Orchestral maneuvers on the dancefloor…
Winter 2011 marks the release of ‘Always’, the second single taken from Leeds-based seven piece Submotion Orchestra’s acclaimed debut ‘Finest Hour’. The release, plus a full UK headline tour marks the end of a year that has seen the band go from strength to strength. With ‘Bug In A Bassbin’- meets-broken beat-meets-high tech soul, and a late summer sunshine feel, ‘Always’ has been a highlight of the band’s frenetic club-style gigs and rapturously received festival appearances. Dan Prince heads oop north…
Welcome to the DMC world. Seven wonderful musicians bringing us beautiful music. So how did the band get together in the first place?
“The band was started by myself Tommy Evans and producer/DJ Dom Ruckspin. We had been commissioned to do a live dubstep performance at the Yorkminster Cathedral in York – which turned out to be pretty shambolic, but it got us thinking about the possibilities that live dubstep had. We recruited some musicians and just started jamming!”
The Times describe you as “Massive Attack at their most seductive”, Steve Lamacq thought “you the best band at The Big Chill” and Mixmag reckon you are simply “awe inspiring.” To people who haven’t seen or heard you yet, how would you describe your sound?
“The idea behind Submotion was to take dubstep as a starting point and then get as far away from it as possible! Submotion falls somewhere between dubstep and jazz. Gilles Peterson said ‘somewhere between dubstep and Cinematic Orchestra’. Which seems about right!”
“Where did the idea come from to take the dubstep/bass sound in this direction?
“I had been playing loads of jazz in various ensembles, but then also doing loads of dub, reggae and D’n’B and I wanted to find something in the middle. Dubstep was just beginning to surface and I thought it would be an interesting genre to try out in a love setting. It turns out that’s it’s incredibly easy to do live – I really have no idea why there aren’t more bands doing it.”
How on earth do you decide on anything with so many opinions flying about?
“Good question! We have plenty of run-ins and clashes of opinion, but this is only because people care so much about the project. I write the bulk of the material but I would say that maybe 80% of the stuff I bring to the band gets ditched! They are a hard bunch to please – anything that makes it into the live set has been through a tough filtering process!”
Who are all of your musical influences…
“We have all come from completely different musical backgrounds but people who have probably influenced us all would include Marvin Gaye, Keith Jarrett, Stevie Wonder, Chopin, Mala, Gill Scott, Gil Scott Heron, The Beach Boys, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, Freddie Hubbard, Miles Davis, Avishai Cohen, Horace Andy, Johnny Clarke, Dr Alimantado, The Scientist, John Coltrane etc etc etc!!!!!”
Which band member has the strangest musical tastes, who does someone like that you just wouldn’t have thought it?
“Taz loves silly music. For example one of the most played artists in the bus is Shooby Taylor – if you don’t know him, get to know!”
New single swinging our way, ‘Always’, talk us through the track…
“After putting out ‘All Yours’ as the lead single off the album, we wanted to follow it up with something a little more uptempo. ‘Always’ is a skittering, 2-step number with has gone out alongside two wicked remix’s from Laxx and Synkro.”
As mentioned above, you are already big festival favourites with slots also at Glastonbury, Lattitude and Secret Gadren Pary – which has been your best set?
“The whole festival season has been amazing I would say highlights have been Soundwave, Big Chill, Womad and Secret Garden.”
What is the worst and best thing about living in Leeds?
“Well the band is split between three cities. Fatty and I live in London, Ruby lives in Huddersfield and Bobby, Danny, Dom and Taz live in Leeds. We all used to live in Leeds though and that is where the band started. Leeds is an amazing city with a brilliant music scene, although the weather is shite!”
Leeds is a city with a big club history – where would we find you lot on a night off letting your hair down?
“Subdub or Exodus which are now held at Vox are two of the best club nights I have ever been to anywhere in the world.”
What artists are you listening to on the tour bus?
“As I mentioned, Shooby Taylor gets a lot of play, as do The Beach Boys, Donny Hathaway, Joni Mitchell, J Dilla and loads of old soul, funk and r’n’b.”
Ruby, a voice to melt anyone’s heart, just beautiful. Who is the finest vocalist there has ever been?
“I just called Ruby so she could answer this and straight off she said Sarah Vaughn. There it is!”
Who is always first to bed after a gig?
“Taz. Unless he is ordering a curry.”
If you could pick one band to support on tour, who would it be?
“Burial playing live. Which doesn’t happen!”
What is the best compliment you have ever been given?
“We get the most amazing emails from people all around the world who say that our music has meant a lot to them or has reflected a period of their life. Stuff like this makes it all worth while. It doesn’t matter if its compliment from Gilles Peterson or someone after a gig, they all mean the same and are all lovely to have!
What song are you collectively most proud of to date?
“We all think ‘All Yours’ is a pretty good tune I think. What’s weird about that tune though is that none of us were really into it until we recorded it. Before the album was being recorded we didn’t really think ‘All Yours’ would make it on the album but once we had put it down on record we all decided we loved it! We all still dig some of the stuff that was on the first EP too – ‘All Night’, ‘Sunshine’ and ‘Finest Hour’.”
What have you got planned for us all in 2012?
“Big things! We are currently out on tour promoting the ‘Finest Hour’ LP. Next year we will be out a lot in Europe during January and February, we will then be touring the UK in March, the second album will be out around May and then it’s festivals again”
