Technicians Of The Sacred Set

It's been four years since Paper Monkeys, but in this case I don't blame the wait, since Colorado wildfires did claim their home and Ed was hospitalized for ruptured spleen, so it obviously put the band out of commission for a short while. The Wynnes Ed, Brandi and Silas now include Hungarian drummer Balazs Szende and surprisingly Paul Hankin, and the results being Technicians of the Sacred, which Ed says has to do with Mayan astrology, but I assumed it was by a 1968 book from Jerome Rothenberg by that name that collected poetry from indigenous tribes from around the world, but since I haven't read the book, I can assume Mayan astrology is touched. Plus the artwork is quite reminiscent of Blim, done by a guy named Natan "MantisMash", who also records his own music too. I figured I needed to listen to it a bunch of times to leave an impression on me before I review it, and that's what I have done. It's totally mindblowing. It's in fact one of the finest the Ozrics done in a long time, and by far the best thing they ever did with Brandi. I know some people probably would feel that it can't be any good with Brandi on it, but I don't see that. The music takes on a spacier feel than Paper Monkeys, with a more laid-back approach, but there's still plenty of rocking passages too. The music seems to have a more epic feel to it, and there's a stronger world music bent than Paper Monkeys. "The High Pass" is a rocking Ozric number in the grand Ozric trandition. "Butterfly Garden" is a calmer piece, but again with rocking moments, especially with Ed's guitar playing. There's also a bit of female tribal chants. "Far Memory" is a great piece of space rock with spacy synths, reminding me a bit of The Hidden Step. "Changa Masala" also reminds me of The Hidden Step, but featuring some odd female tribal chants that I really love. I also forgot that you'll find a short excerpt of "Kick Muck" found on one section of this song, only this time played on a Saz (a Turkish stringed instrument Silas is credited to playing, it's also called a Ba'lama). "Zingbong" has an Asian feel, and I really love those spacy gliding synths. Plus there's some reggae that pops up here too. "Switchback" features something that sounds like an electric piano, but I love how the band jams and there's a rather grand feel in parts of this. The second disc is a bit less accessible, but I just needed a few listens for it to kick in which it did. "Epiphlioy" is a bit in the Strangeitude vein, with that Middle Eastern vibe going on, helping that the Saz makes an appearance again, but some great Ozric rocking parts too. "The Unusual Village" is a strange experimental piece with an odd violin or violin-like instrument being used (maybe a synth imitating a violin). There's a pulsing synth bass so it's a bit reminiscent of "The Throbbe". "Smiling Potion" starts off a bit techno and definitely slow, but the second part (which sounds like it was recorded live, as I seem to here audience cheers, and it appears to have a live vibe in this part) really picks up steam and they get to rocking. "Rubbing Shoulders with the Absolute" is one of those dub experiments they sometimes do. "Zenlike Creature" is an incredible closing piece, with an epic feel to. Really love those creative synth passages. This is truly amazing. True a good portion can remind me of the Ozric past, but they also try new things like interesting electronic drum sounds I never heard on an Ozric album before, new synth textures (as well as the tried and true ones), odd violin experiment, and even strange female tribal chants. On "Zingbong" I hear an electronic percussion that sounded like it came off a Jean Michel Jarre album. It turns out one of the Ozric members now owns a Korg Mini Pops, or at least a facsimile (maybe a VST plugin). The Mini Pops was what Jarre used to get those echoey electronic percussion sounds off Oxygene and Equinoxe, and so the Ozrics did here (or as I stated, perhaps a VST plugin in their case). I know a few will probably dismiss it, but I really feel, as mentioned earlier, that this is one of their finest in ages, and I really highly recommend this!

I haven't been this excited about an Ozrics release since Waterfall Cities, and I love just about everything that they create. This latest offering is definitely their most polished effort, and the production really shines. The amazing thing about the Ozrics is that somehow each new album sounds different from anything that they have done before, and yet it is still distinctly an Ozric Tentacles album. Technicians of the Sacred brilliantly creates atmospheres of sound filled with stretchy spacey synth textures, jazz fusion elements, eastern percussion and vocals, funky bass-lines, and electric and acoustic guitar riffs and jams. Most songs are lengthy, ever changing journeys with unexpected oddness punctuating the familiar space-rock. This is perfect music for losing yourself in as you travel to distant realms of sound that are soothing, invigorating, surprising, lush, and uniquely creative and experimental. The mix is often unusual on TotS, as the percussion is subdued and guitar soling has no more presence than any other sound. Even when Ed is shredding his guitar, the volume of his playing is not much different from the volume of the sythns and other instruments. At first listen, this was a bit off-putting. I was used to music that would direct my ear towards what I was supposed to be listening to at any given time. The mix on this album doesn't do that. It doesn't hold your hand and raise the volume on the guitar during a solo. Instead your mind is free to roam where it will in the dense soundscapes that are created. The more I listen, the more I appreciate this approach. I think of it as creating places where music lives and you are free to explore, rather than creating songs where you know what your focus is supposed to be on at any given time. It was challenging at first, but quickly became refreshing and rewarding. If you have enjoyed any of the past efforts by Ozric Tentacles, then you certainly cannot go wrong by purchasing this release and exploring the 90 odd minutes of music that is on display. If you have never heard them before, then take a chance and give this a listen. The Ozrics are always charting new territory in the realm of audio exploration. Their unique blend of synthy psychedelic space-rock, jazz, and atmospheric electronica has been ever-evolving over the past 30 years. They are anything but boring, they reward careful attentive listening, and they don't just make music, they create worlds of sound for their fans to explore and enjoy.

I love this album, but then again, I love virtually everything the Ozrics have put out. Many layers; you'll hear new things with each listen. I think in relation to other Ozric albums, Technicians would get about 4 stars, but in relation to most of the junk music out there this is clearly 5 stars. I have two minor criticisms. First, the guitar is buried in the mix and at first listen you might not notice it even though this album probably has more guitar than most of the recent albums. As another reviewer mentioned, this makes it an even better headphone album because it has a more even level. Second, and I'm not quite sure how to word this, but Ozric have always reused sounds and samples, but on this album it seems more obvious and the reuses aren't really an attempt to makes something new, but just to recreate a tried and true sound. So in that sense this is like a greatest hits of Ozric samples and soundscapes. You will hear familiar elements from all their previous phases, bubbling synths, spaciness, weirdness, voices, animal sounds, etc. I especially liked what sounds like crows at about 4min into the first track. They do add a couple newish elements, the choir-type voices in a couple songs and the saz (sounds a bit like acoustic guitar with an eastern flavor). Several of the tracks are outstanding and rank among the best work they have ever done. Some of my favorites are The High Pass, Far Dreaming, Switchback, Epiphlioy, and Zenlike Creature. Enjoy!!

CD nummer eins beginnt verheissungsvoll mit den typischen hypnotisch-flirrenen Klangteppichen und geht nach einiger Zeit in einen flotten Groove über. Man fühlt sich sofort wohl mit dem Beginn, obwohl es hier wenig Neues gibt. Man weiß einfach schon beim Lesen, wie es sich anhören wird. Blubber- , Zwitscher- und Spacesounds sind genauso wie gehabt. Auffällig ist lediglich ein recht deutlich rockender Gitarrenpart am Ende des ersten Songs "The high pass". Ebenso auffällig ist, dass die bekannten Soundeffekte extrem konsequent und oft wiederkehrend genutzt werden. Der Groove von Schlagzeug, Percussion oder "Computer" ist dabei stets eher subtil und nicht zu aufdringlich abgemischt. Im Fall von "Butterfly Garden" gibt es dann sogar einige Gesangssamples, allerdings sehr dezent im Hintergrund. "Far Memory" erinnert mit frickeligem Gitarrensolo an "alte Zeiten" der Band. "Changa Masala" bietet neben üblichen Klanglandschaften ein interessantes "Banjo"-Muster, angedeutete orientalische Backroundgesänge und einen sehr hektischen, sich manchmal vor Ghostnotes überschlagenden, Drumgroove. So präzise würde ich auch gern in dem Tempo spielen können. Hut ab vor Balasz Szende. In "Zingbong" gibt es einen deutlichen Focus auf flotten Percussioneinlagen. Der Achtminüter nutzt dieses Element geschickt und subtil, aber mit deutlicher Wirkung. Ein guter Track. Etwas behäbiger, aber dennoch derb groovend macht "Switchback" die Runde. Hier geben interessante Synthiemelodien den Ton an. Jeder Track der ersten CD bietet viel Altbekanntes, aber auch neue Nuancen (wie die Gesangsamples) und interessante interpretationen ihres (der Band) ureigenen Stils. Dies Songs bleiben neben dem hohen Electrofaktor durchaus organisch. Der Groove bleibt eher dezent als aufdringlich. Der Sound ist auf der Heimanlage einfach toll. Besonders der Tiefenbass wird ordentlich bedient. Die Höhen sind glasklar und Nuancen immer gut voneinander zu unterscheiden. Der Raum ist immer angenehm voll mit Klang, ohne dabei zu laut zu wirken. Sehr guter Mix. Die Zweite CD beginnt mit "Epiphlioy" sehr organisch und Bandlastig. Der Electrofaktor wird etwas in den Hintergrund gestellt. Orientalische Instrumente aller Art dringen immer wieder durch das Soundkonstrukt. "The unusual village" stellt die verzerrte Gitarre in den Vordergrund. Zwischenzeitlich wird , wenn auch etwas unkenntlich gemischt, ordentlich gerockt. Zwölf Minuten dauert der hypnotische Rausch. Dann werden die Tracks etwas trockener und weniger flirrend. Auf einem O.T. Niveau natürlich, aber deutlich. Der Achtminüter "Rubbing shoulders with absolut" ist noch erwähnenswert, da er schön entspannt groovt und eine herrliche, Moogbass-artige Melodie im Hintergrund fährt. Der Achtminüter bietet ausserdem einige interessante Variationen. Interessant ist auch das zehn Minuten dauernde "Zenlike Creature". Die extrem hypnotische Melodie zu Beginn deutet einen typischen O.T. Kracher an. Dezent groovend mit üblichen Sounds wabert sich der Track durch das Wohnzimmer. Heir werden nochmals alle Trademarks der Band - unwiderstehlicher Groove, typische Klanglandschaften und Gitarreneinlagen zelebriert. Auch CD zwei ist eine interessante Zusammenstellung. Etwas organischer und trockener als die erste gibt es auch hier neue Nuancen des typischen Sounds zu belauschen. Die Produktion bleibt exzellent und sehr "audiophil". Übrigens: Die aus den alten Alben so heiß geliebte Flöte wird auch hier nicht mehr verwendet. Die Musik wirkt aber dennoch lebendig und nicht zu technisch. Ich finde es toll, dass die Band ihren einst kultivierten Sound beibehält, dezent modifiziert und mit jedem neuen Album an die aktuellen Möglichkeiten im Hinblick auf Produktion und Mastering anpasst. Die alten Aufnahmen sind nämlich beileibe nicht mehr so schön anzuhören, da sie einfach nicht angemessen raumfüllend klingen. Tolles Album einer Ausnahmeformation und mit fast 90 Minuten Länge unverzichtbar für den Fan.

Pas de commentaire à ajouter. J'aurais aimé que cette rubrique ne soit pas obligatoire pour éviter de perdre du temps.

The Ozrics, that is, Ed Wynne and band, have really outdone themselves with this incredible double album. "Technicians of the Sacred" is probably the most expansive and musically ambitious Ozric Tentacles album yet. Full of rich, complex layers of some of the most imaginative and scintillating synth and powerful guitar, "Technicians of the Sacred" moves the band into even more stratospheric realms than ever before. While their earlier albums had a very solid Rock orientation, "Technicians" heads for and even more intricately 'hallucinatory" territory. It is also the musically sophisticated work they've ever done. "Technicians" is the current summation of the trend of the last few Ozrics albums like "Spirals in Hyperspace", "The Yum Yum Tree" and "Paper Monkeys". The album does indeed rock and solidly at that, yet, for sheer trippy-ness and beyond the horizon imagination, this is one 'heaven' of a work of Art. None of this is to say that this is just a dreamy or ambient space-out. Not at all. But here the clan seems to have wanted to leave the "floor" very "far below", so to speak. While their feet dance on the Earth, their heads are magnificently in the clouds and very far out in space. Their sights are definitely somewhere 'beyond'. It's pretty much the same rhythm section as "Spirals in Hyperspace" and "Paper Monkeys" with Brandi Wynne on bass and Balazs Szende on drums with Paul Hankin on percussion. Silas "Neptune" Wynne joins Ed Wynne on synths and "saz". Both discs continue the Ozric tradition of constant, spacious but driving rhythms that only shift tempos at key moments and when doing so never jolts or shocks. As a modern "progressive rock" band, there's none of the jarring changes that so epitomized their 70's ancestors. They understand that the constant pulse of driving rhythms is more transporting than being jolted around. Wynne's use of synths has become truly masterful and it seems here that he's taken a fair bit of inspiration from Gong's Tim Blake and from Steve Hillage. ( Hillage and System 7 partner, Miquette Giraudy, played on their "Spirals in Hyperspace" album ). Former Ozrics Joie Hinton and Merv Pepler, who are now Eat Static, also played on System 7's 2008 "Phoenix", so there's a lot of cross pollination, so to speak. Resonances and comparisons with Gong, have never been far away from talk of Ozric Tentacles. In fact, on the band's website Ed himself cites Hillage's "Green" and Gong's "You" as two of his all time favourite albums. Far from being derivative though, Wynne has absorbed some of Prog's best heritage, like Gong etc, and taken the Ozric work very much into its own territory. Yet for Gong fans who may have wondered what the "trilogy" band might've sounded like had they continued on with the musical spaces that the "You" album explored, Ozric Tentacles makes for interesting speculation. There's a similarity of purpose here, that while not overtly expressed, comes through in the music. Yet, as mentioned, the Ozrics, 30 years on, have VERY much mapped out their own "everywhere", their own "planet" ... and it's quite magnificent. One only needs to listen to the opening of disc one, "The High Pass" and the next track "Butterfly Garden" to become utterly convinced of the albums exquisite artistic pedigree. Other standout tracks are "Switchback", "Rubbing Shoulders with the Absolute", the monster, virtuosic "Ephiphlioy", a Middle-Eastern flavoured mind-melter and the intricate, hairy fantasy universe of "The Unusual Village". Those two pieces soundly are worth the price of purchase alone. This is the work of a master, with Ed Wynne showing all the signs of unwavering and ever growing vision. A guitarist of extraordinary skill and immaculate taste, Wynne is never gratuitous or self indulgent even if he can set the sky on fire with his fretwork. His synth playing too, shows spectacular skill, imagination and facility. That's quite a combination in one artist and "Technicians of the Sacred" is probably the peak of what he's achieved as a musician so far. And for all Wynne's accomplishment as a virtuoso player definite mention should be made of his impressive skill as a composer. Some bemoan the loss of the bands earlier, more "Rock" orientation and the gradual musical dominance of it's main writer, player and visionary. There've been many great incarnations of the Ozrics and they all helped the music get to where it is now - extraordinarily realized both technically and artistically. But now it's more about the music than having a crack band of fiery players. These pieces are very carefully woven with great attention to detail and form. Flashy or fiery playing over rote patterns doesn't really provide the kind of wild imagination and transport that an Ozrics album does. That's because Wynne is an artist, a composer of fantastic structures even more than he is a wizard of his instruments. And that's what makes Ozric Tentacles' music so addictive ... and this extraordinary album the classic that it is. There isn't a single dud or filler track in the whole 90 minutes of this fantastic double release. There's quite a range of atmosphere and tempo here showing that the Ozrics are untouched masters of creating entirely instrumental albums that hold your fascination from the opening to the very last note. Like "The Yumyum Tree" and "Paper Monkeys" this thing is utterly addictive, making you want to put it on again immediately after if finishes. The word 'technicians' seems a bit cold and clinical to me when listening to this music. "Artistic Masters of the Sacred" seems closer to the spirit of it.

It seems like forever since the last album - and for me it was well worth the wait. There have been one or two so-so reviews on this site but honestly, (a certain Mr B.Strong seems strangely adamant that this is a bad album), I really can`t see why! This is still more inventive and evocative than almost everything else out there! And as for `going through the motions` as another reviewer wrote, this album is every bit as complex and masterful as anything else they've done. All the sounds we have come to love and lose ourselves to over the years are present and correct. The flute days have long gone - so move on - the synth flute moments fill the gap pleasingly. There is so much more to love here. The shifting rhythms, the swirling keyboards, the guitars (OK, maybe not quite as many solos as on some albums but trust me there are still more than your average album, and they're just what you`d expect). The synths are as mesmerizing as ever and the air bubbles swoop and dive throughout like playful sprites. From the very opening track the journey begins and you are entranced... As ever, each track is a travelogue of exotic places you`ll probably never get to see - but if you are a true Ozrics fan, these are places you are nevertheless very familiar with - and you are greeted like a long lost friend. There's also a little bit of Shpongle creeping in on some of the tracks which is not necessarily a bad thing! I am reminded of the era between Jurassic Shift and Swirly Termination and even further back. Listen to the changes in Switchback and that acoustic intro to Epiphlioy and you're in Erpland territory. I am now on track two of disc two (The Unusual Village ) - and what's that, why it's yet another guitar solo! Enough now, if you're looking for something different from the Ozrics, you're looking for something that's not going to happen! They're already different! This is a terrific album. The music continues and I am lost...lost...lost... I LOVE THIS ALBUM!

Da 30 anni sfornano album con queste sonorità che sono un miscuglio di prog, ambient, free jazz, trance e non passano mai di moda. Forse sono sempre troppo avanti e quindi unici e irraggiungibili. Una vera esplosione di suoni, chitarre e sintetizzatori a gogò. I precedenti lavori non mi avevano convinto molto ma ora sono tornati con un doppio album a mio avviso imperdibile per gli amanti degli Ozric. E poi anche la copertina è strepitosa e azzeccata.