Ozric Tentacles - Arborescence [2020 Ed Wynne Remaster] [Import] (New Vinyl LP)

One of the most influential bands to emerge from the UK's festival scene, the Ozrics layer ambient and ethereal landscapes with freeform dub trips, incredible rave grooves and psychedelic progressive rock. It's an open exploration of music and the soul. The band's last release to feature Merv Pepler and Joie Hinton, who left to form Eat Static, Arborescence was the Ozrics' fifth studio effort in as many years. Soundscape textures remained their focus and their strength, with the now trademark Steve Hillage-esque guitar, gurgling and whirling synths and tight rhythm section all wrapped around rave, techno, African and Middle Eastern influences. The tracks alternate between between the power driven ('Myriapod', 'Shima Koto', 'Astro Cortex'), classic Ozric Tentacles space rock ('Dance of the Loomi', 'There's a Planet Here', the title track) and those with an ethnic flavour ('Al-Saloog'). The powerful music here, embellished by plenty of synth-dweedling and strong rhythm patterns, takes the listener of open mind and free spirit to somewhere special. Classic Ozrics then.