Hot on the heels of a breakthrough year, Bristol based electronic jazz outfit Ishmael Ensemble hit the road for their first official U.K. tour.

2017 saw Ishmael Ensemble’s debut EP, Songs for Knotty, followed by a remix for Detroit techno demigod Carl Craig. These formative steps became a sprint in 2018, as a string of 7”s entitled Severn Songs began flowing out across the year. The Bristol-inspired records variously bridged fleet-footed jazz, lush downtempo, modulated electronica, Fourth World tones, and all manner of stirring sonic swells.

It’s no surprise the records caught the attention of tastemakers & DJs across the board, receiving regular radio play on BBC6Music, Jazz FM & Worldwide FM plus a performance on Gilles Peterson’s U.K. Jazz Special live from the legendary Maida Vale Studios. Tiptoeing between the current British jazz boom and Bristol's rich musical ancestry, the group have found a truly unique and refreshing voice.