The Cinematic Orchestra

This one is for the lovers of dark heavy somber tunes. If Antony and the Johnsons or Smog are your thing, then you'll be loving The Cinematic Orchestra. The band started as the brainchild of Jason Swinscoe while he was at Cardif College in the late 90's. However, since college, the band has been largely hailing from London and has grown in numbers.

Here's the odd thing about The Cinematic Orchestra, they are often lumped into downtempo electronica and jazz categories. However, I heard their music before reading anything about them and got a dark orchestral folk sound from them; certainly not jazz or electronica. I didn't even realize there was a turntablist in the band until I read a bit about them. I guess that's a sign of some smooth production when you don't even realize that 16.67% of the band is spinning wax.

This year, they released fifth album but first one since 2003. Ma Fleur is one of those albums that you have to spend a bit of time with before it clicks with you. The songs are often six to eight minutes long and take their time to build to subtle yet powerful hooks. Plus, the wide range of guest singers gives the album a different sound from track to track. However, spending time with the disc is paid off in a beautiful and emotional album.

The Cinematic Orchestra | To Build a Home (feat. Patrick Watson) | Buy

The Cinematic Orchestra | Breathe (feat. Fontella Bass) | Buy