Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere — θ6

Formed in 2012 Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere are an eight-piece Sheffield collective, whose work blurs ‘n’ blends elements of prog-bound jazz-rock, jam band music, textured improv, and dreamy-to-spacy world to folk music tropes. As its title suggests θ6 (Theta Six)  is the band's sixth studio album, and it appears as CD on Uk’s Discus Label.

The CD comes presented in a six-panel glossy mini gatefold. On its front cover, we have an abstract mixed media illustration, which nicely prepares you for the unpredictability of the sounds within. Inside we get a picture of five of the line up in a room- some laying on a bed, others look thoughtful on chairs, with live pictures of the three remaining members behind the other five. It’s a rather confronting 1970s-like album inlay picture, with some interesting details/ items in it.

The line-up for this album is as follows.  Martin Archer – woodwind, organ, software instruments, voice. Steve Dinsdale – drums, keyboards. Lorin Halsall – acoustic and electric double basses, electronics. Yvonna Magda – violin, electronics. Andy Peake – piano, keyboards. Walt Shaw – drums, percussion, voice. Jan Todd – vocals, voices, laptop electronics, software instruments and samples, found sounds, Celtic harp, cross-strung harp, jouhikko, alto tagelharpa, and idiopan.Terry Todd - bass guitar

The album features twelve tracks in all- with runtimes between one and nearly thirteen minutes. And while there are separations/ different themes from track to track, I’d say due to the often floating, shifting, and drifting feel of the material the album plays best as one long experience.  So as a result it is a little difficult to firmly tie down single stand-out tracks- as each time you play through the whole thing, you pick out different points of interest/ wonder….but I’m going to try & tie down a few.

So, we open with “Forced Orbit”- this is a nearly thirteen-minute epic track- which moves from a blend of sea crashing field recordings, light string sail ‘n’ sear, a finding its place bassline, and building percussion. Onto evenly bounding bass work & lightly swinging jazz-rock motif, which is trailed with wavering female space whispers. Though to twinkling & lightly texturing additions, which meet jazz piano runs, tone crash ‘n’ hovers, and gliding organ weaves.

We have the upfront blunt ‘n bounding bass meets percussion hiss ‘n’ snap of “Black Paradox” which adds in woozy tone drifts, ornate but tense piano key runs ‘n’ darts, and ethnic tone fumbles. We have the warbling ‘n’ glowing space whispers, steady organ jive, darting horn honks, and lucid bass pulse of “Spinshift”. With the album playing out in a wonderful hazed & mysterious fashion with “Message Parlour-For Alan” which is a freefall of mix male voices talking in different languages, warbling to wavering female vocalising, string & key drone, and textural simmer/ crash/ warp.

As an album θ6 manages to effortlessly merge a feeling of true musical & sound freedom, with a keen sense of both prepose & vision. You can hear throughout that the eight pieces are completely in tune with each other- but there is no ego here, it’s all about building the most involving, often sonically surprising journey. To buy this direct drop by here.