Third Eye was an Australian trance outfit, helmed by the innovative and highly-respected musician Ollie Olsen (Whirlywirld, Hugo Klang, Orchestra Of Skin And Bone, NO, Max Q), and his long time friend and musical associate Gus Till (Dogs In Space, Max Q).
Olsen had a long background in various punk and post punk outfits, including Whirlywirld – formed in the late 70s and one of Australia’s first electronic bands – and NO, who blended synths, sampling and industrial-edged beats.
Prior to their connection with Volition, Third Eye had released their self-titled debut album on the Australian label Regular Records, distributed by Festival Records. They had a minor Australian chart hit (reaching number 76 in October 1990) with their excellent downtempo, trancey electronic cover of “The Real Thing”, originally a psychedelic rock track and number one hit on the Australian Go-Set Chart for Russell Morris in 1969.
Third Eye’s long, building, hypnotic trance track “Orgone Energy” was included on the 1992 Volition/Second Nature double CD and double cassette compilation “High (A Dance Compilation)” (VOLTCD88, VOLTC 88). “Orgone Energy” was very much a signal of the future direction for the group.
In 1993 Olsen, Simon Polinski, Bruce Butler and Andrew Till established the highly respected independent Australian electronic music label Psy-Harmonics, commencing with the Third Eye album “Ancient Future”.
The musical output of Psy-Harmonics is huge, and the label came to be known and respected worldwide, especially among the Goa trance/psytrance community.
Ollie battled for a number of years with the neurodegenerative disorder multiple system atrophy (MSA), and passed away on the 16th of October 2024. He continued to create music right to the end.
Vale Ollie Olsen 20 February 1958 – 16 October 2024
VOLT 2023: A Volition Archive 