>>73344
Послушал весь альбом, понравилось. Хотя то, что весь звук Озриков - это целиком заслуга Эда, стало понятно ещё на The Hidden Step. Так что если Озрики как группа действительно всё, то это не так уж и печально - лишь бы Эд и даже продолжал в подобном духе.
As of mid-2018, the Ozrics are on hiatus, and the fate of the band is uncertain. Bandleader and chief composer Ed Wynne returned to England to record a studio album, and Ozric tour dates have ceased. Beyond that, not much else is known.
Outside of a core group of listeners, usually decades-long fans, the comings and goings of this instrumental group have never been much of a buzz generator – even at the band’s inception 35 years ago, Ozric Tentacles were something of an anachronism. Unwaveringly championing elements of Gong, Hawkwind, Mahavishnu Orchestra, mixed in with splashes and textures of reggae, electronica, and psytrance, it is no surprise that many of the group’s fans are older than the band members themselves. The relative obscurity of the band and their ceaseless dedication to their initial musical vision has resulted in a sort of rabid, insular fanbase, and naturally, the prospect of no more Ozric Tentacles releases is a frightening one to the diehards who would prefer all music sound like these guys.
Not to take anything away from the innumerable talented musicians who have backed the man for decades, but many fans might not have realized until now that every Ozrics release is essentially an Ed Wynne solo album. While many artists go solo in an effort to establish themselves as unique forces of talent to be reckoned with, to establish a separate identity from the band they’re most known for, listening to Shimmer Into Nature almost makes you wonder if Wynne went solo to show the world that he is Ozric Tentacles. Everything fans have come to love and expect about an Ozrics album is present here. Swirling, layered soundscapes of beautiful keyboards, a pulsating, tight, yet adventurous rhythm section, all brought together by Wynne’s trademark Hillage-meets-Holdsworth liquid tone. The usual influences are all there – “Travel Dust” has elements of reggae and Latin jazz, and every song features a meltdown type of guitar solo where the energy reaches its climax and Wynne shreds like a madman, albeit tastefully and incredibly effectively.
