Canal Mills isn’t a frequented venue of mine. There’s absolutely nothing objectively or holistically wrong with it; despite its exposed brickwork and nautically industrial vibes, which are aesthetics I adore, it just hasn’t been much of a subject of my habituation. That being said, it’s a versatile venue and many would unwaveringly, without hesitation consider it ideal for Submotion Orchestra’s return to their point of musical origin.

 

I arrive at the venue fairly early with two friends. The crowd is widely-dispersed but plentiful. Three cans of Five Points Pale are first priority. We acquire these without hitch and, in perfect time, the second support act beings to play. I am enthralled.

 

The most honourable of mentions for three-piece jazz outfit, Vel’s Trio. The vibe, I can only describe as a marriage of Yussef Kamaal’s expressively-swung snares and jittery, jungle-esque hi-hat action with Snarky Puppy’s huge Rhodes/Hammond organ chord extensions. Perhaps not a marriage; more of a lovechild, as this particular fusion has evolved of its own volition, grown up, moved out, and gone on to make its parents proud. Check out the silky bass ostinato and singingly triangular synth on ‘Yellow Ochre Pt. II’. It’s fucking gold.

 

Cue the night’s nucleus, Submotion Orchestra. An incomplete SubMo embark upon an understated stage-set replete with smoke and radiant with purple and green hues. Minus 1x vocalist, the band launch into new, almost entirely instrumental track, ‘Tunnel’. I’ve been waiting to see this band since they first began influencing my musical taste and am almost anxious with excitement.

 

The usually delicate horns are bright and dynamic and the drums are characterised by erratic drive rather than jazzy groove. The mood one of turmoil, urgency and aggression and further depth is derived from Arabian-redolent Phrygian scales and teasingly ominous bass-swells. This rawness is espoused with new synth sounds featuring percussive attacks, more rounded sustains and opening releases washed with resonance. My focus was drawn to bit-crushed-sounding cowbells and the clever layering of minimally smooth bass LFOs and vocals spinning a thickening web of Phrygian accompaniment. SubMo’s sound has been a subtly evolving one over time, demonstrating what seems to be an organic trajectory. Instrumentation and arrangement has always been homegrown, unique and synonymous with only SubMo as a band. The tweaked new sound for ‘Kites’ is no exception and feels like a natural next step in SubMo’s musical evolution.

 

Enter Ruby wood, dressed in a bright yet warm yellow; one strangely representative of her ethereal and intimate vocals. ‘Tunnel’ is followed by the latest release’s second tune. A single bar of a minimal piano riff was enough to incite an internal declaration that this track would be my favourite of the new offering. My declaration was well-founded, as ‘Variations’ remains my favourite tune from a very solid album. The rendition returns to familiar masterfully muted horn sections and something of a neo-noir ambience. Edging bass-lines appear to peek out from the mix. Every single note is considerately placed to create encompassing and immersive movements of music.

 

This small cross section I’ve provided of a wonderfully affecting instance of live music is representative of the rest of the set, which is largely new material, sparsely punctuated by older seminal tunes such as ‘Finest Hour’. I contemplate what I’ve just experienced; it feels like watching myself in third-person. I’m reeling from musical stimulation, though despite preoccupation, I can easily quantify my thoughts on the evening. Both ‘Kites’ and SubMo’s live set have reawakened, rekindled and reinvigorated in me an intense love for the sound of Submotion Orchestra.