SPIRALS IN HYPERSPACE

Spirals in Hyperspace is an excellent representation of what Ozric Tentacles are all about as a band. It is a perfect starting point inquiring minds wishing to take them in. They are a talent group of musicians who have created a sound, which I my experience is uniquely attributable to them. They've woven rock, electronic and world music into a listenable and very progressive product.

I'm certainly no authority on the Tentacles, but what I have found so far is that their work really doesn't vary to a wide degree from album to album. On any of the albums I own, you can find a similar selection of meandering electronic passages, wailing guitar solos, mystic acoustic stretches and collisions which defy normal musical classifications but come standard for the band. On the balance Spirals in Hyperspace does tend more towards the electronic.

While I truly enjoy the Ozric Tentacle's music, I do find it difficult to listen to a whole lot of it at once. I'll often go extended periods without listening to them only to comeback after a few months refreshed and ready for another go. I opt to give Spirals in Hyperspace three out of five stars. Not because I think it's a mediocre album, but that it does nothing to stand apart from their other albums that I own. I think it might rank higher in the mind of someone who is more inclined than I am to up tempo space jams.

I'm waiting until I have a few more Ozric albums and then I'll cherry pick myself a playlist of the juiciest fruit from each album. From Spirals in Hyperspace the aptly named Chewier is a must; after that though I find it hard to distinguish the other tracks. The title track or Psychic Chasm are both good examples of the particular feel of the album. I'd probably settle on Psychic Chasm for its grinding solo work which I think is a cut above the rest.