TUMBLING THROUGH THE FLOATIVERSE (WITH GRE VANDERLOO)

As with Shimmer into Nature, it should come as no surprise the music isn't too different from Ozric Tentacles. This time around Ed collaborates with Dutch musician Gre Vanderloo who is the guy behind Gracerooms, a Dutch answer to Ozrics. Gre had already appeared as a guest on the last Ozric release Space For the Earth. Clear these two guys are a match! This is just as great and amazing as anything Ozrics did. Reviewing this is like reviewing any given Ozric album, tough for me to describe individual pieces but one of my favorites is "Floating Plates", a great Ozric-type reggae piece. I often enjoy it when the Ozrics do it so this is no exception. If you enjoy Ozrics make sure this is in your collection!

Ozrics Tentacles founder/leader Ed Wynne teams up with his Dutch counterpart, Gre Vanderloo, to put out an album that is every bit as Ozrics as anything Ozrics ever tentacled.

Line-up / Musicians: - Ed Wynne / guitar, synthesizers - Gre Vanderloo / synthesizers, effects - Silas Neptune / synthesizers - Paul Klaessen / bass

1. "Oilyvoice" (6:27) a little faster paced than typical OT songs, making it lose some of its room for information (and appeal). Kind of like a parody of itself. (8.25/10)

2. "Seen the Sun" (11:41) disco Ozrics. I don't care much for the first several layers/motifs, but it gets better in the second minute, even moreso in the third and fourth. Overall solid song. A top three song. (17.5/20)

3. "Magnetoforia" (5:49) space dreamy sounds at the beginning sound/feel a little dated (like 1980s New Age). Improves a little with layers. Amazing that those drums aren't real drums! (8.5/10)

4. "Pelmonauts" (6:37) lush pre-desert Saharan jungle dreamscape turns into contemplative journey through the jungle--on foot and on quadruped. Nice. Great use of layering--especially with the bass line and female voices. A top three song for me. (9/10)

5. "Floating Plates" (7:12) too familiar. Don't like the Reggae beat foundation or vocals. (12.5/15)

6. "Infinity Curtains" (6:19) opens with a Prog Electronic sound and feel. Again, it's hard to believe that these drum sounds aren't coming from a real drum kit. Again, it's just too Ozrics familiar--like it's been done. Nice bass line switch at the two-minute mark. The song does switch motifs and pacings a couple times, which is nice (and unusual), so kudos here. (8.5/10)

7. "Starseeds" (9:17) synths and metallic percussives open this for the first minute before drums and bass line establish themselves and the foundational core. Full of subtleties that make this much more interesting than any of the other songs on the album: with this song, it's not about the groove and pace, it's about the delicate nuances. I love hearing the jazzy JAN AKKERMAN-like guitar strums of complex chord sequences within/beneath the music. Another top three song for me. (18/20)

Total Time 53:22

To me, the most astonishing part of this album are the drum play on "Infinity Circles" and, to a lesser degree, "Magnetoforia" and "Starseeds." They're just too real to be synthesized! Otherwise, this feels like another Ozrics Tentacles album with very little in the way of new fresh ideas.

Despite the masterful manipulation of sound effects and synths, this is only a B-/3.5 star album; a nice addition to any prog lover's music collection.