snazzback: in the place
Francisco Espregueira
Bringing the breezes of reopened dancefloors, of communal release, and of the joyful sound live music, the talented Snazzback collective presents their second album, In The Place. Released by the promising new label Worm Disco Club, this project overflows with deep grooves and loose, looping rhythms that tease and play, sometimes languid and carefree, other times energy spiralling upwards – and taking the listener with them, each and every time. Hailing from Bristol, this is a strong statement from this group of contemporary jazz instigators, blending with exquisite capabilities textures of black American dancefloor music, Afro-Latin rhythms, electronica and hypnotic rock.
Snazzback leave their mark in UK’s jazz continuum trip through undiscovered lands, building upon the works of Ezra Collective, Moses Boyd or Maisha. In The Place rests on the band’s hypnotic, rolling musicality and inventive bringing-together of sounds. While the complex instrumentation paints a scenery of true beauty, Snazzbacks’s new record also introduces us to fantastic vocal performances from China Bowls (on four of the tracks), Solomon OB, Soss and STANLÆY. All the elements contribute to a colour-saturated musical universe that has countless details to explore. A jaw-dropping team effort, In The Place means openness to collaboration, experimentation with unconventional sounds, and an exploration of genres outside of an immediately obvious palette. Available on vinyl, via Worm Disco Club.
“Lugging gear out, playing in the blazing sun and freezing cold, putting up with shit from people… Musically it’s incredibly freeing as you don’t owe your audience anything. They haven’t paid to be there. If it all falls apart while you’re busking, who cares! The risk-taking has definitely fed through to our live shows.”