Ishmael Ensemble
Pete Cunningham of Ishmael Ensemble invites guests from the world of Jazz & alternative electronic music to discuss their process & share their influences.
About
Helmed by producer and saxophonist Pete Cunningham, Ishmael Ensemble’s music straddles the worlds of electronica and jazz. Comprising a shifting cast of collaborators, steered by Cunningham’s cross-genre approach as a producer, the Bristol collective explore vast sonic terrain with an honesty, intimacy and emotional heft that is uniquely their own
Ishmael Ensemble rose to acclaim with debut album A State Of Flow (2019) – imbuing lush, cinematic compositions with left-field dub and electronic sensibilities. Named The Guardian’s ‘Contemporary Album Of The Month’ and MOJO’s ‘Jazz Album Of The Month’, it led to Maida Vale sessions for BBC 6Music’s Gilles Peterson and Tom Ravenscroft. Sophomore album Visions Of Light (2021) saw Cunningham reimagine what the ensemble could do, working with various collaborators to explore soaring strings, writhing electronics and jagged guitars. Praised by The Observer, UNCUT, Dummy etc. and playlisted by BBC 6Music (chosen as Huey Morgan’s ‘Album Of The Year’), it led to festival slots including Glastonbury (West Holts Stage) and New York’s Winter Jazz Festival. Following a 17-date UK & EU Tour, including sell-out shows at London’s Jazz Café and Bristol’s Trinity Centre, they were also the subject of a lengthy feature on the BBC documentary Jazz UK: Spitting Fire.
