ID - JazzRockSoul.com

ID was an American space-rock/jam band that released the 1976 album Where Are We Going on Aura Records.

Members: David Oickle (mellotron, vocals), Gary Oickle (guitar), Kevin Orsie (bass), James Albert (guitar), Bob Halsall (keyboards), Ralph Jenkins (drums)

Background

ID formed in Maryland during summer 1972 when guitarist David Oickle invited neighborhood bassist Kevin Orsie to rehearse with him and his brother Gary Oickle. Drummer Ralph Jenkins completed the quartet soon afterward.

Orsie started on drums in elementary school and switched to bass at fourteen. He played with Jeff and Fred Byron in Iron Horses before joining the Oickle brothers. Gary Oickle chose ID as a reference to the subconscious.

Orsie drew his approach from Yes bassist Chris Squire, while David and Gary Oickle favored Pink Floyd and Hawkwind. The four members rehearsed almost daily before securing an old church auditorium in Ellicott City, where they developed extended, atmospheric pieces. ID played concerts and outdoor festivals, including an appearance at Central Park in New York City, where the group connected with producer Ed Slade.

Where Are We Going

ID released their singular album, Where Are We Going, in 1976 on Aura Records, their DIY one-off label.

David and Gary Oickle wrote all four pieces, with the two-part title work occupying most of the record. Bob Halsal adds Mellotron to the studio arrangement, while James Albert contributes slide guitar.

“Sunrise (A New Day)” rises through an affirmative theme as sustained lead flights cross a dense chordal haze. “Where Are We Going Part 1” meanders from a measured opening into free-form lead passages, with Mellotron strings swelling near its final stretch.

“Where Are We Going Part 2” coils between a bass-driven funereal march and fuzzed improvisation as echo and delay surround a dark closing riff. “Solar Wind” surges through persistent guitar excursions while upper-register lines hover within a murky mix.

A1. “Sunrise (A New Day)” (4:16)
A2. “(Part One) Where Are We Going…” (16:02)

B1. “(Part Two) Where Are We Going…” (13:44)
B2. “Solar Wind” (9:46)

ID recorded Where Are We Going in October 1975 at Dimensional Sound Studios in New York City. David Oickle co-produced the sessions with Ed Slade and James Albert. Engineer Bob Halsal captured the quartet live in one or two takes before Oickle overdubbed the lead vocals. The same sessions produced the unreleased songs “The Mountain Song” and “Go All the Way.”

David and Gary Oickle conceived the sleeve around the question posed by the album title. Gary Oickle developed the apocalyptic front image, while the back pairs the Great Nebula with a small unidentified flying object.

RidingEasy Records released a digital edition on September 27, 2024. PQR-Disques plusqueréel followed in May 2025 with a numbered 180-gram vinyl edition. The pressing comprised 100 black copies and 200 splatter copies with a two-page insert.

Postlude

ID resumed rehearsals and performances following the album. Orsie left about one year later, and the Oickle brothers continued with another bassist for another year before the group dissolved.

Discography: