Preview:

Dan Bergsagel previews Slowly Rolling Camera. At Rich Mix Bethnal Green 30th April. He writes: 

On Wednesday evening Welsh downtempo slinks into Shoreditch’s prime multimedia cultural venue and social enterprise, Rich Mix. Flying high after their debut album launched in February this year, the Cardiff based ensemble return to London to deliver their ambient grooves with their 7-piece live outfit.

It’s deceptively tempting to describe Slowly Rolling Camera’s style through shorthand reference to others: the celebrated 1990s trip-hop bands from the other side of the Severn – Portishead and Massive Attack – whose producer they share, or the Ninja Tunes 2000s output of Bonobo and The Cinematic Orchestra. However this alone can sell them short. They are a group who, although comfortable with the sweeping wash of strings and introspective melancholia of the imagined soundtrack, bring energy with strong beats and soulful vocals. Their place at Edition Records brings them into a diverse community with some jazz pedigree, taking in artists from Troyka and Phronesis to Norma Winstone and Kenny Wheeler. The inevitable collaborations this creates, and the appreciation for different genres which they demonstrate, occasionally break through on the album and bring reverberating saxophones and extended piano improvisation charging through the mix.

On stage they bring a collection of musicians who have played in each other’s company for more than a decade. Turn up on Wednesday for ambient beats, and to try and catch whatever is in the water over in South Wales and North Somerset.

Brian Blain reviewed the CD for us.

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