Last May, I covered a bunch of topics that I had missed in 2016. Anniversaries of games, music, you name it. I’ve got my annual themed music festival coming up this summer, and I need some kind of buffer beforehand, so I figured I’d do some belated anniversary reviews to pad things out. The subject of today’s anniversary review is from the mad Canadian, Devin Townsend. I already did a 15th anniversary review for his 2003 release Accelerated Evolution (Review here), but today’s is an album that I discovered a few weeks back, turned 20 in 2017. I promptly slapped myself, as it was the first Devin Townsend album I ever owned and connected with. I’m correcting this as of this review, so put on your sunscreen, slip on your sandals, and take a gander at my look at the aquatic Ocean Machine: Biomech. Let’s begin.
Background
Taken from Devin Townsend’s website:
“This album I could NOT get signed. A great deal of this music was material I had been writing for many years prior to my experience with Steve Vai on his ‘Sex And Religion’ album. It was similar in theme and vibe to the melodic elements of Noisescapes, but it was not music from those sessions. The Vai album had sold to a gold status in Japan through Sony Music, and by advice of the A&R rep, Naoki Takada, it was suggested I start my own label which would allow them to license the music and capitalize on the momentum of the Vai success. I did so, and began the arduous process of recording this album. Fraught with problems from day one, Ocean Machine was a labor of love that was born more out of adversity than almost anything else. I had signed a non-exclusive deal with Century Media for Strapping Young Lad, (as even they at the time didn’t understand the direction that this music was intending to go). I recorded the bed tracks in Vancouver at The Factory Studios (The same studio I would end up making the 4 DTP albums at) with an amazing drummer named Marty Chapman and a monster of a bassist, John ‘Squid’ Harder. The tracking was difficult, and there was no editing as of course, at that time it was done to 2? tape. When the music was finished, I recorded a great deal of the vocals and keyboards in my basement suite in Burnaby B.C. on ADAT machines. The recording quality was not ideal for many reasons, and I decided to enlist my new friend Daniel Bergstrand, (whom I had met during the production of the album ‘Pigwalk’ by Stuck Mojo) as the mixing engineer. We mixed the album in Malaga Spain where Daniel was living, in 3 of the most stressful weeks I had encountered. Every technical hurdle imaginable plagued the mix, and the thoughts that it was ‘doomed’ were present throughout the whole process. Somehow though, as fate would have it, it was finished and releasing to widespread confusion in 1995. I’m very proud of this album, and has a very obvious ‘blue’ feeling to me.”
Fun fact: when the album was originally released in Japan, the album was called Biomech, and “Ocean Machine” was labeled as the artist for it. Later on the record got re-released worldwide, with a compound title under Townsend's name.
Basic Description
A dreamy vacation by the sea.
With each & every album he creates, whether it’s in his solo career or any other of his bands/side projects, Devin Townsend always puts out something magical. Even on his more weaker releases, there’s still an incredible amount of effort put in. With Ocean Machine, you definitely have an absolute beast of a record. Covering more serious concepts like death, isolation, and depression, while at the same time taking a look at lighter subjects like life & love, with the imagery of the ocean & the shore as a backdrop, creates a package that’s incredibly unique, and wonderful to listen to.
Best Track
Hard to pick a best track everybody. Devin really put a lot of time & love into this album, and you can feel that through the listening experience. That being said, I got 3 favorite tracks on this album: the opening track Seventh Wave, the 4th track Hide Nowhere, and the closer Things Beyond Things. The 1st song heavily invokes the sea & all of it’s mysteries, and open up with an excerpt of poetry from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Hide Nowhere is a heavy yet rather airy track, as I felt like I was constantly moving to some destination. Where, I didn’t know, but I knew I was going somewhere. Things Beyond Things is an appropriate concluding tune for this record: The instrumentation is played rather softly, and Devin keeps his vocals soft for the most part (Apart from one scream at the very end). Things Beyond Things sounds like something you’d hear on the beach as the sunsets. It’s incredibly introspective in a way, and it somehow makes you think about personal memories as you’re listening. Again, definitely the right way to end Ocean Machine: Biomech.
Seventh Wave
Hide Nowhere
Things Beyond Things
And while it wasn’t on the album proper, I do want to give honorable mention to Ocean Machines. Originally recorded for this album, it was left off & instead put on the Ass-Sordid Demos release from 2000. You can definitely tell that this track was meant for this album: it has the same vibe & emotion that can be felt on everything in Ocean Machine: Biomech. I really hope that this album gets a nice re-release, and this song is on it.
Ocean Machines
Worst Track
To be perfectly honest, I can’t name a single bad song on Oceam Machine: Biomech. Though there are 2 tracks that surpass the 10 minute mark (10:17 & 12:15 respectively) and stretch things out to nearly a 75 minute length, that in no way ruins any tune that’s on this beast. This length of time actually is a strength, as you can’t listen to it in spirts. You absolutely have to put this in a CD player or car stereo, and let the sounds of Ocean Machine ring true.
Other
If you’re curious about this album, then check out the link below for a listen:
Ocean Machine: Biomech
Overall Impression & Rating
Ocean Machine: Biomech is just incredible. Just about all of Devin’s albums are indescribable, as they’re really experiences more than anything else. Ocean Machine is definitely an experience of the highest degree, as it takes you to an ethereal beach, where the line between reality & dream is blurred, but the memories created there will stay with you for a long time. I don’t want to describe things any further, but I will end with this......listen to this album!
Ocean Machine: Biomech gets a 10 out of 10. 90s Prog at it’s finest!
So thus was my review of Devin Townsend’s oceanic classic, Ocean Machine: Biomech. Definitely a classic release, but you get the feeling that something incredible was just around the corner by the time this album is done. We’ll save that review for later this year, but in the meantime Catchup Month part 2 continues. See you all next week!
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