Submotion Orchestra - The Wardrobe, Leeds - 14th March 2012 (Live Review)
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Written by Ben Bland
Don’t shout about it but Submotion Orchestra could be on their way to the big time. Their take on ‘live dubstep’ has been winning them plaudits since the release of their first EP and with shows like this it is easy to see why they are getting plenty of praise.
Applying the term ‘dubstep’ to Submotion is, of course, something of a misnomer in lots of ways. The band are more than that. Their cocktail of smoky jazz noir and downtempo beats creates a sound that is, if not as devastatingly original as some would suggest, extremely beguiling. It may be at least a full five minutes before dreamily voiced singer Ruby Wood actually arrives on stage but the opening to this set is arguably its finest point. The bass is comforting and yet earth shatteringly focused; there is no doubting that this band means business right from the off.
Where Submotion Orchestra really shine are the moments when the soulful elements that they borrow from experimental jazz music collide with the rigid electronic elements that act as the core of their sound. Perhaps to say they collide is incorrect - they carefully glide towards one another, and then meet in a fantastically soothing yet eminently danceable fashion. New single 'It’s Not Me It’s You' goes down like a storm with the packed Leeds crowd whilst long-term favourites such as 'Always' are received with a mix of rabid cheers and wide smiles.
The only thing likely to hold Submotion up on the evidence of tonight is the fact that, at times, their urges to be more ‘experimental’ rather than strictly ‘danceable’ appears to prompt some punters to speedily head to the bar for another round. Occasionally it feels a bit like if Portishead were playing 'Dummy' in full, but occasionally dropped in a track from the self-titled album. The attention level just dips that little bit, which is a shame as it spoils some of the most enjoyable moments of a fantastic sounding show from a band whose unique approach to the genre of the moment could pay dividends.
'Finest Hour', the album, is out now.
Submotion Orchestra’s new single, 'It’s Not Me It’s You', is out on Monday.
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Applying the term ‘dubstep’ to Submotion is, of course, something of a misnomer in lots of ways. The band are more than that. Their cocktail of smoky jazz noir and downtempo beats creates a sound that is, if not as devastatingly original as some would suggest, extremely beguiling. It may be at least a full five minutes before dreamily voiced singer Ruby Wood actually arrives on stage but the opening to this set is arguably its finest point. The bass is comforting and yet earth shatteringly focused; there is no doubting that this band means business right from the off.
