Review:
Ishmael - 'Sometime In Space'
Live Album Launch Show @ Rye Wax- 2/03/16
Down in the basement of the Bussey Building, the atmosphere in Rye Wax is relaxed and low-key. The small pockets of people are spread around the record shop-cum-bar. The frontman of Church, Seb Wildblood, and surprise guest Project Pablo (1080p), are going back to back, keeping an easy early evening vibe going.
The place steadily fills up with newcomers and the volume slowly increases in parallel with the anticipation of the crowd.
Ishmael takes up his position and gives his saxophone one last reassuring flutter. The evening embarks on its journey with the ambient sounds of ‘Intro (to the stars)’, the first track on his debut album Sometime In Space.
‘Leviathan’ begins with some distant vocals, before building into a kick-heavy, acidic dancefloor banger. Following this, ‘Careful Now (Your On Your Own)’ brings a somewhat contemplative emotion to the surface with its haunting organ, pulsating around.
‘That Piano Track’ begins, we really get to see Ishmael give us a taste of where his musical heart is. The jazz-infused number with loose percussion, vocal samples, and an extended saxophone solo that brings the whole piece together. It’s a stunning tune.
Track seven, ‘In Sun (At One)’, needs no write up as you will be hearing it everywhere this summer. It has bouncy vibes with a double kick and twinkles with warmth and good vibes.
The last track, ‘Tribunal, 3am’, is a delightful, dark and distant instrumental that is almost lost in space. Ishmael keeps it pure and raw, stripping it back with few keys, minimal drums and mellow, moody sax notes.
"The album was first conceived around the time I made Salt Spring Falls & That Piano Track, probably springtime last year. I felt they deserved to be on something more than just a dance EP, neither were particularly made for a club setting and I'd been writing some more ambient stuff like ‘Careful, Now’ and what became ‘Intro (To The Stars)’ around the same time. It all came together quite naturally over the course of a couple of weeks and before I knew it I had about fifteen tracks I was happy with. I almost immediately enlisted my good friend Amie Nowlan to start working on some visual ideas that could potentially work as part of a live show. There hasn't really been a lull in waiting for the release as we've both been working pretty solidly on this project for the last year. We're also working on having the AV show as a gallery installation for later in the year" - Ishmael speaking to us after the show.
Ishmael has written this album with his heart on his sleeve, his DIY approach to his music pushes boundaries and uses experimental techniques. It has the essence and passion of what I imagine the jazz scene must have been like, but it’s been refreshed with a cutting edge, unique, and underground sound. The finished product is a brilliantly crafted journey from the inquisitive to the euphoric, an LP containing stunning musicianship.
Album: 4.8/5
Live show: 4.5/5
Words by Ed