A band from another time, Ozric Tentacles served as the bridge from '70s cosmic rock to the organic dance and festival culture that came back into fashion during the '90s. Formed in 1983 with a debt to jazz fusion as well as space rock, the band originally included guitarist Ed Wynne, drummer Nick Van Gelder, keyboard player Joie Hinton, bassist Roly Wynne (Ed's brother), and second guitarist Gavin Griffiths (who left the group in 1984). The Ozrics played in clubs around London, meanwhile releasing six cassette-only albums beginning with 1984's Erpsongs. (All six were later collected on the Vitamin Enhanced box set, despite a threatened lawsuit from the Kellogg's cereal company for questionable artwork.) In 1987, Merv Pepler replaced Van Gelder, and synthesizer player Steve Everett was also added.
Ozric Tentacles' first major release, the 1990 album Erpland, foreshadowed the crusty movement, a British parallel to America's hippie movement of the '60s. Crusties borrowed the hippies' organic dress plus the cosmic thinking of new agers, and spent most of their time traveling around England to various festivals and outdoor gatherings. The movement fit in perfectly with bands like Ozric Tentacles and the Levellers, and The Ozrics' 1991 album Strangeitude became their biggest seller yet, occasioning a U.S. contract with Capitol. After the British-only Afterswish and Live Underslunky, 1993's Jurassic Shift -- featuring flutest John Egan, who would become known for his on-stage trance-dancing during the group's live performances, and new bassist Zia Geelani in addition to original bassist Roly Wynne, who departed the band in 1992 -- hit number 11 on the British charts, quite a feat for a self-produced album released on The Ozrics' own Dovetail label. The album was released in America by IRS Records, as was 1994's Arborescence. Neither album translated well with American audiences -- despite the band's first U.S. tour in 1994 -- and Hinton and Pepler left the band that year to devote their energies to their dance side project, Eat Static, releasing several albums on Planet Dog Records.

Ozric Tentacles returned to their Dovetail label for 1995's Become the Other, featuring new members Rad and Seaweed, who also appeared on 1997's Curious Corn. Ed Wynne's brother Roly, whose later life had been plagued with difficulties, committed suicide in 1999, a tragic development for the Wynne and Ozrics families. However, the band forged on, closing out the decade with the release of Waterfall Cities that year, and during the summer of 2000 The Ozrics resurfaced with Swirly Termination. The band also released Hidden Step in 2000, followed by the EP Pyramidion in 2002. Live at the Pongmasters Ball arrived in 2002 as well, their first venture to be released on both CD and DVD.

By 2004's Spirals in Hyperspace, Ozric Tentacles were largely guided by sole original member Ed Wynne, who was responsible for guitar, keyboards, and beat programming on the studio effort, which nevertheless included appearances from previous Ozrics contributors Zia, Seaweed, John Egan, and Merv Pepler, plus drummer Schoo (who had replaced Rad after the former's departure following a 2000 U.S. tour), Ed Wynne's wife Brandi Wynne on bass, and even space rock/electronica guitar legend Steve Hillage. Released in 2006, The Floor's Too Far Away continued the trend of Ozrics domination by Ed Wynne. A live appearance from June 2007 was documented in 2008's Sunrise Festival disc, and 2009 saw the release of a new studio album, The Yumyum Tree. Inspired by Lewis Carroll, the latter album featured, in addition to Ed Wynne in the leadership role, Brandi Wynne on keyboards along with bassist Vinny Shillito and drummer Roy Brosh. Yet another permutation of the latter-day Ozrics was a true Wynne family affair, with Ed joined by his son -- and the late Roly's nephew -- Silas on synths, wife Brandi back on bass replacing Shillito, and Ollie Seagle on drums.

[Taken from All Music Guide]

I wish I could see them! I doubt they'll ever come my way though. Anyway, do you have any favorite albums?

Maybe Progarchives is too RIO.

 

This band is long dead and gone.

 

Today, this is the "Ozric Family Band" and it no longer has any resemblance to the earlier band. Mom plays the bass, dad the guitar and son the keyboards, and their last album is nice, and Brandy is playing a lot better ... but in the end ... it is a sad throwback, and not anywhere near their very best with "Erpland" and "Strangeitude". In my book, their glory ended when John left ... the atmospheric excursions died and the music suffered.

 

Sad part of this band, has also been their inability to afford a proper sound person to work with them in touring around, and in two shows here in Portland, about 2 or 3 years apart, I think, they sounded absolutely terrible, and both times (and the one at La Luna in 1995), they had issues with the sound system and for several minutes more than once, the keyboards could not be heard, and once, Ed's keyboard went unplugged and Ed had to close the song down because Brandy and the kid and drummer could not continue, and the band could not improvise from there, except a 12 beat close!

 

If all it is, is a glorified rock band, there are plenty better ones around, that do not have to excuse their music behing an idea, and song ... with a lousy setup that doesn't work!

 

Very frustrating, and if my name was ED, I would not allow that to happen and hurt the music and the band.

:D Perhaps!

I agree and disagree. I've never heard them live but because a few bad apples in a concert's sound doesn't mean anything to me especially since I wasn't there and bad things can happen in a live performance. I think Pungent Effulgent through Waterfall Cities are their best work. I'm not too impressed with the band nowadays. Paper Monkeys was quite disappointing on many levels. I did like The YumYum Tree a good bit though. Anyway, I'm glad I'm not as jaded as you are.

Haven't played them for a while.....

Strangeitude is quite good but isn't as good as Jurassic Shift IMHO. Arborescence is another favorite that just gets better and better with each successive listen.

Love Waterfall Cities. One of my favorites. Any favorite songs from this album?

You should check some of their live albums out . Sunrise Festival is just terrific, great setlist (late 80's early 90's) and lineup.

Yes, Sunrise Festival is quite good indeed. I also like Live At The Pongmaster's Ball. Arborescence have been a favorite of mine for years. Pungent Effulgent is as well. If I had to pick three albums, it would be Arborescence, Waterfall Cities, and Jurassic Shift.

 

Not jaded at all .. .seen them 3 times ... and photographed them! ... so if you think that's jaded ... fine ... but you missed me wanting to have them protect their work a bit better to ensure the quality comes through ... not the garbage!

 

Have to admit that I miss Merv ... this guy that replaced him is not as good

Curious Corn

Strangeitude

Jurassic Shift

Pungent Effulgent

Waterfall Cities

The YumYum Tree

All very good - I hear a lot of Gong (esp Hillage), Hawkwind, Yes in them, but with their ownness too.

Not here in Portland they weren't, despite my having warned them both times!

 

They did not take care that the sound board was setup correctly and the results were horrible. The previous time, the keyboards died twice, and the 2nd time our man lost his synth, and the son also was out of luck for a while.

 

It is downright ridiculous ... and only a guitar. bass and drum band ... and there are millions of those.

 

I've given up on this band. For me they lost it 10 years ago and then some. It has become the Wynne Family Band, and it's music design is not very good, and is now way too formulaic instead of more exploring and FUN! Brandy sounds good on the bass, in the last tour I saw them, but in the end, she is just following her man's lead, and that means the music will suffer, and Ed is not allowing the kid and her to do their own thing and he adjust to it, in order to create something different and more entertaining.

 

It's nice. But great went out the window a long time ago!

 

That is the worst excuse I have EVER heard!!!!

 

 

 

 

The music quality declined when John left. Whatever the reason, the "playfulness" disappeared and is now kinda ... is that supposed to be funny? ... and it's only on a title ... the music doesn't have it ... there no more "bubbles", not that we need to have them on every song! But it helped make the music fun to listen to, and that part is not there anymore, and Silas is learning the keyboards and doing only what he is told, as I do not believe that he is having a whole lot of input on anything that is done by the band ... it's 75% Ed, and the rest support him, and that's that.

 

I stopped doing anything, almost 35 years ago ... or before ... when one turkey said ... VERY LOUDLY ... let them smoke dope! I'll win all the elections!

 

To me, that was my biggest wakeup call ... but you know what? I have NEVER lost my appreciation and enjoyment for music, and I still sit back and blast my ears with Astounding Sounds Amazing Music, Strangeitude, Electric Tepee, Wolf City, just as much as Dream Theater, Spoke of Shadows, Djam Karet, just about anything  ... and the more I hear it, the more ... the dope is not needed!!!!!!

 

Thankyou - I heard "Erpland" yesterday - I thought that album started slowly and got better and better as it went.  :-)

Followed by "Become the Other" which was also excellent - the song Vibuthi was a real highlight

A Bit to add to this. The Ozrics were formed at The Stonehenge 'free festival' back in 1983 with most of its original members coming from Somerset. They were already widely established as one of the leading festival bands long before the 1990s mentioned. In fact by that time the 'free' new-age hippie type festival scene had all but been closed down by the UK government by the early 1990s.

Gavin Griffiths left the band and formed 'The Ullulators' who were/are a superb band very much in the style of the Ozrics but taking a slight side step away. Both bands seemed to share the same members at various times and Ed Wynes brother was bass player in both bands before his death. The Ullulators too released several early albums on DIY cassette only and these feature some great music however like everything else 'self released' during these times they suffer from poor production, tape hiss, sound drops & continuity how the tracks play. (A Promised Ullulators 3xCD of all the old cassette tapes professionally remastered for CD has now gone into its 6th year!!!). However at the same time as the Ozrics went into a studio to make their first 'professional' album (which was 'Pungent Effulgent' not 'Erpland') The Ullulators also went into the studio and made a brilliant album. Check out 1989s 'Flaming Khaos' (available on CD from Amazon) its brilliant! Space-Rock/Dub/Reggae/world all mixed together to make one powerful album. Featuring some superb vocals from June Bradfield and awesome 'Hillage' type guitar from Griffiths (especially the last track 'Do You Wanna?'). They arnt as reliant on the synths as the Ozrics but their songs are very melodic.

'Jurassic Shift' was the Ozrics best selling album far out selling 'Strangeitude' reaching number 11 in the UK album charts back in 1993.

Throughout the 90s and early 2000s the Ozrics managed to ride out the constant line-up changes still keeping their trademark sound which can go from supersonic space-rock to ambient dub chill-out in the same track! For me losing the flute of Jumppin Jon Eagan was a big loss to the sound so too was Zias moody-brooding bass-lines. Ed Wynnes wife Brandi took over bass duties and honestly I have seen them live and I dont think she even plays the bass! It looks and sounds like its a backing track & the band has now lost those deep heavy bass lines first by Roly and then Zia that were a trademark of the Ozrics sound. Eds son Silas is now on synths and the music is way to over reliant on those stupid 'bubbles' synth sound effects and silly synth passage 'jam fillers' which go nowhere (they had those just right on the 'Arboresence' album.) There are a few good tracks on 'Yum-Yum Tree' but that and especially the two that came after sound like they have been made on a computer rather than a group of musicians playing the instruments.

The band always had that little bit of 'menace' about them, some tracks or passages in them were a bit sinister (think the first few minutes of 'Ayurvedic' or the solos in 'Oakum'). This was mainly due to the fact the band had several 'alpha males' in it all making a major contribution to the music and sound. Over the last few years thats gone and the drum spot seems to be a revolving door of musicians.

Also sadly a few years ago the band lost all their old master tapes in the great Colorado fires that swept the area so very little chance of remastered albums with extra tracks like their first three were a few years ago.

Someone said the band 'Mantric Muse' would blow the Ozrics away? Well they are just a poor imitation of the Ozrics sound, like one of those 'tribute' bands you see! Its like saying 'Marillion' were better than Peter Gabriel era 'Genesis'.

As for the Ullulators, a personal invitation from Steve Vai led to Gavin Griffiths working with the legendary guitarist for several months in the USA. Gavin has also done lots of work fro British TV. He put a band together last year under The Ullulators moniker and made a new album called 'Dark Nights In Paradise' although it has some good tracks its a bit to 'World Music' for my taste. A Tour was announced on The Ullulators facebook page for later 2017 and also a new 'dub' type album. Hopfully an album of more Psychedelic/Space-Rock stuff will follow shortly after.

The week it was out, I went to the record shop to check out some new prog, already being a proud owner of Strangeitude after hearing some tracks on a compilation tape. I saw Jurassic Shift there in the bin, brand new. The guys were upgraded straight away to "autobuy" category. In those days, finding a new instrumental band that excited me in the way Tangerine Dream did (and they were entering a phase that wasn't as appealing to me as their '71-'88 output) wasn't easy, and OT were a band I couldn't help myself recommending to everyone I knew with even a passing interest in capital or lower-case "p" prog rock.

 

I haven't heard anyone do Ozric better than the real thing. I did like some stuff I heard by Quantum Fantay, a very Ozric-inspired Belgian band. I read Ed even guests on a track on their latest album, Dancing in Limbo.

More bands in this category:

 

 

Ozric + Iommi? On my way now!

More a Camel-feel. Nothing metal about this wonderful band. More a analog version of Ozric Tentacles, but not heavy metal or doom metal.