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BECOME THE OTHER

Ozric Tentacles

Psychedelic/Space Rock


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Ozric Tentacles Become The Other album cover
3.69 | 138 ratings | 10 reviews | 21% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 1995

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Cat DNA (6:28)
2. Ahu Belahu (2:55)
3. Ghedengi (5:41)
4. Wob Glass (7:50)
5. Neurochasm (6:47)
6. Become the Other (6:24)
7. Vibuthi (10:52)
8. Plurnstyle (7:46)

Total Time: 54:43

Line-up / Musicians

- Ed Wynne / guitars, synths, sampler, soundscapes
- Christoper Lenox-Smith / synths, textures
- John Egan / flutes
- Zia Geelani / bass, castanets
- Conrad Prince / drums, percussion

With:
- Jim O'Roon / percussion (5)

Releases information

Artwork: Blim

CD Dovetail Records ‎- DOVE CD8 (1995, UK)
CD Snapper Classics ‎- SDPCD137 (2003, UK)

Thanks to ProgLucky for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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OZRIC TENTACLES Become The Other ratings distribution


3.69
(138 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(21%)
21%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(48%)
48%
Good, but non-essential (23%)
23%
Collectors/fans only (7%)
7%
Poor. Only for completionists (1%)
1%

OZRIC TENTACLES Become The Other reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Proghead
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Here's an OZRICS album that sorta fell through the cracks. The reason for that was it was originally released only on their own Dovetail label and never had an American release on the IRS label (like "Arborescence", "Jurassic Shift" and "Strangeitude" did) because IRS was in deep financial trouble that caused it to go belly-up. Keyboardist Joie Hinton, who was with the band from the start had left, as well as Merv Pepler. They wanted to concentrate fully on EAT STATIC, a more straight-up techno outfit. Two new guys came in, one was Christopher Lenox-Smith, better known as Seaweed on keyboards, and Conrad Prince, better known as Rad on drums. These two new guys were in a band called DAMIDGE, which also featured ex-OZRIC bassist Roly (brother of guitarist Ed - unfortunately Roly died in 1999 from suicide). This lineup of Ed, Zia, John, Rad, and Seaweed would last until the beginning of 2001, making this one of their more stable lineups. This gave the band a bit of a more techno-leaning. Become the Other ended up as one of the more experimental albums, with some more ambient experiments, as well as techno. Rad used more electronic drums than Merv before him.

To me, I don't think this CD quite lives up to the heights of "Arborescence" because there are a couple of pieces that seem meander too much, it's almost as if this was the sound of an album with new members not quite adjusted. But you can't beat that trippy artwork from Blim, and if you're a fan, this is still worth having.

Review by obiter
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars If you want early "raw" Ozrics this is not for you.

The first studio album with Zia Geelani (Bass) and the new addition Rad (Conrad Prince) on drums. The change in texture already glimpsed in Juassic Shift and evolving in Arborescence reaches new heights with the introduciton of Seaweed on synth.

The title track has an almost Satriani feel at the opening: then a mellow mood is set for flute and the inevitable return of the guitar. Neurochasm epiomizes these new dynamics. Bass & drums explore new rhythms with synth providing backing and an overlay of wild guitar (more Vai than Satriani). For me the key change in is the influence of Geelani. His style of bass playing is quite markedly different from Roly Wynne's and this, for me, altogether changes the feel of Ozrics. Geelani's playing seems the perfect match for both Ed Wynne and Rad.

Plurnstyle, like Become the Other, has a polished smoothness, missing in earlier offerings. Cat DNA is one of those numbers which begs to be heard live. The version on Spice Doubt is superior.

My personal favourite is Wob Glass (with Plurnstyle and Neurochasm close behind). There is an intersting 12" of Wob Glass mixed by Will White worth a listen if you can lay your hands on it.

For me this one is an essentail part of my collection and would be an excellent addition for those who do not yet have a copy.

Review by JLocke
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Oh, dear. While ERPLAND was some of the most amazing original stuff I had heard in a long time, I have to say I found myself being quite less than impressed with BECOME THE OTHER, the additional album of theirs that I happened to pick up at the same exact time.

While I respect any band's decision to branch out and try new things, an all-too-techno influence is in my opinion a very easy, unskilled, unimaginateive way to go, but for whatever reason, the Ozrics felt compelled to do much more electronic music in this, and the Psychedelic aspect of the record suffers for it, I think. Where as electronics were used in ERPLAND to add the dreamy atmosphere of a good Space-Rock journey, this time we hear many beeps and boops directed at apparently making the rest of the music seem more 'catchy', instead, in my opinion, the res of music becomes bogged down and desaturated by this overly-artificial-sounding wall of sound that at times in the past has been enjoyable on occasion, bugt this time it feels to me at least as if we are being beat over the head with it and too much of the fake, sampled sound of electronic music has caused what may have been a very good record to suffer ultimately for it. At least, that is my way of seeing it. Viewing it. Experiencing it.

That is not to say that the instrumentation that IS present isn't any good, but on the whole, I don't think I will be in a big rush to listen to this record much. Especially when I know that Ozric Tentacles have clearly done much better work. Neat idea, I suppose, but poor execution. Three stars.

Review by ZowieZiggy
PROG REVIEWER
2 stars I am desperately looking for an Ozric album in which I will find some emotional space-rock anthems. But it won't be thanks to Become The other.

This album is full of synthesized sounds (I won't even mention anything about the repetitious aspects, which are the essence of their work). All these techno beats are dreadful and the guitar seems less important in this work (except the upbeat and good "Cat DNA").

This album sounds as if it was released in the eighties, when these rhythms were invading the musical production. They are so poor! Here and there, there are some short passages which are better: the spacey intro of Ahu Balahu, a short guitar break during "Wob Glass". But this is not much.

Most of the time, one has to face unbelievable moments of boredom ("Neurochasm") which are really painful. At the end of the day, I received the atmospheric "Become The Other" which such a relief: at last something different. Aerial keyboards and fine crescendo building. The second half of the song is not of the same calibre unfortunately.

Another good break in this album is the Oriental "Vibuthi". It is by far the best track of this album (also the longest one). The band investigated already these influences before; most of the time these tracks were amongst the best of each respective album. The same applies to this piece of music as well.

It is a very interesting blend of fluting, psychedelic tastes, soaring guitar and great rhythmic. The track is really an explosion of furious sounds. It is my personal fave from the band (together with Dissolution from Pungeant Efflugent). I wished I had more of this type of music.

Two stars (and a half).

Review by Bonnek
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Just like Strangeitude this Ozric album seems to put even more focus on dance rhythms and grooves then usual. The sound is less rocking and more techno in a way. I can appreciate the change of direction, but rather for of the fact that there is any change at all then because of the resulting quality of the material.

After the creative laziness of the preceding album, a change of style was sure needed, but I doubt very much that this is the kind of change fans were waiting for. Well, a band shouldn't listen too much to what fans expect and do whatever they feel like doing. While Become The Other won't offer the space-rocking bliss of Erpland, the new direction at least testifies of a rekindled excitement for the material. At least on the more techno inspired moments such as Ghedengi, Wob Glass and Neurochasm. The obliged style exercises such as the Arabic Vibuthi and the ambient dub of Plurnstyle sound a whole lot less inspired.

Become the Other is a bit of an odd album from Ozric Tentacles. I guess the techno-leanings are an unwanted style-break for fans. Unluckily for the Ozrics, their typical sound, tempos and compositions aren't dissimilar enough from other albums to really attract any new fans. Overall, not bad though.

Review by Warthur
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Become the Other is an Ozrics album recorded following a mild disruption to the band's lineup, with some members leaving to concentrate on Eat Static, which had previously been a side project.

I suppose it's understandable, then, that the group decided to say in comparatively safe territory - albeit with a few more dance music influences than usual, and it's this latter influence, used to particular shimmering electronic effect on Wob Glass, which adds a new flavour to the Ozrics formula on this album and helps save it from being yet another rehash of their admittedly highly flavourful space rock formula.

On the whole, it's another collection of reasonably entertaining compositions, but between the impression that the band are playing it safe a little and the production quality, which is a mild step down from the gorgeous sound of Jurassic Shift, it's not an Ozrics album I'd steer newcomers to the band to. Nonetheless, on relistening I find that it shows more evidence of musical growth than I had previously given it credit for.

Latest members reviews

3 stars Become the other,nice title,and nice name for a ozrics album,it starts with "cat dna"and at start with eds guitar and rads[new comer] drums and nice bass from zia and seeweed [new comer] on synths they all work together well here and seeweed showing hes got what joie has got to so a good welco ... (read more)

Report this review (#252892) | Posted by davidsporle | Thursday, November 26, 2009 | Review Permanlink

3 stars In the beginning, all Ozric Tentacles albums were fresh and stylish... But after some time they started to repeat themselves, never creating something totally new. This album is still enough creative and has lots of good moments, like in track called Ahu Belahu, for example. First one is rock s ... (read more)

Report this review (#110454) | Posted by nisandzic | Friday, February 2, 2007 | Review Permanlink

4 stars A more progressive record, driven with more force and less fusion stuff, however uses a lot more electronics as main and ambient sounds, the guitar handles a cleaner sound but looses its roughness. As a main core, the band changes members again, this time the keyboards and the drums, but the n ... (read more)

Report this review (#5484) | Posted by arqwave | Monday, October 4, 2004 | Review Permanlink

5 stars A very good CD. If you are open minded and want to listen to some impressive experimental techno rock this is the music for you. Best tracks Become the Other, Wob glass and plurnstyle. Well recommended. If you want me to email some sample tunes to you drop me some mail. Keep on tripping! ... (read more)

Report this review (#5480) | Posted by | Tuesday, December 16, 2003 | Review Permanlink

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