OFF: Oresund Space Collective

[SHLL (Scott Heller)]

Hej Folks,

I don't mean to waste space with promoting my band but we just got a
review and the reviewer really thinks we sound a lot like Hawkwind,
apparently... If those of you who have the CD could comment (privately
is ok), I would be curious..

Anyway, hope you enjoy reading this if you have the time. I just got Nik
Turners Xitintoday remaster. Great sound.. far out CD... Look forward to
Allan's new solo CD. 

scott

     
 Oresund Space Collective - It's All About Delay

 By Gary Hill
 

 Overall Review 
 
     This modern space rock band have released their second disc for
Record Heaven/Transubstans. A double disc collection, this is possibly
even better than its predecessor. While you will still find healthy
helping of Hawkwind in the mix (how can you play space rock and not be
compared to Hawkwind?), I'd say that this one has more variety than the
last. While I'm not crazy about each and every piece here, the ones that
grabbed me really blew me away. This comes highly recommended to fans of
Hawkwind, space rock in general, psyehedelia and jam band music. It's a
great disc and the really wild thing is that it, like all OSC music, is
completely improvised. For more information check out the Record Heaven
website. 
 

 Track by Track Review

 Disc 1

  Rolling: Starting with a quick, "we're rolling," we are. A chiming
sounding guitar texture leads this one off and whooshing sounds bring in
Hawkwind-like textures. The rhythmic bass line brings in more echoes of
the Hawkmeisters. A retro sounding organ and space sounds are laid over
the top of this backdrop. At about two minutes in a new funky guitar
sound ups the ante, while the main themes remain the same. This turns
crunchy as it carries on. Synthesizer plays over the top of the motif
before more retro organ rejoins the fray. A killer echoey guitar brings
in elements of '60's psychedelia. Like the best space rock, this travels
through incremental changes and additions. A Hendrix musical quote
emerges at one point. After all the instruments have had a chance to
shine, they drop it back for a while (at about the eight minute mark)
and the bass takes a (accompanied) solo. Some Doors-like keyboards come
over the top of this arrangement at points. This is simply a screaming
piece of space rock that, while evoking echoes of Hawkwind, still has
its own identity, too. It's an awesome way to lead off the proceedings.
At almost twelve and a half minutes it's still not the longest piece on
this half of the set.
 

  Cirkus Yoda 1: More dramatic and mysterious keyboard tones are the
first thing heard here, accompanied by picked acoustic guitar (that
again makes me think of The Doors). Sound bites and other textures are
placed over the top of this and with keys sweeping overhead they begin
building upon this structure. It climbs up after a while into harder
rocking territory. While I wouldn't say this cut is an obvious killer as
the one that preceded it, the keyboard textures and cool psychedelic
guitar really make it a standout. It even includes a keyboard section
that calls to mind Rick Wakeman's work in Yes. In fact, I'd have to say
there is little to no Hawkwind on this song. I suddenly feel like I'm in
a scene from Monty Python - "you could get spam, eggs and spam - there's
not much spam in that." 
 

  Cirkus Yoda 2: Feeling like an electronic take on some spaghetti
western theme, this is definitely a change of pace. It moves into more
standard space rock territory later, but I have to say, this isn't one
of my favorites. The guitar solo late is a nice touch, though.
 

  Nebula 4747: This almost feels like what California Guitar Trio might
sound like if they added in other instruments and became a space rock
band. This, as is typical with most space rock, doesn't go anywhere
fast, but the arrangement swirls in slowly growing modes and is a good
(but not great) one.
 

  Isle of Mogens: Here we get something that feels like a electro-jazz
version of Hawkind sound. I guess you could almost see it as Kraftwerk
meets Hawkwind in jazzy motif. This is one of the cooler soundscapes on
the disc. It turns rather funky later. It gets some killer keyboard
sounds at times, too.
 

  Shaved Cortex: At about fifteen and a half minutes in length, this is
the longest piece of music on CD 1. A psychedelic jam band sound starts
it and waves of space are laid over the top. It turns to heavier,
Hawk-like modes later with Doors-oriented keyboards skipping over the
surface. Still further down the road killer keys and theremin work waves
of sound over some scorching space guitar textures. It turns to more
pure Hawkwind type sounds in a hard rocking jam later. This one moves in
a variety of different directions and is my favorite track on this disc
of the set, if not the whole album. 
 

  Pink Jumps in the Ring: A bouncy texture with waves of echoey sound
makes up the mode here. This has a definite surf music texture and keys
sounding like a barking dog emerge in the mix, too. This one rocks out
harder than some of the other stuff as it grows and is another
highlight. 
 

  In Her Majesty's Secret Saucer: Awesome space keys lead this off. Then
guitars join into the musical fray. Other keys wash over as it's
building up. The track pounds out into a fast paced, hard rocking jam
just before the one minute mark and we're off on a wonderful journey
from there. More retro keys play over the top as space washes provide
the backing. Lines of noisy guitar scream across in a tasty manner
later. As one might guess from the title a lot of this feels like
science fiction music, perhaps a bit like the soundtrack to "Space
1999." Heavy organ sounds grind across the sound at times as does funky
guitar. This is a pure screamer and another highlight of the disc. 

 

 

 Disc 2

  Jupiter Flyby: At almost twenty five minutes, this is the longest
track on the set. It starts very sedately and guitar begins to build
upwards. Keyboards and whooshing textures enter to play over this
backdrop. This doesn't go far in this vein, though, instead dropping
back to space for a time. The group play around in this textural format
for a short time, then new keyboard textures begin to rise up. They work
through a few varying modes and moods within this general motif. At
around six and a half minutes in it begins to become more of a "song"
structure, with guitar taking the lead in creating the melody. Still,
this is never fully realized as they move back out into ambient zones
after a time. At around the twelve minute mark, though, they power it
out into a new song structure. This is a prog jam with a lot of elements
of space and psychedelia. Working through various incarnations and
manifestations this gets quite powerful at times. Doors-type keys emerge
later and this segment is the longest movement of the track, taking it
eventually to its conclusion. 
 

  Alien Strip Club: Guitar sounds start this one off and they build up
with a psychedelic space rock texture. This eventually settles into a
satisfying groove as it carries on. As it gradually builds and morphs,
it becomes a smoking space rocker that is one of the highlights of the
set. The echoes of Hawkwind do emerge on this track, too, but it's
definitely not limited to that territory. 
 

  Chris Ice Sack: This song and the next probably have the most clever
titles of the whole disc - say it fast and you'll get it. Again, sedate
modes begin this. As the song structure rises up it's echoey and covered
with plenty of whooshing, Hawk-like keyboard sounds. It modulates
through a number of changes on this theme before moving out into a more
freeform jazz jam that still rooted deeply in space tones. This reminds
me a bit of some of the Grateful Dead's space jams, but with Hawkwind
styled keys laid over the top of the format. As it moves onward keys
begin to take on textures more like The Doors and Pink Floyd and then
the whole arrangement starts to resemble very early Floyd. More
Kraftwerk-like sounds come over at times and this whole sound evolves
vary slowly. It does turn into something a bit more funky and fast paced
later. Then it transforms into a hard-edged jam that calls to mind very
early Hawkwind. This is blistering in it's fast paced sonic
architecture. A great fusion sort of sound takes over later with lots of
funk overtones. At over twenty minutes this is the second longest piece
here, but nothing on this second disc clocks in at less than fifteen
minutes. 
 

  The Tony Blair Witch Crocket Project: A bouncy guitar texture leads
this off, but weird keys play over the top of this bluesy, folky mode
that still reminds me of early Hawkwind. As this grows it becomes
playful and perhaps a bit like early King Crimson. There are spoken
vocals, laid over the top, echoes and manipulated in layers of whispers
and dream-like textures. This gives way after a while to a weirder
soundscape for a time - with odd keyboard textures taking command. Then
the keys modulate out into a new melody that is bouncy and a bit New-Age
like. Still other elements are present keeping this from being "easy
listening." This moves through a number of odd changes with weird sounds
emerging and moving forward, making this the strangest piece of music on
the set. It does include some killer echoey retro guitar, though,
bringing it into the realm of psychedelia. This never really seems to
coalesce all that well, though. For this reviewer it's probably the
weakest cut on show here. I just didn't think it was all that easy to
listen to and not the best choice to close the disc. 
 

www.oresundspacecollective.com