The Cinematic Orchestra
It’s been nearly five years since we’ve heard from Jason Swinscoe’s electro-jazz infused group of misfits the Cinematic Orchestra . This from Wikipedia:
Swinscoe first formed a group called Crabladder in 1990, whilst studying Fine Art at Cardiff College, releasing one official single on his own Power Tools label. In 1994, Swinscoe was given a DJ spot on Heart FM, a pirate radio station in south London.
The band’s sound, in both live and studio contexts, employs a live band which improvises along with a turntabilist and electronic elements such as samples provided by Swinscoe. In their studio releases Swinscoe will often remix the live source material to produce a finished product that is seamless combination of live jazz improvisation with electronica, such that it is difficult to tell where the improvisation ends and the production begins.
The Cinematic Orchestra’s debut album, Motion, was released in 1999. The critical success of that album led to them being asked to perform at the Director’s Guild Awards ceremony for the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to film director Stanley Kubrick.
Additionally, the band was asked by the organisers of the Porto European City of Culture 2000 festival to write a new score to the classic 1929 Dziga Vertov Russian silent film Man with a Movie Camera, to be performed live in accompanyment with a showing of the film. The work differed from the band’s usual compositions due to its live performance, ruling out the post production work that was present on Motion. The Cinematic Orchestra toured with the work and later released it on an album of the same name. Many of the compositions originally created for Man with a Movie Camera were later adapted into from live form (adding in vocal tracks and electronic elements, among other changes) for their next album, Every Day.
Swinscoe and PC have also recorded together under the band name Neptune.
Currently, The Cinematic Orchestra is at work on their next album, Ma Fleur, to be released May 7, 2007. [1].
The public radio show This American Life often uses their song “Drunken Tune”.
The band’s sound, in both live and studio contexts, employs a live band which improvises along with a turntabilist and electronic elements such as samples provided by Swinscoe. In their studio releases Swinscoe will often remix the live source material to produce a finished product that is seamless combination of live jazz improvisation with electronica, such that it is difficult to tell where the improvisation ends and the production begins.
The Cinematic Orchestra’s debut album, Motion, was released in 1999. The critical success of that album led to them being asked to perform at the Director’s Guild Awards ceremony for the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to film director Stanley Kubrick.
Additionally, the band was asked by the organisers of the Porto European City of Culture 2000 festival to write a new score to the classic 1929 Dziga Vertov Russian silent film Man with a Movie Camera, to be performed live in accompanyment with a showing of the film. The work differed from the band’s usual compositions due to its live performance, ruling out the post production work that was present on Motion. The Cinematic Orchestra toured with the work and later released it on an album of the same name. Many of the compositions originally created for Man with a Movie Camera were later adapted into from live form (adding in vocal tracks and electronic elements, among other changes) for their next album, Every Day.
Swinscoe and PC have also recorded together under the band name Neptune.
Currently, The Cinematic Orchestra is at work on their next album, Ma Fleur, to be released May 7, 2007. [1].
The public radio show This American Life often uses their song “Drunken Tune”.
Phewww……I love me some Stanley Kubrick…..but back to the album which is being released May 7th, titled Ma Fleur, and can be purchased here, but it’s AMAZING! The arrangements are CHILL…. I am very pleased with the newest offering because the guys seem to be right on their toes with the improv and you can tell that they were able to blend everything just RIGHT. Did I mention that this album is supposed to be a Soundtrack….