Hangthebuggers]

I DO like them... However (allegedly) that crustie / hippie thing they have going on is slightly trustafarian. One of the members was given a huge cash donation from a very rich relative who worked for the royal mint (by all accounts). So when they play up to that poor, barefoot hippie thing and they've made their way from scratch, well... it isn't exactly true. They're rich middle class southerners who had it handed to them on a plate.

A band I know used to tour with them and when the Ozrics were indulging themselves in feast sized platters in their dressing room, my mates band (northern and poor) were literally scrimping pennies together to feed themselves and apparently a couple of the Ozric's were bloody obnoxious and downright rude until my mate threatened to knock them out.

[Brundle-Fly]

I associate the Ozrics as the hissy C90 soundtrack to the one and only time I attempted D&D with a group of work colleagues circa 1991. The most tedious night of my life up to that point.

I preferred Eat Static, their dancey off shoot. Always hated their artwork, real sub-Roger Dean nonsense but have nothing against them today. Reassuring they're still knocking about.

[BlodwynPig]

I DO like them... However (allegedly) that crustie / hippie thing they have going on is slightly trustafarian. One of the members was given a huge cash donation from a very rich relative who worked for the royal mint (by all accounts). So when they play up to that poor, barefoot hippie thing and they've made their way from scratch, well... it isn't exactly true. They're rich middle class southerners who had it handed to them on a plate.

A band I know used to tour with them and when the Ozrics were indulging themselves in feast sized platters in their dressing room, my mates band (northern and poor) were literally scrimping pennies together to feed themselves and apparently a couple of the Ozric's were bloody obnoxious and downright rude until my mate threatened to knock them out.

Errrrr. Ed Wynne's (and Roly's RIP) father was David Wynne. Designer of this amongst his other works:



As far as I know, they have never made excuses for their background and not really seen as a hippy band at all.

[BlodwynPig]

I associate the Ozrics as the hissy C90 soundtrack to the one and only time I attempted D&D with a group of work colleagues circa 1991. The most tedious night of my life up to that point.

I preferred Eat Static, their dancey off shoot. Always hated their artwork, real sub-Roger Dean nonsense but have nothing against them today. Reassuring they're still knocking about.

Drinking & Driving?

I love the early "hissy" cassettes, my favourite music of all. They are rereleasing the boxed set of those tapes with some serious sound improvements done by a fan who also does mastering, but I will still prefer the old sound.

[Hangthebuggers]

Well fair enough Blodders. I'm by no means knocking them myself, I've spent many a lost day spazzing out to the Ozrics and have seen them two or three times (and eat static three times), so I do appreciate the music.

So maybe my view of them is biased or tarnished from friends experiences or maybe my friends are bullshitters (although I doubt it in this case)....


Also whoever mentioned Glastonbury (the town) earlier is spot on. It's a crazy place. The small amounts of time I've spent there I've met some of the most strangest people. Religious mentalists of all flavours (neo-christians, druids, new age types etc) but generally I found the down and out types were probably more genuine than the wand-waving fuckers who preached at everyone. Lot of good artists and musicians down there though and I can fault the general madness associated with the place. Recently (earlier this year) I spent the night in a pub with another mates band and we had a fucking awesome time and met some very fucking strange people (fans and locals alike)..... I'd go back again and again but I'd never want to live there....

[BlodwynPig]

They are a strange band. Most of the music I listen to is knocked by friends, family, general public, but I have introduced the Ozrics to a lot of straight laced friends (mainly in a live setting) and received glowing reviews. The worst I have heard was Steven Wilson from Porcupine Tree saying they were very repetitive.

[Hangthebuggers]

If you get the time (and can be arsed) maybe you can inbox me some similar stuff of that vein?

[BlodwynPig]

If you get the time (and can be arsed) maybe you can inbox me some similar stuff of that vein?

Ozric stuff or you mean related bands??

[Hangthebuggers]

Sorry I meant similar bands or artists. If you can be arsed.

[Dropshadow]

I loved the Ozrics until I began to get into Bardo Pond. They're the Ozrics plus feedback and minus the boring bits.

http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=2625

[BlodwynPig]

I loved the Ozrics until I began to get into Bardo Pond. They're the Ozrics plus feedback and minus the boring bits.

http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=2625

I was never taken with Bardo, although I only really heard some songs around the Ptolemaic terrascope sampler era.

[Dropshadow]

I was never taken with Bardo, although I only really heard some songs around the Ptolemaic terrascope sampler era.

They're really the kind of band that have to be listened to at album-length rather than piecemeal in a sampler. Just let that wonderful droney noise wash over you, and all that. Cynics would undoubtedly say any one of their albums would do "as they all sound the same" but it's not true. Well, actually it is (almost), but in a good way. Harrumph!

The brave, and the well-bandwidthed can legally download no less than 18 of their live performances from archive.org....

http://archive.org/details/BardoPond

I did, and I'm really glad.

[Viero_Berlotti]

So what did you reckon Blodwyn?

I was pretty much blown away by it, probably the best live gig I've seen in the past decade for certain. I saw them on numerous occasions in the early - mid 1990's, and loved them then, but Ed Wynne seems to have really grown into being a practised guitar virtuoso on par with Zappa or Stevie V.

The Ozrics live in 2013 are all the great things you'd expect from classic krautrock bands of the mid 1970's except they are a bit better at playing their instruments and can work a crowd.

Oh, and Silas is a smouldering hunk of Grecian godlike handsomeness as well.