Orkestra Del Sol on Tour starting at Dingwalls tomorrow
aaamusic | On 13, Apr 2011
Lung Capacity is the third album by Edinburgh 9-piece Orkestra del Sol, whose explosive reinvention of global brass band music has been capturing imaginations internationally for over six years. The band begin a full UK tour on 14th April at Dingwalls in Camden, including dates at Glasgow Art School on April 15th, Edinburgh’s Liquid Room on April 16th, Brighton Komedia on 11th May and Cambridge Junction on 18th May.
Orkestra del Sol is very much a live experience, as anyone who has seen their inventive performances will testify. With a line up of trumpet, trombone, saxes, clarinet, sousaphone, accordion and two drummers, and vast experience performing at prestigious street arts festivals internationally, Orkestra del Sol’s shows are legendary, full of virtuosic musicianship, wit and energy. It is always a challenge to reproduce something of this onto CD, but Lung Capacity rises to this challenge and conquers it head on.
Eight of Orkestra del Sol’s nine band members take writing credits on the album, making it a truly collaborative work. With overall creative direction from sousaphone player and musical director Marcus Britton and production by Joe Acheson (Hidden Orchestra – TruThoughts Recordings), they have created an extraordinary album, brimming with wonderful musical arrangements and joyous anarchic energy, whilst retaining an artful attention to detail.
With a collective experience spanning jazz, classical, world, electronic and dance music, Lung Capacity is an ingenious concoction of styles that works on many levels, from the serious musicianship on display to the sheer exuberance of the overall sound. There are many highlights, including the afro-latin breakbeat of El Malandro, the exotic dubstep of Boney Kit Steppa, and the genre-defining This is Honkstep (the answer to the much asked question just what style of music is this?). What Do We Do Now? balances out the high energy of the rest of the album with its laid back Havana sunset vibe, whilst The Dopper Effect showcases the not inconsiderable talents of trumpet player Philip Cardwell – the added Spike Jones-inspired percussion courtesy of Mat Clements creates a polka-style number that is guaranteed to get the dance-floor going, and raise a smile in the process.
With its romping eleven original tacks, Lung Capacity delivers on every level – even down to vibrant energy that make Orkestra del Sol’s live shows so memorable. With a shared passion for brass band music from all corners of the globe, comparisons have been made to the virtuosic wedding bands of Eastern Europe, the suave street bands of the US and the rebellious brass bands of Latin America. Theirs however, is a truly exceptional sound and Lung Capacity is a refreshingly original album that will find fans in many places.
LUNG CAPACITY TOUR DATES
Thurs 7 April – PAISLEY TOWN HALL 7.30pm (£12)
www.renfrewshire.gov.uk / 0141 887 1010 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0141 887 1010 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Fri 8 April – BIRNAM ARTS CENTRE 8pm (£14 / £12)
www.birnaminstitute.com / 01350 727674 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01350 727674 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Sat 9 April – CAIRNGORM – THE PTARMIGAN 7pm (£12)
Thurs 14 April – LONDON – DINGWALLS, CAMDEN 7pm (£11)
www.dingwalls.com / 0207 428 5929 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0207 428 5929 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Fri 15 April – GLASGOW – BALKANARAMA! @ THE ART SCHOOL 10pm (£9 / £11)
www.hubtickets.co.uk / 0131 473 2000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0131 473 2000 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Sat 16 April – EDINBURGH – BALKANARAMA! @ LIQUID ROOM 10.30pm (£10 / £12)
www.hubtickets.co.uk / 0131 473 2000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0131 473 2000 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Fri 29 April – KNOYDART FESTIVAL 10pm
www.knoydartfestival.com / 01687 460113 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01687 460113 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Sun 1 May – DRUMNADROCHIT – GLEN URQUHART HALL 5pm (+ supper! £15 / £12 / £6)
www.glenurquhart.info/index.asp?pageid=198595
Sat 7 May – DONCASTER – HOTHOUSE FESTIVAL LAUNCH 11am – 2pm (free!)
Mon 9 May – NORFOLK & NORWICH FESTIVAL – SPIEGELTENT 10.30pm (£10)
Weds 11 May – BRIGHTON – KOMEDIA 7.30pm (£10)
www.komedia.co.uk / 0845 293 8480 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0845 293 8480 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Thurs 12 May – FROME – CHEESE & GRAIN 8pm (£11)
www.cheeseandgrain.co.uk / 01373 455 420 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01373 455 420 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Fri 13 May – OXFORD – BOSSAPHONIK @ THE CELLAR
Sat 14 May – IPSWICH – THE MANOR BALLROOM
www.peppery.co.uk / 01473 295900 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01473 295900 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Weds 18 May – CAMBRIDGE – THE JUNCTION 7pm (£12)
www.junction.co.uk / 01223 511511 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01223 511511 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Sat 21 May – DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY FESTIVAL 1pm & 6pm (free!)
Tues 31 May – BRISTOL – THE CROFT
http://www.the-croft.com/whats-on
Fri 3 June – BURY – THE MET 8pm / £10
www.themet.com / 0161 761 2216 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0161 761 2216 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Sat 4 June – BLAIRGOWRIE – stART FESTIVAL 7pm
Fri 10 June – DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY – EDEN FESTIVAL 5.45pm (main stage)
edenfestival.co.uk/tickets.html
Fri 29 July – CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL
Fri 19 Aug – STIRLING – THE TOLBOOTH 8pm (12 / £10)
www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth.htm
Sat 20 Aug – ABERDEEN – THE LEMON TREE 7.30pm (£12)
www.boxofficeaberdeen.com/prod-productions_details.asp?pid=1947&venueid=285
