I have been reviewing OSC and DR SPACE on and off now for a long time, and here are some reminiscences of reviews for ACID DRAGON and others. So, working back in time we have:
“Hallucinations Inside the Oracle” (2017): Recorded in Copenhagen with members of TANGLE EDGE, CAMPER VON BEETHOVEN, SISTER MAJ, THE UNIVERSALZ (and others) the first of three pieces, ‘Reflections in The Mind’s Eye’, is sitar rich at the beginning (KG Westman of SIENNA ROOT who collaborated with ØSC founder Scott (Dr Space) Heller on the highly recommended “West, Space and Love” album) before some swirling and swooshing synths and a nice sludgy bassline take over. The guitar is pretty laid back becoming more expansive around the 10-minute mark, with classic space rock drumming. TANGERINE DREAM is invoked on the stirring and extravagant ‘ESP (Extreme Spacial Perspectives),’ with its insistent fuzz guitar and bass and microcosmic drums, decomposing around the 6-minute mark as if falling through empty space as the synth subsides to a residue of fluid guitar soon joined by drums and telephonic synth; a great guitar riff and meandering organ (think early PINK FLOYD) reviving the flagging spaceship for its 10-minute journey home. ‘The Oracle’ is a bit of a marathon over two sides of vinyl, the first part a violin and sitar excursion with drone like synth, which needs repeated listens; I preferred the second part. (This and what follows are slightly revised versions of review originally appearing in my ‘Outer Limits’ column in Acid Dragon). NB The vinyls are sold out, but the digital download is still available on the OSC Bandcamp site.
“Visions of…” (2016): Starts with a 42-minute jam then winds down gradually with three pieces: 16/11/8 minutes long. Prominent bass by Hasse on the title track, ably assisted by Alex’s drum fills, ethereal guitar soloing and insistent Hammond throughout, gets funkier 25-minutes in, with a touch of reggae (Yes!), the surprising entry of a pedal steel guitar that seems to do a fair impersonation of a synth (Mattias), violin from Jonathan Segal; all the ingredients that make OSC great are there. ‘Above the Corner: it was immediately evident that this track was inspired by the jazz-funk of MILES DAVIS’s “On the Corner”; it’s a real blast with great bass playing. Thereafter, there are shades of African drums, a BO DIDDLEY beat and some fuzz bass amidst the hypnotic music; “Visions of…” has a bit of everything.
“Organic Earthly Flotation” (2013): From Copenhagen, 2012, four numbers, 2 long and 2 shorter. The 19-minutes of ‘Walking on Clouds’ has spaced out guitar arpeggios, swooshing, gurgling, swooping synths, gutsy electric guitar: this was one reviewed in my “The Outer Limits” column, which sadly had to put in mothballs, due to a lack of psych and space rock music sent for review. There were also pieces on the Moon and Neptune: dreamy, well-crafted and luxuriant to the ears.
I’ll continue through the archives for some more albums to get reacquainted with.
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