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Ozric Tentacles<\/strong><\/a> is that rare group that appeals to fans of trance\/rave, techno, jam, psychedelic, and space\/progressive rock. Founded in Somerset, England \u2013 they currently make their home in Colorado \u2013 the festival favorites brought their music indoors to Asheville’s Altamont Theatre on Thursday, October 8.<\/p>\n The Ozrics (as they’re known among fans) have been together for thirty years, and they’ve released a new album nearly every year. And though they have a distribution deal with Snapper Music, they\u2019ve never signed with a record label. \u201cI tried getting a record deal early on,\u201d says founding guitarist Ed Wynne<\/strong><\/a>, \u201cand they really didn’t like [our music] at all.\u201d He shopped the band’s demo recordings to several label representatives. \u201cThe third guy put it on, heard the intro, and started shaking his head slowly. He walked up to the machine, switched it off, and said, ‘Go back to the Stonehenge Festival.’ I took his advice, and it was the best move I ever made.\u201d<\/p>\n Brandi Wynne<\/strong>, Ed’s wife and the group’s longtime bassist, adds, \u201cWe did try going with an almost-<\/em>proper record company. But they really had a lot of input about what they wanted the album to sound like, and what they wanted our cover to look like.\u201d Brandi adds with a smile, \u201cWe don’t really speak much now.\u201d And even though it’s proven a viable method for countless bands, The Ozrics have never taken advantage of crowd funding. \u201cI just can’t do it,\u201d Brandi admits. \u201cIt just feels so weird.\u201d Instead, the group resolutely charts their own path, one that’s underground by most commercial measures. But along the way they’ve sold over a million albums.<\/p>\n 2012 was the start of a difficult period for the band. First, wildfires were plaguing Colorado. \u201cThe house and studio burned down,\u201d Brandi says. \u201cWe lost everything: all our recordings, all our hardware. We had been on tour; our van was already full with gear. We rushed home and grabbed a couple of things, including the cat, and then we had to go.\u201d And then three weeks later, Ed Wynne landed in the hospital, suffering from a burst appendix. \u201cWe spent a year dealing with all kinds of craziness there,\u201d Brandi says.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/ozrics_mtnx.jpg\")
<\/center>More than two dozen musicians have come and gone from Ozric Tentacles; the current lineup is by far the group’s most stable and long-lasting. \u201cWe try to keep everyone happy,\u201d says Brandi. Their relocation to the USA about seven years ago may have played a role in that happiness. Though they enjoyed life and work in Somerset, \u201cIt just wouldn’t stop raining,\u201d Ed says. He describes a situation common to British music festivals: \u201cWhen you go to a festival and you see emergency vehicles with rubber boats on top, you think, ‘Well, let’s turn ’round and go the other way!’\u201d Brandi adds, \u201cI’ve been to the Glastonbury Festival many times. And I’ve never<\/em> had a dry one.\u201d At the group’s last performance there, Ed Wynne lost a boot \u201cdown a muddy hole\u201d on the first day. \u201cThat was not nice. One foot was wet the whole time.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/ozrics_press4.jpg\")
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