OOOD - How deep can you bleep?

OOOD (aka. Out Of Our Depth) are 4 blokes from England whose mission is to have a good time, spread a little joy and write some blinding psy-trance in the process. Originally formed in 1994 by Colin Bennun, Nigel Bradbury and Stephen Callaghan, the current line-up is Colin, Steve, Ramsay Melhuish and Ryokan Potier. As well as being talented DJs they bring an extra live element to OOOD's live shows, adding live drums, percussion, guitar and psychedelia. A live band from their inception, OOOD have been gigging since they formed in Oxford, honing their craft at local events. Their very first performance in London (at Otherworld) was described in Dream Creation magazine as "bang on, with a power and a quality all too often lacking in some of the more well-known atists". On the UK party circuit their performances include live sets at Glade, Wickerman and Beat-Herder festivals, Synergy Project, Tribe of Frog, Strange Daze, Otherworld, Return to the Source, Escape from Samsara, Pagan & many many others.

OOOD's first release was on Phantasm Records in 1996, with their collaborative side-project Unconscious Collective subsequently releasing one of Flying Rhino's biggest-selling tracks, 'Fluorostani Transcendance' later that year. Nowadays the dancefloor side of both acts is combined into OOOD, and the Unconscious Collective remains as a focus for the more eclectic, often chilled-out but always inventive non-trancefloor output of the group. With up to 6 people on stage and musicianship of all kinds very much in evidence in both OOOD and Unconscious Collective, they have performed live (in various combinations) all over the world from New York to Japan via South Africa, Israel and of course the UK and Europe. Recent overseas gigs include prime-time slots at Fusion Festival in Germany, Hidden Gate Festival in Japan and the Vortex/Prism New Years Eve and Easter Festivals in South Africa.

aLIVE... and Kicking
The first OOOD album aLIVE was released on Cabbaged Records (UK) in 1997 and was probably the first ever live album released as a debut by a psy-trance act. A stunning exposition of the unique psychedelic sound of OOOD, the album was recorded live - and we mean LIVE - at parties across the UK including Pagan's fabled New Years Eve party, Science Fiction and Otherworld at the Fridge in London. Many years after its release this seminal album is still sought after by trance-heads across the world.
Breathing Space... Refining the formula
Two years after their debut album came OOOD's second long player Breathing Space. Ranging from full-on neuro bashing psychedelia to utter ambient via dub and chilled breaks, Breathing Space ventured beyond class A dancefloor mayhem to include the mellower side of OOOD's sonic headspace. Showcasing the dramatic effect a studio upgrade can have, the album marked a step-change in the quality of OOOD's productions and was released independently on OOOD Records distrubuted by MRL (aka. Kukomi). Now also a collector's item, copies of the CD have sold for silly money on eBay (although you can apparently still buy it in Tower Records in Tel Aviv).

Free Range... No dancefloor is safe
Over a year after it was first announced, and after 6 years of work, their third album Free Range was released on Organic Records in November 2006. Although aimed solidly at the dancefloor, this is more than a straight-ahead trance album (as the title suggests), and - with a fresh infusion of inspiration from Rama and Ryo - sees once more a great improvement in production values alongside OOOD's trademark unique storytelling style and sense of humour. Hailed by reviewers as one of the best releases in 2006 (and by Psyreviews as one of the best artist albums the scene has yet produced), the band are already planning their next project.

Eminently Bookable... Have headphones, will travel
The band are currently playing live sets as both OOOD and Unconscious Collective and were voted in a recent poll on psy-forum.co.uk as one of the top live acts in the UK, sharing their place with Ott and Eat Static. Colin has been Djing extensively, playing sets consisting mostly of his own projects and collaborations, and Steve, Ryo, and Rama - the other 3 core members of the collective - are all also available for DJ sets. Whilst they are more than capable of rocking any main room or chillout for a short two hours, they are noted for their the extended 'journey' type sets currently in such short supply, as shown by their recent residency at Tribe Of Frog in Bristol, for which the Collective regularly provided the music all night in one of the rooms. Colin is also part of Voice of Cod, whose debut album 'We Are Free' was released on Organic Records in October 2005.