If you like bands such as Quatum Fantay and Ozric Tentacles, bands which combine progressive rock and space rock in a perfect way, it is advised to check out Oresund Space Collective and their latest album Orgone Unicorn. They are a music collective from Scandinavia and Portugal that play totally improvised instrumental space rock music. They have already released more than 40 records since 2006 and strangely enough this is my first encounter with this band. Orgone Unicorn is the band's 44th release since 2006, and includes many of the same musicians that played on 2023's Everyone Is Evil album. Which is the well known drummer Mattias Olsson, who worked with Änglagård, White Willow, and Gösta Berlings Saga amongst others. Also included is Jonathan Segel on guitars, violin and Fender Rhodes. Furthermore we have Martin Weaver (Dark, Wicked lady, Doctors Of Space) on drum machines and Dr Space on synthesizers, Hammond organ and Mellotron. They are accompanied by Hasse Horrigmoe (Tangle Edge) on bass, and Luis Simões (Saturnia) on guitar, gong, and noise box as well. The album also features UK producer Larry Lush on Mellotron and Fender Rhodes, and KG Westman on sitar Mellotron and synths. The last one returns to the band for the first time since 2016. What we have here is one big musical jam recorded at Estúdio Paraíso Nas Nuvens, Central Portugal September 2023. The seven recorded tracks are all very long except for the track Red Panda In Rhodes. Which lasts almost 4 minutes. The rest of those tracks are 17 minutes long or even reach a length of almost 40 minutes. So during those long jams the musicians have enough time to show off on their instruments. Take for example the opening piece Skin Walker. During this 25 minutes long piece of music it is most of all the guitars that take the lead. The rhythm section provides here the perfect basis for this instrument to do some great solos. Also on most of the other space trips on this album the guitar players most of all set out the musical directions they want to go to music wise. It doesn't mean we have here an album with heavy guitar parts which are moving into hard rock or metal kind of music. No way! The guitar players play melodic stuff and sometimes like to freak out on their instrument. As long as the songs are not get boring or less interesting that's fine for me. Which they never do anyway! Does it mean we don't have any keyboards that play a major role? Of course not. Many times the synthesizers, Mellotrons and Fender Rhodes pianos can be heard as well. Take for example the opening track of the second disc. David Graham's Wormhole Ride has some fine playing on the Mellotron. And Kraut Toe Trip features some nice Fender Rhodes parts. And of course with a title such as Red Panda In Rhodes then this instruments also comes up front. Also the violin can be heard on some of the compositions. Like on Omnia Magnifico. It is as if you are listening to Simon House of Hawkwind fame. If you are into more than 140 minutes of space rock with influences taken from progressive rock Orgone Unicorn is the album for you to discover without any doubt. I liked it a lot and I think many progheads will enjoy this release as well. As it contains some great jams which never get boring and keeps the listener focused until the final seconds of the excellent double album. Please check it out! You want regret it! **** Henri Strik (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
