Today's Listen

Ozric Tentacles - Erpland (1990)


This music is insane, and it's exactly what I've been craving. To me, it's a meeting of musical spirits, in the sense that these guys combine numerous styles and sounds to make one hell of a mind-blowing instrumental experience. The music has many layers, and I'll try to describe it: start off with a top-notch group of fusion musicians (a kickin' rhythm section, with a very forward bass presence, crafty guitar), add a heavy dose keyboard/synthesizer effects, and continue rotating between different genre themes (rock, world, ambient, jazz, dance). This all culminates into a brand of music that I have never heard of, nor could I imagine. Many parts are quite trippy and spacey, which allows your imagination to take control. For added emphasis, there are no vocals (always a treat for me), so it's very easy to get caught in a trance during the spacey sections, but only until there's a shift in sound that sends you plummeting back to full awareness. To sum it all up, it's a blissful journey.

I've been looking through their extensive discography, and it's evident that these guys make very similar recordings. Find their best few albums and you have all you need.