Photo: Kate Griffin
Emergence Collective are on a roll, with an impending new album, their second this year alone The Sheffield-based supergroup, comprised of some of the most masterful improvisers out of Sheffield and the North of England, have announced their new album Swimming in the early hours, following the release of Chapel back in February. Out on November 7th through Redundant Span, it marks their first studio album, as previous albums were live recordings of improvised performances. “It kind of felt like a proof of concept for taking it forward,” says one of the group’s co-project director Zebedee C. Budworth. “It’s a totally different thing to performing in front of people. Everything has to be perfect but it still all has to be live. Our approach to music is always conversational, a collaboration between everyone who’s present at that time, weaving it together.”
On Swimming in the early hours, Emergence Collective continue their genre-defying approach, blending elements of disparate genres into something entirely unique. “We operate in the liminal space between classical music, jazz and folk,” they explain. “We’re not any of those things, but we’re also all of them.” The group recorded the entire album in a single day, with no rehearsals or set plans, just a chosen key and an open space for the music to unfold in real time. This approach gives the record an organic and conversational feel, with every note shaped by their dynamic interaction. “We pick a key and that’s the only instruction that any of the musicians have,” they say. “What happens from there on is the result of everyone deciding what should happen next.”
Swimming in the early hours highlights the group’s ability to create expansive soundscapes with a minimalist touch, and with a fascinating mix of instruments, including a Swedish nyckelharpa and hammer dulcimer. A standout feature of the album is the introduction of Jemma Freese as both co-director and vocalist, with her voice adding a new layer of texture to the group’s sound. Her vocal melodies, which draw from her diverse musical background, blend beautifully with the intricate instrumental layers, “I studied jazz vocals, so a lot of the rhythmical stuff comes from scatting,” she explains. “I also did some studying on Konnakol which is Indian percussive singing and I grew up in a religion similar to Hinduism, so the way that they sing and use vowels I took influence from as well. So a lot of it is down to the fact that I grew up singing in another language.”
Ahead of the album’s release, Emergence Collective are giving us a taste of their sonic wizardry with the title track now streaming. Press play and let yourself get lost in the beauty and magnetism of it.