Despite my participation in it's production (alongside my bandmate in Vas Deferens Organization, Matt Castille), I have no reservations whatsoever about stating that this debut LP by this Fort Worth, TX quartet is one of the finest kosmiche recordings ever released by a contemporary band; alas, one whose exploits were tragically cut short by the deaths of both keyboard maestro Doug Ferguson (who would go on to join Vas Deferens Organization in the wake of this recording) and clarinetist Chris Forrest in the early 2000's. Right now some of you are probably thinking "A clarinet....in a space rock group?" to which I'd suggest an immersion in the eponymous third Lard Free LP which both prominently featured said instrument in it's mind melting matrix and which, alongside Brainticket and The Cosmic Jokers, served as one of Ohm's principal points of departure. A reality dissolving masterpiece, start to finish.
Get it Here
you are right when you declare this a tasty piece serving of kosmiche, and from Texas of all places!!!
ReplyDeletei actually think this surpasses a lot of the classic krautrock bands.
thank you for turning me on to this and thank you for giving me yet another reason to be proud of my Texan roots.
found this great article/homage to keyboardist Doug Ferguson:http://www.dallasobserver.com/2002-03-07/music/transcendental-blues/
They are indeed much missed. I was very much taken with Ferguson's Texas Zeuhl outfit Yeti back in the day; I'm told they had some really obscure live CD-Rs out that I haven't heard called "Live at the Wreck Room" vols. 1 and 2. Maybe they will show up here some day?
ReplyDeleteLong live the amazing Ohm! Thanks Eric.
ReplyDelete- Michael C (author of the above linked 2002 piece)
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ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to that article about doug peskypesky. I miss the shit out of him. Reading it brought back memories of the strange Harry Partch-ian instruments Sam brought into the studio for that record. I can't get the image out of my head of the 10 speed bike spoke rubber surgical plastic contraption mic'ed up with stereo U87's
ReplyDelete-Matt
Oh dear... I've been in correspondence with Doug Ferguson at the time of Ohm's involvement with Mizmaze and Snowdonia, I've been listening quite a lot to Ohm and all things related (Yeti, correct! But also Stumptone!), and I was so shocked wen I heard that Doug passed away... Thanks for posting this one, I'll be giving a spin to all of these CDs tonight.
ReplyDeleteThank you a lot, I'm listening to it, very interesting music
ReplyDeleteDidn't Ohm have a CD on Last Visible Dog around 2000/01? I think it might actually have been a double live CD. I had it back in the day, but might have sold it on eBay. I also had another CD by a band called Entrance also on LVD.
ReplyDeleteanonymous-thats a different Ohm. There have been a LOT of Ohms over the years. Discogs.com lists fully 13 of them, and that includes neither this Ohm nor the one New Zealand noise outfit you mention!
ReplyDeletehi Eric, I wish you'd post more stuff you & Matt have been involved with despite your reluctance to self-promote. This LP is the GEM of Ohm's discography, and I'm so glad I found a superb used copy of it, as well as your recommendation of the Yeti CD that features Doug. He'd be my idol if I still played keyboards myself. Gotta love this stuff if there's a psych/prog molecule in one's being. Please stop making your VDO fans keep waiting for new stuff that's been caught in the pipeline for...how long now? Peace, Paul
ReplyDeletedoc kwan-thanks for all the kind words.
ReplyDeleteMore VDO related stuff is soon to be posted. Expect to find the first J. Bone Cro LP that Matt produced, our Jaloppy LP in collaboration with him and the VDO/Jaloppy split LP making an appearance here in the coming days. Our new material is set to be released in tandem with our collaboration with Ariel Pink on the label we'll be launching before the end of the year. More details will emerge as things coalesce. Stay tuned...
good news.
ReplyDeletei just bought this lp along with the jaloppy split about 5 months ago. pretty happy i ve scored this bizarre stuff.
i am looking for more ohm/ferguson related vinyl.
thanx
There's no place like Ohm!
ReplyDeleteCosmic stuff, indeed!
Would love to hear more Ohm and related groups ... and would be glad to post some rare Yeti, per the request above. Let me know if you need it.
Longtime Mutant fan and Gnosis rater.
Dave
I remember seeing Ohm in 1998 in Austin Texas at the Melodica Festival. Man,,, seriously brain fried Psych... at that show all I remember was guitar bass and drums... and I'd never seen a guitar player with so many sweet vintage pedals!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this! I've heard DF's work in Yeti's "Things to Come" and in your Tone Float collab., but this one I haven't been able to come by.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update Eric, I still check the VDO website (in vain, tsk tsk) for the happy news that the HEAPS of new stuff you've had in the pipeline that you emailed me about will finally see the light of day. My turntable is all warmed up for all that delicious vinyl!!
ReplyDeleteAny chance (I'm BEGGING here) that you'll post the denounced "A Sample Of Upcoming Releases From Timothy's Brain"? This has become my personal Holy Grail (note caps) as there is NO evidence it exists anywhere in the world (maybe your preference?) other than a mention in a VDO article on Aural Innovations. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me hear it! I promise I'll be good from now on!! Jeez, how humiliating... ;-)
doc kwan-the new VDO site should be up and running in about a weeks time. All the VDO and related material you speak of will be filtering out once our label is launched at the end of the year, concurrent with our project with Ariel Pink. I really appreciate your interest in our work, but I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you regarding the Sample Of Upcoming Releases From Timothy's Brain CD. Not only did Nick at Avant Garde issue that without our permission, but included on there were rough mixes of material that we'd privately sent to him just to give him a taster of some of our current activities at the time and which were decidedly not ready for public perusal. I actually never even personally seen a copy of it myself. I was in such a state of disgust with him by that point, given that in addition to issuing that boot CD, we never saw a penny or even received any but 5 or so copies of our Tone Float CD, that I just didn't even want to have to countenance a furter thought about that criminal or the boot he issued, so have largely pretended it doesn't exist.
ReplyDeleteAny chance you could post more Ohm (Voices, Raw Ohm)?
ReplyDeleteWould be greatly appreciated.
Dave
Gotta hear it! Plz include this among the next re-upped files!!
ReplyDeleteDitto. Would love to hear but all those links are now dead. Thanks!
ReplyDelete