Ozric Tentacles - The rock band with a thousand tentacles

The Ozric Tentacles, champions of an instrumental rock suspended between space, psychedelia and prog, have for a long time now essentially been Ed Wynne (and family). This isn't necessarily a bad thing - honestly, if you listen to their latest album “Lotus Unfolding” and compare it to the earliest phase of their four-decade career, all you notice is the same vibrations captured with more up-to-date technology. Sure, John “Champignon” Egan's flutes of every shape and size have long been missing, and, live, his more-than-iconic presence is sorely missed too. But then again, times have changed, and so have the wild shows - which Ed still remembers - at Leoncavallo, duly “flavoured” by aromas that obviously can't be smelled in the standard venues and theatres where Ozric Tentacles perform today. We caught up with Ed for a chat and to find out more about what's in store during their extensive Italian tour, which will see them play a full 6 dates starting in Turin on 8 April.

Well, many of you have seen us before, so you more or less know what to expect. It'll be more or less the same thing, but with new songs and a really great new drummer. The music will be drawn from the new album and we'll also go back in time all the way to our first record. I hope there'll be lots of energy, and I can't wait!

How would you describe the sound of “Lotus Unfolding”, and how did you approach the recording and production process for this album?

Well, the same way I always do: I spend my time writing tracks, you know, as a way of life, and when it's time for an album, I take a look at my little catalogue and pick out six or seven tracks that are good enough to build on; then I work on them in the right direction until they're ready. In the case of this album, “Lotus Unfolding”, the title track is very relaxing - it's unusual for us to pick the relaxing track as the title! I think it's a nice thing, we need to calm down a bit and “unfold”!

How important is technology today, when it comes to composing and recording, for Ozric Tentacles?

As far as I'm concerned, I've always made great use of technology throughout my career. It's easier! Now it's really, really much easier than in the past: everything is small, tiny, you no longer have to carry stuff around everywhere, just small things. Everything has been streamlined and ideas can flow quickly without technology getting in the way. Back in the day, if I had an idea in my head, I had to go turn on the keyboards, plug everything in, make sure everything fit, get the recorder working, and by that point I'd almost forgotten the idea! Today, literally, if I have an idea I've probably recorded it in a very quick way within twenty seconds: it's fantastic, I love all of it.

Your youth was marked by personally knowing great musicians, thanks to your father. How did all this shape your perception of music, both as a listener and as a composer?

Yes, I've always loved listening to music, and my perception was shaped by the way I grew up surrounded by a fair number of musicians and artists. In my mind, the idea formed that this would be a nice way to grow up, and that this was what I was meant to do: you grow up to become an artist, that's the direction I was pointed in. So, I was very much shaped in this sense. I'm truly grateful to all these people, you know, I was this little kid running around here and there with all these musicians everywhere (laughs)! And I thought they were great, I wanted to be something like them.

What memories do you have of Ozric Tentacles up to, let's say, “Become The Other”? In terms of line-up, audience and general atmosphere? A very different era…

Yes, very different and at the same time very similar, you know? From my point of view, when I play and look at the audience, they all always seem the same, just like back then. Which is funny (laughs), maybe we're the ones who make people that way, I don't know how it works. But really it's not that different, it's still the same: we still have fun, we still play silly little songs and hope to drive people wild by having fun this way. It's pretty similar to back then, and I'm glad it continues to be this way, it's lovely!

Do you have any projects going on outside of Ozric? I mean, will there also be a follow-up to "Tumbling Through The Floativerse"?

I don't know. I'd really love to, very much. It depends on what the record label wants: I've got another album pretty much ready to press, as Ozric, but maybe it won't turn out that way, maybe it'll end up being my own solo work. I couldn't say, it depends on what they think is the right thing to do. From my point of view, they're simply songs that I write. We'll see what happens. I'm just sitting here writing songs, and if they want to put them out...

Speaking in terms of musical education, how did you first approach music?

For me, an academic approach never made any sense... none whatsoever! I've always found it really complicated trying to learn to read music and talk about music theory. Because, in my opinion, you don't need that kind of theory if you know what you want to do, if you know the notes, if you know what to play and how to play it, if you're capable of it... I know I'm in the minority here, but I believe theory is a bit of an obstacle to the "magic".

Do you enjoy any current bands, is there anything that interests you more?

Well, yes... I usually listen to music by a friend of mine: there's this friend of mine who recently released an album under the name Head Spin, I listened to it yesterday and it's absolutely fantastic. It's very Ozric but with a very different energy... What else? Obviously I like Gracerooms, from the guy I made "Tumbling Through The Floativerse" with, I love his music. I'm not very up to date musically: I usually listen to my own tracks in the studio, feed the cats and watch the trees outside (laughs).

Yes, in fact I was about to ask you what your extra-musical influences in life are...

Just life, really. Life! And a few strange pieces of music, sometimes I listen to tracks without knowing what they are because mostly when I hear a song I don't know what it is, since it just comes and goes on Spotify or things like that... The few things I do like seem to go in one ear, then swirl around in my mind, and then maybe a few months later something similar comes out through my fingers when I play guitar (laughs).

Do you have any memories, musical or otherwise, related to Italy?

Simply the fact that it was the first place, besides the UK, that welcomed us. It seems like you Italians understood the band faster than other countries in Europe. I remember people telling us: "They'll really appreciate you in Italy". And we thought: "Ok, let's play some shows there". We did, we went out on tour many years ago and it left us confused, because we'd never done a European tour before. We wondered whether it would work, and I think we arrived a few days early, so we had to wait inside the bus for three or four days without knowing anyone in Italy. I think we stayed in Genoa, somewhere under a bridge, it was pouring with rain (laughs). But then when the time for the first show came it was fantastic, absolutely lovely, we couldn't believe the welcome we got. It was a fantastic welcome, Italy really is one of my favourite countries to play in.

Steve Hackett of Genesis told me the same thing, that in some way Italy was the first place to, so to speak, "adopt" Genesis outside the UK.

Yes, yes, it's true! It's funny. And I honestly don't know why it happened. Maybe it was just chance...

I remember some really wild shows in the Nineties, at Leoncavallo, the squatted social centre...

Oh (laughs), that was amazing! We couldn't believe that place, Leoncavallo! It really blew our minds... A different kind of show for us, but it was fantastic.

What message and greeting would you send to your Italian fans, and an invitation to come see you at your Italian shows?

Well, I'd tell them we'd love to have you with us. If this is your kind of music, if you like music with colors, psychedelia and space, without too many vocal parts, come join us and you'll be happily entertained. Hopefully… We'll do our best.

Ride the wave of great music

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