Submotion Orchestra - Finest Hour

Submotion Orchestra are a seven piece band from Leeds. They make chillout, down-tempo dubstep and do it rather well. What started in 2009 as a live experiment has evolved in to an intriguing English band that are receiving burgeoning recognition. Their first full length record Finest Hour is released today in the UK on Exceptional and as it straddles both June and July, I'm naming it my favourite release for both months.

Regular followers of this blog will know that dubstep features plumb last on my list of recommended genres, yet I seem to find myself writing frequently about little nuggets of joy within the quagmire of grime. Perhaps the idea of a dubstep 'orchestra' may seem at first sound like an oxymoron, but I can testify that the use of the word is fully justified. The production itself on Finest Hour is enough to make any audiophile, producer or sound technician spill their cornflakes. Lest we forget the six other members of the band, the vocal tones of Ruby Wood dominate the captivation of the record. Having said that, the albeit heavily processed instrumentation behind the voice is an eclectic mix of chillout, synths and contemporary jazz.

If anything, the level of production on Finest Hour makes me (entirely unjustifiably) sceptical about the ability to pull off this sound live in a venue. For one the nuances of the dynamics are delicate enough to be easily shattered by the most respectful of audiences. However - as mentioned at the top of this post - Submotion Orchestra cut their teeth as a live band so I will instead eagerly await their next London date. If you're at either WOMAD festival in a month's time or The Big Chill in August then you should most definitely check them out. Aside from these two fixtures, there doesn't immediately appear to be many dates in the diary for Submotion Orchestra. I'll keep my ears peeled on your behalf.

Finest Hour Album Preview by Submotion Orchestra