Snazzback + Support
Bristol's new wave dance floor instrumentalists announce their new album 'Ruins Everything' releasing on Worm Discs. Snazzback’s electrifying chemistry has wowed audiences at Ronnie Scott’s, festivals such as Glastonbury, Boomtown & Shambala and gained support from BBC Radio heavyweights including Gilles Peterson, Jamz Supernova and Jamie Cullum. Snazzback's music is a collage, collectively constructed, torn up and glued back together in unexpected ways, bringing a renewed, daring energy to UK dance music. The 7-piece embrace their experimental beginnings to create a sound fusing abstract beats with spiralling improvisation. Their music is soaked in influences including interlocking West African rhythms, rootsy Brazilian flavours, sprawling soundscapes, deep dubstep basslines and flickering arpeggiators. A collaborative instinct runs through the group, and an eclectic choice of vocalists keeps their compositions shimmering with new possibilities.
Following their 2021 long-player ‘In The Place’, ‘Ruins Everything’ sees the seven piece outfit take time to reflect on the strange times we have come to inhabit, but also look ahead to a brighter future. The record shines a light on the group’s love of surrealism, not only with the dali-esque nod to the strange and absurd on the album’s artwork, but on a deeper level, the importance of finding a humorous and morale boosting lens through which to view the world, using joy as a form of defiance against dark times. Snazzback explains: ‘The title itself is a nod to seismic shifts that are a recent memory for everyone. But in a much broader sense the album is a reflection on new beginnings, of rising from the ashes of what was and to have the courage to create what is. It is a step into the unknown and a revelling in the joy of what is still to come.”
First single ‘In Tides’ features the lyrical stylings of hotly tipped artist Grove. Gentle keys and synth waves pave the way for shuffling drums, invigorating horn motifs and as Grove delivers a galvanising performance. Second single ‘Stokes Croft Sleep Clinic’ soundtracks the strange experience of walking around one of Bristol’s most well known nocturnal haunts in the early hours of the morning - observing humanity in its various emotional states. An undercurrent of tension rises throughout the twisting horn sections and shifting drum patterns, before t l k ‘s gentle tones bring a calming energy to the proceedings.
From the opening fanfares of ‘Laoshu’ through to the album’s final moments, as Adam Kammerling’s poignant lyrics reverberate the soothing ambience of LP closer ‘Birds And Trains III’ gives way to silence, Snazzback’s latest offering treads a line between dark introspection and joyful moments. They perfectly utilise the excitement and energy that has helped them gain a steadfast grass roots fanbase, allowing them to hold composure, and weather the storm that independent musicians face in the world of today. An incredible album by one of the truly exciting talents the UK has to offer.
The Domino Club is a hidden underground cocktail bar in the heart of Leeds, with live Jazz, Funk and Soul music.
Dave Sanders saxophone / Eli Jitsuto guitar / Chris Langton drum kit / Myke Vince percussion / Will Scott-Hartley bass / Hal Sutherland keys / Alfie Grieve trumpet