Not quite gravity defying

In an interview with Ozric video jockey and lighting director Peter Berdovsky, Berdovsky told me one of the most important things he's learned from touring with the Ozric Tentacles is to change one's socks. Frequently. This bit of podiatric wisdom seems to aptly apply when documenting the evolution of Englishman Ed Wynne's psytrance rock outfit. For the better half of their 20-year history, the band has changed lineups as often as Berdovsky changes socks. The only constant in the equation has been Wynne, and the Ozric's 20+ albums reflect this. \nThe Floor's Too Far Away finds the current incarnation of the Ozrics revisiting the already charted outer limits of electronic prog-rock, with their trademark Goa grooves and mastery of their respective instruments. Deliver something new it does not, but it certainly is a testament to Wynne's mastery of psychedelia. \nThe album kicks off in mysterious fashion with a lone synthetic drone in the opener "Bolshem." Birds pan between right and left channels, the listener inundated as if they were in the Amazon itself. Slowly, a meticulously sequenced synthesizer melts into the picture, that classic Ozric sound reminiscent of The Hidden Step. A deep bass locks into place and soon the audience is treated to the harsh feedback of Wynne's dirty guitar. The track continues to build, layers are added upon layers until an abrupt segue into "Armchair Journey" slows things down. "Armchair" dabbles in the ambient until it begins to organize itself, peaking with an all too predictable Wynne solo, before fading back into ambient blandness. On numbers such as "Armchair" it's easy to draw comparisons between the Ozrics and the slew of electronica-influenced jambands that hypnotize our nation's hippies. \nFortunately the Ozrics have a little direction, unlike the uninspired wankery committed so frequently this side of the pond. The Ozrics bounce back with the techno-infused urgency of "Jellylips," setting the tone for the rest of the album. This focused energy is the source behind the album's strongest moment, the epic 15-minute pairing of "Spacebase" and the ethnically flavored "Disdots". Wynne's guitar work in "Disdots" is sublime, as he touches the sky in a manner only David Gilmour and a handful of others can do. \nThough his guitar can soar, Wynne and the Tentacles do not reach any new heights with The Floor's Too Far Away. Rather, the album represents the refinement and subsequent perfection of a 20-year-old sound. They may be in need of a fresh pair of socks next time around.