Label: Stretchy Format: CD
Like Hawkwind before them, the Ozrics have stuck to their groove with determined, singled-minded commitment to spacey reggae bass and soaring, intricate guitar line. Rushy, twiddly synths, flute twirls and all the expected head, ears and what’s left of the brain in the sky moments ride over faux-Arabic percussion and nifty keyboard throbs. It’s all very lysergic, and as they’ve been at it for 17 years now (is it really that long? How time flies when the bonghits keep coming…) there is nothing left to chance for the preparation of an Egyptianate UFO trip to the stars on Pyramidion, Techno influences included.
This is supposedly a mini-album, but at 41 minutes it’s a tad long to be an EP really. Five tracks, four of them live versions off the Hidden Step and Waterfall Cities albums. Lots of riffology rising up to the stratosphere, those clattery cymbal patterns which really drive the top of the head insane after a while. Funky and/or dubby basslines, jazzy group interactions; progged-out noodling. Oodles of noodling, as the band jam for their lives. Actually, the title track is fairly good, with some righteously heavy bass pressure on the way, offset by a guitar mix-up which only gets tedious after the first 20 seconds or so. The same could be said of “Xingu”, and “Aramanu” features mutiple baaings to raise the chuckles among all the swirling electronic ambience and come-down, low-end skanking.
Anyone who has never attended a free festival should probably go and get nutted at one while the sun holds out, though as the Ozrics seem to prefer playing indoor venues these days it’s a pity that they won’t be there to top off the relaxants of choice. So maybe Pyramidion can give the required live Tentacular freakout atmosphere instead — chuck another lump of charas on the burner, someone…
-John Palukha-
