Recommended New Release,
Early works from The Comet Is Coming repressed on vinyl
A treat for fans of modern London jazz came last Friday in the form of three vinyl reissues from The Comet Is Coming - going right back to their debut EP, 2015’s Prophecy. Incorporating influences from modern jazz, psychedelic rock and electronica, the trio’s unique style has landed them plenty of well-deserved accolades since their inception in 2013. Originally beginning as a synth and drums duo called Soccer96 with members ‘Danalogue’ and ‘Betamax’ (Dan Leavers and Max Hallett respectively), they became a trio when ‘King Shabaka’ (Shabaka Hutchings) began joining them during their live shows, entering the recording studio soon after. Betamax recounts seeing a “shadowy figure” at Soccer96 live concerts, who one day joined them on stage, sax in hand - a fittingly cryptic backstory for a band whose own cosmic lore is built around science fiction and B-movies, creating their own Sun Ra-esque mythos in their music. After receiving the Mercury Prize for their debut full-length Channel the Spirits in 2016, the trio were one of the recipients of the Momentum Music Fund, which they put towards their next EP, 2017’s Death to the Planet. Following this would of course be the hugely successful second album, Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery, after their signing with Impulse! Records.
The group's debut EP was supposedly written over the course of a few days, along with hours of other material, following the first few concerts the trio played together. This first recording feels a little more raw and improvisatory than their later work, but that’s not to say it’s a bad thing - Prophecy still carries a lot of that same punchy immediacy of the rest of their catalogue.
Available Format: Vinyl Record
Channel the Spirits was the release that won the trio the Mercury Prize, and feels like the band beginning their cosmic odyssey proper with the more ominous and prophetic song titles, as well as tracks like ‘Space Carnival’ that see the band further refining their sound with more danceable tracks similar to what we see on later releases.
Available Format: Vinyl Record
Originally released on Record Store Day 2017 on limited orange vinyl, Death to the Planet is just as fiery and varied as any other ‘Comet release; ‘Start Running’ opens the record on a more psychedelic note, King Shabaka’s sax soaring over the bed of synths and drums, before the band kicks into a techno beat for the dancefloor-ready ‘Final Eclipse’, while ‘Ascension’ closes out the record with a track that’s both wonky electronica and spiritual jazz.
Available Format: Vinyl Record
While you're here, be sure to check out The Comet Is Coming's excellent sophomore full-length, Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Available Format: Vinyl Record
Joshua Lee - Jazz Content
