Cinematic Orchestra

Shepherd's Bush Empire, London - 11 October, 2002

"Enjoy the ride into the future - with 70's glasses"

Live, Cinematic Orchestra are a six-piece outfit including DJ, drums, bass, two keyboards, clarinet and singer. Brilliant. I closed my eyes to hear the crystal clear mix of what could have been a jazzy 70's soundtrack vinyl recording, and opened them to see incredible facial expressions of Tom Chant, with black and white video images of Japanese metros and exotic wildlife.

[Cinematic Orchestra] Giles Peterson describes them as 'Chill-out' and 'Hardcore' with soul and melody in equal measures. Live, they have the added dimension of excellent band interaction (both visually and musically). All elements combine to create a really cool, creative vibe. There's also some of the best live drum and DJ breaks use I've ever seen and heard. This jazz solo and combo approach adds to the organic 70's feel.

Don't be fooled though, there's definitely a futuristic sound here. The drum 'n' bass rhythms and world grooves pay heavy homage to modern dance. So too do the facial expressions of centre man Tom Chant. He seems to semi conduct the music with swathes of soulful clarinet and LSD/mushroom giddy faces. Make sure you get down to the front to see the faces and enjoy the ride into the future with 70's glasses. Live rating: 10 out of 10.