Ozark Henry is the project of Piet Goddaer. This musician from Kortrijk, so… Read Full Bio ↴Ozark Henry is the project of Piet Goddaer. This musician from Kortrijk, son of celebrated classical composer Norbert Goddaer, was the singer/rapper of the group Word before Ozark Henry. Despite a lot of gigs, the group never managed to get a record deal (the only release is a track "Henry Men-She" on "Debuutrock 1995") and died a subsequent silent death. At home in his living room, Goddaer and his friend Filip Tanghe, were also busy fiddling with computers and synthesizers. A few of these experiments landed on the table of record firm Method (Double T) that offered the group a contract.

The debut became "I'm seeking something that has already found me", in 1996. The record was recorded in the "Ozark Henry Living Room", but was produced in the Synsound studio's by another electronic guru: Telex-man Dan Lacksman. The result was a multi-layered cd that was received well in the press. The originality of the music was proven by the multitude of comparisons that were found to classify it in the press: Tricky, Scott Walker, The The, Soul Coughing, Bowie, John Zorn, Frank Zappa, Moby, Gavin Friday (perhaps nowadays Dead Man Ray would also have been mentioned ...)
In Knack, Jan Delvaux reviewed the record as follows : "Ozark Heny fits in the series of clever belgian recyclists (dEUS, Evil Superstars, Vaya Con Dios ...) that surprise the world more and more often. The mission of this duo is situated in dance-related areas, although the apparent traces of rap, acid jazz, jungle, triphop and techno are nothing but a vague first coating. On top of this come strange noises and very complicated song-structures full of surprising twists and turns. It makes this record a turbulent document with a filmic bias. The steadiest element in all this is the voice of Piet Goddaer ... Despite the many layers, the entrance gate is wide open. "I'm seeking" is, albeit a very unusual, a very impressive pop-album."

In the summer of 1997, material for a second album was recorded. This cd never has seen the light (only the song "Summer Junkie" made it to the second album), because the first one was released in France by Sony and started doing very well over there. (eg. from Les Inrockuptibles : "Ozark Henry : c'est du triphop Zappien mariné dans le formol du jazz experimental et drappé dans les fantômes de la new wave."). As Piet Goddaer said in de Morgen : "In the meantime, the record had been lying there and felt like an old thing when we came back from France. I want to release a cd when it's still fresh. That's why we made a new record."

The second cd eventually became "This last warm solitude", released in October 1998. Noticeable changes are that the songstructures have become much more "simple", that Piet Goddaer now sings more than he raps, and that quite a lot of melancholy has crept into the lyrics and songs. The "layered-ness" of the music, the richness of the sound and the electronic programming of the songs have remained. The production was in the hands of Goddaer himself, aided by Roy Spong and Mark Phythian, the left- and right-hand of Gil Norton (Pixies ...).
The melancholic single "Radio" (about an incurably ill friend) received a lot of airplay, and the reception of this more easily accessible record has been very promising so far : (vb. Teek : "This last warm solitude is like a labyrinth lying in the sun, with every new junction sounding off an inviting welcome" - vb. De Morgen : "Musically this colorful jigsaw of triphop, eighties wave, experimental pop and minimal music has everything to make a lasting impression, far beyond the Belgian borders."

On stage, the group gives a lot of attention to the visual aspect. Piet Goddaer in De Morgen : "For me, sound and vision always come together. The record is also a soundtrack to a non-existing film for me. On stage, we make the images live, an organic process where image and sound feed each other. A lot can go wrong in that chain, but if there were only secure things, I wouldn't be interested in being up there." At the end of 1999, "This Last Warm Solitude" was re-released, with an extra cd containing a live-show in Paris.

In March 2000, Ozark Henry did a contribution to the "Glittering 2000" project, on which belgian bands covered songs from the glamrock era, by doing a version of David Bowie's "Suffragette City". Under the nickname Sunzoo Manley, a pseudo which emerged for the first time on the single "If This Is Love" of LaTchak (a sideproject of Front 242), he then proceeded onto a totally different project. In the band Sunzoo Manley, he joined forces with drummer Stéphane Galland (Aka Moon) & saxophone player Frank Deruytter (Wizards of Ooze). The debut CD "To All Our Escapes", a fine exercise in crossing jazz with (break)beats, was released in March 2001.

Also in 2001, he released his third album as Ozark Henry, this time with the title "Birth Marks" (thus, Piet Goddaer found himself twice on the same day at Pukkelpop, with both his projects: Ozark Henry and Sunzoo Manley). The actual CD-release was for September 10, but there was already a promo-single "Rescue" at the end of August, distributed through the website of Studio Brussels.
For the recordings of "Birthmarks", Ozark Henry got the support of the Audrey Riley Octet, an ensemble that has a track record including work for Blur, The Cure, Muse, Coldplay and Smashing Pumpkins. Started with no less than 90 songs for the choosing, only 10 tracks made it to the actual album (which was released in a limited edition, wit 5 bonus tracks). As the bio says : "10 songs that can only be described as "rich": gospel choirs, brass sections, strings, and the newly discovered Voice. The sum of all these parts: pop music with brains and emotions, adaptable to every possible biorhythm".

In 2004 "The Sailor not the Sea" is released. It features Jah Wobble, Jaki Liebezeit and again Audrey Riley. It is very well received and hits gold in no time.

Band members :
- Piet Goddaer (vocals, sequensing, programming)
- Dick Descamps (bass - on stage only)
- Stef Catteeuw (guitar - on stage only)
- Rik Debruyne (drums - on stage only)
formerly also
- Filip Tanghe (programming)
- Paul Isaac (keyboards - on stage only)

Godspeed
Ozark Henry Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

5 I am high
I'm walking still
Darkness has its arm around me
What's bigger than us all is on our hands
Senses making waves
With thoughts that kill
What is it science says about it
Heretic or not

It's on our hands

God speed
God speed you

5 I am high
I'm walking still
Storms to come
I'm undaunted
What's bigger than us all is on our hands
With every new dream an old one dies
The buzzing in my head surrounds me
Heretic or not
It's on our hands

god speed
god speed you

every me hurts and yearns for you
nothing i can do about it

god speed

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Godspeed" by Ozark Henry are a poetic and introspective reflection on life, mortality, and the power of human agency. The song opens with the singer expressing a sense of elevation, as if he is high on something, but this feeling is tempered by a sense of darkness or foreboding that seems to envelop him. He references the idea that there is something larger than all of us at play in the world, but also suggests a sense of responsibility or ownership over this force. The lyrics hint at a tension between our senses and our thoughts, suggesting that the ways in which we understand the world can be both liberating and destructive.

As the song progresses, the singer continues to reflect on his own experience, suggesting that there are storms to come but that he is undaunted by them. He returns to the idea that something bigger than us is at play, but now adds the notion that every new dream brings an old one to an end. This seems to be a dark thought, but the singer does not dwell on it for long, instead focusing on the buzzing in his head that surrounds him. The final line of the song is a poignant expression of longing, suggesting that despite everything he has just described, he still yearns for something or someone beyond his grasp.

Overall, the lyrics of "Godspeed" are a haunting meditation on life and death, framed by a sense of human agency and responsibility. The song effectively captures the complexity of human experience, both the joy and the pain that inevitably come with it.

Line by Line Meaning

I am high
Feeling elevated or euphoric

I'm walking still
Continuing on despite challenges

Darkness has its arm around me
Feeling enveloped by negativity or sadness

What's bigger than us all is on our hands
Taking responsibility for things beyond our control

Senses making waves
Emotions in flux, causing a ripple effect

With thoughts that kill
Negative thoughts that harm one's well-being

What is it science says about it
Wondering if there is a scientific explanation or understanding

Heretic or not
Going against established beliefs or norms

God speed
Wishing someone a safe journey or successful venture

God speed you
Extending well wishes to someone

Storms to come
Anticipating future difficulties or hardships