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Description
Ishmael Ensemble - A State of FlowThis new longplayer builds on Cunninghams work as proud protector of Bristolian heritage, sketching loving sonic pictures of the South West in his Bristol inspired Severn Songs series, whilst also incubating local visual and musical talent, within the Ensemble. These endeavours have won him acclaim and support, not only from venerated musicians and broadcasters including Caribou, Carl Craig, Gilles Peterson and Tom Ravenscroft, but also UK tastemaker
This new longplayer builds on Cunningham’s work as proud protector of Bristolian heritage, sketching loving sonic pictures of the South West in his Bristol-inspired ‘Severn Songs’ series, whilst also incubating local visual and musical talent, within the Ensemble.These endeavours have won him acclaim and support, not only from venerated musicians and broadcasters including Caribou, Carl Craig, Gilles Peterson and Tom Ravenscroft, but also UK tastemaker press, and attuned jazz fans – who voted a UK Jazz Special at the BBC’s Maida Vale featuring the Ensemble ‘Session of the Year’, at the Worldwide Awards.
The new album broadens these horizons, showing more collaborators in the shape of vocalists Holysseus Fly and Yama Warashi, plus acclaimed horn player Yazz Ahmed. Further colouring outside the defined lines of jazz is also evident, yet is always anchored by the flow theme; the flow of water, of time, of cultural exchange and of roles within the Ensemble.
‘A State Of Flow’ touches on various styles of jazz, stirring ambient invocations, club-ready percussive workouts, spiralling grooves, hazy psychedelic electronica and Japanese lyrics.
Nodding to the city’s instantly-familiar hilltop location Dower House, ‘Yellow House’ explores geographic duality, with Japan-born, Bristol-based vocalist Yama Warashi singing native-language tales, of the magnetic and pastoral charm, of her adopted home.
The organic garage beats of ‘Full Circle’ and classic trip hop style ‘Waterfall’ fuel Fly’s honey tone and evocative lyrics. On the latter, she was inspired by the Bristol exhibition of Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, which fits conceptually like a glove, exploring as it does themes of water and personal freedom.
The stirring invocation of songs like ‘The Chapel’ and ‘First Light’ — waking to life like a sunrise in nature and littered throughout with sonic miniatures and fragmented details — contrast with the heady intoxication of ‘Siren!’, or ‘The River’s arabesque leads.
No matter what inspiration the group gesture toward, the album maintains a uniform sense of clarity and poise. Throughout, expressive peals of saxophone, crisp drum flourishes and finely-textured electronic brushstrokes can be heard as recurrent main motifs, even as stylistic diversions mimic tributaries, arrowing out of the Severn.
Influences flow freely too, ranging from Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Radiohead, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Roni Size/Reprazent, to the ambience of Yellow Magic Orchestra’s Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
This would be a confusing melange, but for Cunningham’s excursions as a genre-agnostic DJ – something evident in the real house shuffle of ‘Lapwing’ – which evokes walking into a smoky afterhours haunt and finding a session in full, forward motion.
This album, borne of strong vision and stronger hometown pride, embellishes Ishmael Ensemble as one of the UK’s finest new groups. As shown across ‘A State of Flow’, the future of Bristol’s musical legacy is in more than capable hands.
“Contemporary album of the month” The Guardian
“Jazz album of the month” MOJO
”Every bit as energetic, adventurous & innovative as it is beautiful 8/10" FutureMusic
"It's challenging, and all the more satisfying for that 8/10" DJ Mag
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4.3 ★★★★★
Based on 12 reviews
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★★★★★ 5
beautiful story
Format: Kindle
I’ve grown up around trans friends, and LGBTQ community. My uncle, as well as my sibling are gay, and gay culture has always been something I’ve grown up with. When I got a bit older I developed friendships with trans individuals and it was a learning experience, since I came from a very sheltered high school and middle school. This book fully communicates the trans experience in my opinion and can better help others to understand those around them who are transitioning. Thank you Lewis for sharing your story, you’re awesome.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2024
★★★★★ 5
An incredible work of art!
Format: Hardcover
This is the most beautiful book I own. Gorgeous illustrations. Poignant story. A masterclass in composition and structure. Just an amazing piece of art.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Fun read
Format: Kindle
I liked the artwork, story line and incorporating a story within a story. It was a nice heartwarming read with great artwork!
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Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2020
★★★★★ 5
Great book
Format: Paperback
It’s nice and it came in very good shape
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Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2022
★★★★★ 4
Diverse, hilarious, and fun
Format: Paperback
This was soooo fun, and what it lacked in patchy storytelling made up for in its incredible art and lovable characters. The main character is latina, fat, and queer, the love interest is black and queer (yes, it's f/f romance!), and the prominent side character is non-binary, queer, and literally a mix of kenji and kuzco from the emporer's new groove (they were SO sweet but funny and definitely my favorite part of the book). Not to mention all of these characters are mythological creatures!
I loved reading the characters' interactions because the banter was so cute and fun, both platonic and romanticly. The action began to get a bit confusing toward the end and I wish it was explained better what was happening, but I loved the world building and the characters' relationships with each other so I'm definitely continuing this series.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2019