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)
In & Out
Ozark Henry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is distant and engaged
What is wanted (you)
Is tripping out of age
The need to have I had
Knows no other way
When I reads this
You're in coma state since days
Things we used to do
Things we used to share
In and out
This warm solitude is a reminder of those days
The need to have I had has grown
What is needed (you)
Lays flashy on it's side
What is wanted ?
You're a golden death , my bride
The need to have I had
Is tasting love through hate
What is wanted?
You're in a coma state since days
In and out
I full-circle seeing through
We're to near the flame
To spot the light
The lyrics to Ozark Henry's song "In & Out" are about the difficulty of letting go of the past and the memories associated with it. The singer seems to be speaking to a former lover or friend who was once an integral part of his life, but now feels distant and unattainable. The first two lines of the song highlight the struggle between what the singer needs, which is to be wanted and connected to the person he is addressing, and what he wants, which is to move on and leave the past behind. The need to be with this person is all-consuming, and he admits that he knows no other way.
The chorus of the song, which repeats the phrase "in and out," seems to refer to a cycle of remembering and forgetting past experiences. The singer speaks of all the things that he and this person used to do and share, but acknowledges that those moments are now in the past. The "warm solitude" that he feels is a reminder of those days, but he can't seem to fully let go of them. The second verse adds another layer to this idea, as the singer describes what he "needs" versus what he "wants." He has played out all the scenarios in his head, but still can't decide whether to move on or keep holding on to the memories.
Overall, "In & Out" is a poignant song about the complexities of relationships and the struggle to let go of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
What is needed (you)
The object of desire is someone who is distant and not fully present.
Is distant and engaged
The desired person is emotionally unavailable but still somewhat involved.
What is wanted (you)
The desired person is someone who is young and inexperienced.
Is tripping out of age
The desired person is exploring new experiences and growing up.
The need to have I had
The desire for this person is strong and intense.
Knows no other way
The desire is all-consuming and there is no alternative.
When I reads this
The singer is directly addressing the desired person.
You're in coma state since days
The desired person has been emotionally distant for a long time.
In and out
The relationship between the artist and the desired person has been unstable and unpredictable.
Things we used to do
The artist is reminiscing about the past and the shared experiences they had with the desired person.
Things we used to share
The singer is longing for the connection they used to have with the desired person.
This warm solitude is a reminder of those days
The artist is finding comfort in memories of the past, even though the current situation is painful.
Lays flashy on it's side
The desired person is attractive and captivating, but also untrustworthy.
You're a golden death , my bride
The desired person is alluring and dangerous.
Is tasting love through hate
The singer's desire for the desired person is fuelled by negative emotions.
I full-circle seeing through
The artist is gaining a new perspective on the situation.
We're to near the flame
The attraction between the artist and the desired person is intense and dangerous.
To spot the light
The singer and the desired person are too caught up in their intense feelings to see the truth of the situation.
Contributed by Cooper T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sandra Haack
Das nu eens echt muziek uit het hart. Instant kalm en genieten van leven. Piet, dank u❤
Axelle Vandoornick
Best concert ever and ever... and he does better and better. Best is always there with him and his musicians ! Thank you...
Oups
Superbe, merci Ozark! :)
karine anne
Amazing guy!
flyxator
Cool, I was at the show. Thank you for upload
AB - Ancienne Belgique
you're welcome
Voornaam Achternaam
❤❤❤
Kosteri x
I was at the show. This audio recording is better than what we experienced. We were in the center of the seated area, and the sound was atrocious without ear plugs. Far too high pitched, and painfully loud so apparently it was tuned for people with ear plugs in.
Then the quality. Without a backing vocal counting down seven five twenty three etc, without all the complex little rhythms and jingles and layers of soundscape as was on the CD, this live rendition is far too bare bones to be even called birthmarks at all.
The drummer and the guitarist had no synergy, and both were very poor amateurs.
Ozark (probably because he procreated) has changed his original music into a kind of poor taste pop music thing to attract other audiences and pay for his baby milk powder or whatever. Either that or he had a brain tumor and could never even approach his older music level.
Stick with the CD and don't let your enjoyment get soured by having to suffer this:
AVOID OZARK HENRY LIVE PERFORMANCES LIKE THE PLAGUE.
For comparison I also watched other recent recordings of OH and they are equally bad. It's not that Ancienne Belgique acoustics or sound systems are to blame. It's the artist.
Ozark if you're reading this, get that backing vocalist back, fire your musicians and get the older ones back.