- Artist
- Ishmael Ensemble
- ReleaseProduct
- Visions of Light
- Label
- Severn Songs
- Catalogue Number
- SEVS6
- Release Date
- August 6, 2021
Genres
Press Release
Bristol experimental jazz collective Ishmael Ensemble reveal their expansive new album Visions of Light. The follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2019 debut A State of Flow, praised by the likes of The Guardian, Mojo, The Wire and tastemakers across BBC 6Music, this sophomore record sees the group reimagine what an ‘ensemble’ can do; expanding into a shifting collective, where human relationships between artists underpin far-ranging, stunningly ambitious and emotionally heavyweight compositions.
Helmed by producer and saxophonist Pete Cunningham, Ishmael Ensemble’s richly inventive 2019 debut A State Of Flow marked them out as an explosive new force in UK jazz, imbuing lush cinematic compositions with left-field dub and electronic sensibilities redolent of Bristol’s vital musical landscape. NamedThe Guardian’s ‘Contemporary Album Of The Month’ and Mojo’s ‘Jazz Album of The Month’, it saw the group perform Maida Valesessions for both Gilles Peterson and Tom Ravenscroft, as well as feature on compilations for Brownswood Recordings and Soul Jazz Records. Cunningham’s rise as an in-demand producer led to remixes for the likes of techno royalty Carl Craig,as well as legendary jazz label Blue Note Records alongside a plethora of the UK’s finest musical talent on Blue Note Re:Imagined.
Ishmael Ensemble has since become a platform for Cunningham to subvert the conventional notions of producer/artist relationships, unsettling genre tags, and transcending the familiar landscape of UK jazz itself. Across the album’s 10 tracks, Cunningham practices a holistic approach with a long list of collaborators. Together, they explore vast new sonic terrain with an honesty, intimacy and emotional heft impossible for a conventional band.
Visions Of Light tells the story of Ishmael Ensemble’s development across its two sides. The first draws from the energy Cunningham and his bandmates discovered whilst extensively touring A State Of Flow.
The album opens with a cascade of harp glissandos and the gorgeous ‘Feather’ – Holysseus Fly’s lush vocal lulling the listener into a false sense of security, before her voice is warped beyond recognition in the high-octane, cacophonous ‘Wax Werk’. The tracks that follow take a darker, heavier turn. The driving, uninhibited performances of Stephen Mullins (guitar) and Rory O’Gorman (drums), along with Jake Spurgeon’s agile synth work, lay the foundation for Cunningham to deliver his most confident and direct saxophone performances to date.
Side B sees Cunningham settle into his role as producer and collaborator, resetting the scene with the vivid and playful ‘Looking Glass’, inviting vocalist, harpist and strings arranger STANLAEY to take centre stage. The landscape shifts again for the movingly nostalgic ‘Morning Chorus’, whilst ‘The Gift’ sees the angelic vocals of Tiny Chapter (Waldo’s Gift) initiate a dizzying crescendo of swirling synthesisers and string arrangements. When Visions Of Light resolves with the gorgeous slow-burner ‘January’, it is with an unmistakable hopefulness – something that, in these times of disquietude, is urgently felt.
- 1 Intro 0:34
- 2 Feather 2:00
- 3 Wax Werk 2:00
- 4 Soma Centre 2:00
- 5 Empty Hands 2:00
- 6 Looking Glass 2:00
- 7 Morning Chorus 2:00
- 8 Visions of Light 1:22
- 9 The Gift 2:00
- 10 January 2:00
Track List
A1. Intro
A2. Feather
A3. Wax Werk
A4. Soma Centre
A5. Empty Hands
B1. Looking Glass
B2. Morning Chorus
B3. Visions of Light
B4. The Gift
B5. January
Ishmael Ensemble
-
- Artist
- Ishmael Ensemble
- ReleaseProduct
- A State Of Flow
- Label
- Severn Songs
- Catalogue Number
- SEVS4
- Release Date
- May 6, 2022
- LP (special)
-
- Artist
- Ishmael Ensemble
- ReleaseProduct
- Songs For Knotty
- Label
- Banoffee Pies Records
- Catalogue Number
- BPLP002D
- Release Date
- February 3, 2017
- Download
Severn Songs
-
- Artist
- tAKX
- ReleaseProduct
- Exile
- Label
- Severn Songs
- Catalogue Number
- SEVS26
- Release Date
- December 8, 2023
- Download
-
- Artist
- tAKX
- ReleaseProduct
- Return
- Label
- Severn Songs
- Catalogue Number
- SEVS18
- Release Date
- March 31, 2023
- Download
-
- Artist
- Lyrebird
- ReleaseProduct
- Tomb For Birds
- Label
- Severn Songs
- Catalogue Number
- SEVS017
- Release Date
- March 17, 2023
- Download
-
- Artist
- Tiny Chapter
- ReleaseProduct
- For How Long Have We Been Asleep?
- Label
- Severn Songs
- Catalogue Number
- SEVS07
- Release Date
- December 3, 2021
- Download
Jazz
-
- Artist
- Kamasi Washington
- ReleaseProduct
- Fearless Movement
- Label
- Young
- Catalogue Number
- YO350DA
- Release Date
- May 3, 2024
- LP (special)
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Jasmine Myra
- ReleaseProduct
- Rising
- Label
- Gondwana Records
- Catalogue Number
- GOND070DD
- Release Date
- May 3, 2024
- LP (special)
- Download
-
- Artist
- cktrl
- ReleaseProduct
- robyn
- Label
- Touching Bass
- Catalogue Number
- TB004D
- Release Date
- November 27, 2020
- LP (special)
- Download
-
- Artist
- Nubiyan Twist
- ReleaseProduct
- Find Your Flame
- Label
- Strut
- Catalogue Number
- STRUT346D
- Release Date
- May 3, 2024
- Download
-
- Artist
- Underground Canopy and Aréna
- ReleaseProduct
- Zero-F (Portuguese Cut)
- Label
- Underground Canopy
- Catalogue Number
- UC002-C
- Release Date
- April 26, 2024
- Download
-
- Artist
- Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling, Andreas Werliin
- ReleaseProduct
- Ghosted II
- Label
- Drag City
- Catalogue Number
- DC917
- Release Date
- April 26, 2024
- LP
- Download
-
- Artist
- Telemakus, Chino Corvalán & Ted Taforo feat. Raghav Mehrotra
- ReleaseProduct
- Future Overture
- Label
- Fresh Selects
- Catalogue Number
- FSX068DIG2
- Release Date
- April 25, 2024
- Download
-
- Artist
- David Versace
- ReleaseProduct
- Okra
- Label
- La Sape
- Catalogue Number
- 5050580783768
- Release Date
- September 9, 2022
- Download
Beats
-
- Artist
- Little Simz
- ReleaseProduct
- Drop 7 (Instrumentals & Acapellas)
- Label
- Forever Living Originals
- Catalogue Number
- FLO00019IA
- Release Date
- April 22, 2024
- Download
-
- Artist
- ELWD
- ReleaseProduct
- INTO THE LIGHT
- Label
- ELWD
- Catalogue Number
- ELWD10
- Release Date
- April 3, 2024
- Download
-
- Artist
- Prefuse 73
- ReleaseProduct
- New Strategies For Modern Crime Volume 1
- Label
- Lex Records
- Catalogue Number
- LEX180D1
- Release Date
- March 22, 2024
- Download
-
- Artist
- Pugilist
- ReleaseProduct
- Banoffee Pies Beats 04
- Label
- Banoffee Pies Records
- Catalogue Number
- BPBEATS04D
- Release Date
- March 15, 2024
- Download
-
- Artist
- Dabrye
- ReleaseProduct
- Super-Cassette
- Label
- Ghostly International
- Catalogue Number
- GI431DIGITAL
- Release Date
- March 8, 2024
- Download
-
- Artist
- Thundercat
- ReleaseProduct
- Apocalypse (10th Anniversary Edition)
- Label
- Brainfeeder
- Catalogue Number
- BF040X
- Release Date
- February 24, 2014
- LP (special)
- Download
-
- Artist
- dreamcastmoe
- ReleaseProduct
- MOLLY'S SON
- Label
- Spectral Sound
- Catalogue Number
- SPC155DIGITAL
- Release Date
- February 16, 2024
- Download
-
- Artist
- Prefuse 73
- ReleaseProduct
- A Lord Without Jewels
- Label
- Lex Records
- Catalogue Number
- LEX180S2
- Release Date
- January 24, 2024
- Download
New Age
-
- Artist
- Gaussian Curve
- ReleaseProduct
- Winter Sun / Fever Dream
- Label
- Music From Memory
- Catalogue Number
- MFM067
- Release Date
- August 2, 2024
- 12”
-
- Artist
- Carlos Niño & Friends
- ReleaseProduct
- Love to all Doulas!
- Label
- International Anthem
- Catalogue Number
- IARCS180
- Release Date
- April 11, 2024
- Download
-
- Artist
- Speakers Corner Quartet
- ReleaseProduct
- Take Your Dreams Off Of The Shelf
- Label
- OTIH Records
- Catalogue Number
- OTIH001XDB
- Release Date
- November 1, 2023
- Download
-
- Artist
- Beverly Glenn-Copeland
- ReleaseProduct
- Africa Calling
- Label
- Transgressive
- Catalogue Number
- TRANS719
- Release Date
- May 15, 2023
- Download
-
- Artist
- Laraaji
- ReleaseProduct
- Segue To Infinity
- Label
- Numero Group
- Catalogue Number
- NUM179DIGITAL
- Release Date
- February 10, 2023
- Vinyl Boxset
- Download
-
- Artist
- Ernest Hood
- ReleaseProduct
- Back to the Woodlands
- Label
- Freedom To Spend
- Catalogue Number
- FTS022DIGITAL
- Release Date
- November 11, 2022
- Download
-
- Artist
- Laraaji
- ReleaseProduct
- Bethlehem
- Label
- Numero Group
- Catalogue Number
- NUM17914DIGITAL
- Release Date
- September 14, 2022
- Download
-
- Artist
- Jonny Nash
- ReleaseProduct
- Exit Strategies
- Label
- Melody As Truth
- Catalogue Number
- MAT002
- Release Date
- August 19, 2022
- Vinyl
Electronic and Electronica
-
- Artist
- Nuron
- ReleaseProduct
- Blanchimont
- Label
- De:tuned
- Catalogue Number
- ASGDE046
- Release Date
- May 3, 2024
- LP (special)
- Download
-
Pre-order
- Artist
- Various Artists
- ReleaseProduct
- WeMe20ans
- Label
- WeMe
- Catalogue Number
- WeMe20ans
- Release Date
- May 10, 2024
- LP
-
- Artist
- Aïsha Devi
- ReleaseProduct
- Aethernal Score (Live with the BBC Concert Orchestra)
- Label
- Houndstooth
- Catalogue Number
- HTH163D
- Release Date
- May 2, 2024
- LP (special)
- Download
-
- Artist
- John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter & Daniel Davies
- ReleaseProduct
- Lost Themes IV: Noir
- Label
- Sacred Bones Records
- Catalogue Number
- SBR336DIGITAL
- Release Date
- May 3, 2024
- LP (special)
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Two Lone Swordsmen
- ReleaseProduct
- Still My World
- Label
- Rotters Golf Club
- Catalogue Number
- RGCDL024
- Release Date
- May 3, 2024
- Download
-
- Artist
- Various Artists
- ReleaseProduct
- John Tejada Presents Future Stars 5
- Label
- Touched Music
- Catalogue Number
- 5050580825000
- Release Date
- May 2, 2024
- Download
-
- Artist
- Jon Hopkins
- ReleaseProduct
- RITUAL (evocation)
- Label
- Domino Recording Co
- Catalogue Number
- RUG1433D
- Release Date
- April 30, 2024
- Download
-
- Artist
- Soo Joo & Hudson Mohawke
- ReleaseProduct
- Running Water
- Label
- LUCKYME®
- Catalogue Number
- LM106S1D
- Release Date
- May 1, 2024
- Download