O-Head - Steps Across The Cortex mp3 album

O-Head is Dave Hendry's space rock and electronica project. In 2005, Steps Across the Cortex was released and was the second release from O-Head. Just like Silent Universe, it was released on Centaur Discs, and this one appears to be the final release ever for the label. It seems that O-Head is now in a new phase, a space rock phase not unlike Ozric Tentacles with releases like Gaia's Garden, Dreamstate Circus and Visitor. Steps Across the Cortex is a much more electronic album with techno leanings. Try to imagine mid '70s Tangerine Dream with '90s techno leanings and you're not too far off. You get a lot of those TD and Jean Michel Jarre type synth rhythms, with also more ambient passages. There's often an ominous feel throughout. "Oracle Eye" reminds me of the Ozrics "Sploosh!" (itself one of the more techno-oriented pieces they done), even the rhythm reminds me of that cut. Also you get some nice use of sampled Mellotron on some of the cuts. Plus you get guitar from Simon Williams of Mandragora on "Delta Ceiphi". Aside from that, it's 100% David Hendry, on an assortment of digital and analog modeling synths. I love this CD, taking the old school electronic music and give it a more contemporary (or at least 1990s) edge, but with all the creative imagination of the very best of electronic music. Great stuff I can highly recommend.