The Ocean Wide Lotus Assembly is an ambitious musical endeavor featuring the long-time creative partnership of Aram Masee and Jason Deatherage, along with a hand-picked roster of close musical friends. No strangers to strangeness, the OWLA’s intense compositions feature dramatic shifts in mood, texture and time, all while keeping a driving rhythmic momentum. Centering on the instantly recognizable sound of the Fender Rhodes electric piano framed within an explosive rhythm section, the OWLA’s music may call to mind such fusion pioneers as Return to Forever, Blow by Blow era Jeff Beck, and the Mahavishu Orchestra, but they also draw from traditional jazz, electronic, funk, and heavy metal sources. What style is it? The OWLA might say ‘fusion’ in the ‘70s sense of the word, or perhaps ‘musical rishathra’ alluding to the anti-contextual arrangements they favor, but whatever you call it, it’s intense, whimsical, complex and enjoyable music.