Ishmael Ensemble - Visions of Light

The Guardian 0

(Severn Songs)
There are shades of Jon Hopkins, Bon Iver, Soulwax and more, but the Bristol collective’s second album has a scope and grace all its own

It’s not easy to pull off an evocative, densely layered epic of sax, strings, synths and singing while maintaining a soft-as-silk touch, but Bristol’s Ishmael Ensemble have achieved that gorgeous balance on their second album. Loosely associated with the UK jazz scene, ringleader Pete Cunningham and co’s sound has more in common with Atoms for Peace, Jon Hopkins or Bon Iver. Here, they weave harp glissando, rippling keys and propulsive beats with a lambent flair that grows richer with every listen.

Wax Werk, with its pitched-up vocal and deep womp, feels like a Four Tet-style sliver of stammering electronica until the sax rises into a skronky noise freakout. Soma Centre turns into a sultry electro stomper that wouldn’t be out of place on a Soulwax record.