OZRIC TENTACLES - Swirly Termination (2000) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

I wonder how big a part being a OT fan you are over all plays your final opinion of Swirly Termination. OT is one of my favorite bands; I think Swirly Termination has some excellent material, so I'm giving it 3 1/2 stars. The fact that the band was at the very least ambivalent about Swirly Termination being released to the public has been discussed at length in other places. I'll just say that the quality of the album is inconsistent. I think the second half is stronger than the first. My favorite tracks are probably "Pyoing", "Kick 98", and the beloved "Voy Mandala". Over all, the album does meander somewhat for my tastes, and the "swirly" synthesizers are too present.

However, Swirly Termination is a good representation of Ozric Tentacles' unique combination of elements: psychedelic synthesizers, complex (sometimes reggae-like) rhythms, Middle Eastern sounds, and Ed Wynne's incisive guitar playing. The relatively short playing time of Swirly Termination might suggest that it would be a good introduction for the uninitiated. I would definitely pick Pyrmadion first, because the songs are just better written. However, there's a lot of good-to-excellent music to be found on Swirly Termination for prog fans, so I give it 3 1/2 stars.
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Tracklist:
1. Steep – 3:11
2. Space Out – 8:29
3. Pyoing – 4:30
4. Far Dreaming – 5:25
5. Waldorfdub – 6:14
6. Kick 98 – 6:03
7. Yoy Mandala – 11:52
Credits:
Ed Wynne - guitar, keyboards
John Egan - flute, vocals
Zia Geelani - bass
Seaweed - keyboards
Rad - drums, percussion
Joie Hinton - keyboards