bamboo by Ebi Soda

“808s meet hazy synth layers through frosty ambiences, but in a UK Jazz band”

Picture drums, microphones, tangles of wires, and horn players filling a homestead kitchen. Born in the buzz of it all, 'bamboo' launches Ebi Soda’s next chapter.

Moving on from the peeling bedsits of their early years, their musically lawless jams took up temporary residence in a rented nine-bed farmhouse, allowing for unimpeded sessions driven by the full force of their now six-strong outfit, including new permanent member Dan Gray. Having carved out their name as jazz subversives amongst the exploding UK scene, Ebi Soda are returning to their “more DIY approach - but pushing everything further.”

With their acclaimed sound – an abstraction of jazz, hip-hop, and electronic textures, amongst many – the band re-emerges with the quintessentially “Ebi” 'bamboo', gliding into the mellow end of their usual delightful gamut. This time, they channel fresh modern jazz with a distinct gravitational pull toward electronic tinkering.

The shapeshifting body of sounds is made up of ever-delicate, hazy melodies from Louis Jenkins (keys, synth), grounded by a laid-back, trap-infused 808 that trip-sits the finely tuned electronic peculiarities. Cutting through frosty ambiences, Jonny Poole and Dan Gray jump in for a horn-fueled back-and-forth before the track gives way to a resonant four-piece section.

“This was the first tune that really clicked on day 1 of 4 recording jams at the farmhouse… We’ve been making jazz with 808s as the bass since 'Keisha Billip' on Ugh, but this was the first time we felt success in making a more psychedelic American “trap” sound (a la Pi'erre Bourne) when we’ve normally made nods to grime/drill in the past.” - Ebi Soda

The release follows their sophomore album Honk If You’re Sad and the subsequent Collaborations and Remixes Vol.1 EP, boasting works with inter-genre talents Ash Walker, BODUR, JD. Reid and Yazz Ahmed, amongst many. This fearless exploration of sound mirrors Ebi Soda’s eclectic influences, drawing from the likes of Can, Lounge Lizards, BadBadNotGood, Ronin Arkestra, and The Fall.

On the outskirts of the contemporary jazz scene emerging from London, Ebi Soda are swiftly gaining a reputation as exciting newcomers to the genre.