Submotion Orchestra
Today London/Leeds-based seven piece Submotion Orchestra release their eagerly anticipated second album ‘Fragments’.
Bass, rhythm and soul are still paramount, but from the first few bars of ‘Intro’, with its Philip Glass-meets Penguin Café pianos, it’s clearly evident that the band have broadened their musical palate. It’s also clear they’ve made this expansion sound effortlessly captivating - ready to melt minds and bassbins alike.
"In making 'Fragments', we started to stretch out from the template of the first album", explains keyboardist Taz Modi. "There's a lot more colour and moods on this record; strings, woodwind and various new synth textures.
"We followed our noses to see where they'd lead us. There should be enough here to satisfy fans of 'Finest Hour', but hopefully there'll be quite a bit to surprise them as well"
‘Blind Spot’ maintains the lush, expansive sound that made the band’s name and adds subtle new flourishes. It takes what was already a sweepingly cinematic blueprint and goes one step bigger and better. With a gauzy synth weaved throughout the mix, you get the faint suggestion of chillwave being on the band’s tourbus playlist.
‘Thinking’ perfectly captures an uplifting summer sunshine, currently missing from our shores. Gnarly bass purrs underneath tight and crisp rhythms, with Ruby Wood’s honeyed vocals poured liberally on top. By ‘Bird Of Prey’ things take a turn down a strange and eerie vista; heavy drama meets the cosmic and cerebral, with a hint of Herbie Hancock-style electronic jazz funk.
Wigged-out live favourite ‘Times Strange’ features the album’s only guest vocal, courtesy of Rider Shafique, whose limber lyrics ride over a warped, 50s Sci Fi analogue tone. The darkly psychedelic, growling-bass-opus ‘Thousand Yard Stare’ epitomizes the album’s tech-psych side, whilst maintaining fully firing live drums, strings and brass.
‘Fragments’ ends on the reflective note of ‘Coming Up For Air’, with perhaps the least anticipated addition to the mix; its waves of distorted, electronic dissonance are redolent of more low-fi and laptop-based dance music.
Last year Submotion Orchestra released their debut LP ‘Finest Hour’. An army of fervert fans formed, resulting in sell-out shows, including London’s Scala. They were met with widespread critical acclaim, plus heavy Radio 1, 6music, 1xtra, Resonance, NME Radio, and club support.
The band are headlining this years Soundwave and Outlook festivals in Croatia. Their on-fire live show has wowed crowds at Glade, Glastonbury, Bestival, The Big Chill, Lattitude and Secret Garden. Expect big things from a band on a steep upward trajectory, both on record and on stage.
10th October: Sub89, Reading
11th October: Academy, Bristol
12th October: Koko, London
13th October: Concorde 2, Brighton
14th October: 02 Academy, Oxford
15th October: Boileroom, Guildford
16th October: Ruby Lounge, Manchester
17th October: Sumo, Leicester
18th October: 1:22, Huddersfield
19th October: Studio 24, Edinburgh
22nd October: The Duchess, York
23rd October: Tuesday Club, Sheffield
24th October: Eric’s, Liverpool
25th October: Stylus, Leeds
26th October: Twisted Pepper, Dublin