Robocobra Quarter, 'Mizaru'
Info: First off I'm a massive fan of Belfast free-jazz / punk, band Robocobra Quartet, their last E.P. BOMBER released earlier this year knocking the socks off me straight away back in April. I had described in general terms their sound firmly founded on traditional jazz sounds and surrounded by the likes of New York's El-P, and Toronto trio BADBADNOTGOOD, the latter of whom's sound I'm an especially big fan of, I've included a previous Robocobra release, 'Knotweed' to exemplify this.
On the 16th of October Robocobra Quartet release a lathe 7" with upcoming single 'Iwazaru' on the A-side and above B-side 'Mizaru'. The band explain the concept behind both; 'Lyrically exploring two of the three proverbial "wise monkeys", the latest release from Belfast's spoken-word-infused jazz/punk quartet finds the personal tangled with the social. This comes in the form of Mizaru's melancholic re-appropriation of an MP's 1932 speech and Iwazaru's self-deprecating look at "speaking no evil" that brashly pairs a lyrical call-back to The Who and a Gandhi quote in the same stanza. Robocobra Quartet's ever-present pleading lead vocal is cradled by an effect-heavy instrumental that morphs in sympathy to each word spoken, offering up saxophone stabs, latin drum patterns and distorted bass guitar when and where appropriate.'
Robocobra Quartet, 'Knotweed'
'Mizaru' sweeps closer to the jazz end of the spectrum than punk, imagine a slightly slowed-down version of 'Resolution' from Coltrane's A Love Supreme with added spoken-word on top, Chris Ryan's by now trademark vocals retaining their animated and powerfully descriptive and pointed delivery. The track is smooth, cool and pleasantly meandering, in contrast with the soon to be released 'Iwazaru' which shall be shared here in good time. The 7" will be on limited release from independent label http://www.smalltownamerica.co.uk/ in mid-October. Robocobra Quartet have a number of live dates before then playing Electric Picnic on the 4th of September, The Magic Garden in London (25th Sept), Four Bars in Cardiff the following night and finally The Mother's Ruin in Bristol on the 27th. Definitely get to one of those shows if it's in your neck of the woods to see one of the most original and unique acts on the scene right now.
Look / Like & Listen:
Website: http://www.robocobraquartet.com/
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/robocobraquartet
