Submotion Orchestra

Formed in Leeds in 2009, Submotion Orchestra originally brought together seven musicians from diverse backgrounds around a project that emerged after a commission supported by the Arts Council at York Minster. The British collective develops music at the crossroads of electronica, dubstep, dub, jazz and soul, with ambient textures, deep bass, brass and a prominent role for vocals. After a first EP in 2010, Submotion Orchestra recorded a session for Gilles Peterson on BBC Radio 1 and released Finest Hour in 2011 and Fragments in 2012. The group then followed with the EP 1968 in 2013 and the albums Alium (2014) and Colour Theory (2016) on Counter Records, a label associated with Ninja Tune, before launching their own imprint, SMO Recordings. Kites was released in 2018, followed by the more stripped-back formats Unplugged Vol.i (2020) and Unplugged Vol.ii (2023), and the EP Five Points in 2024. On stage Submotion Orchestra performs in clubs, at festivals and in more acoustic configurations, maintaining a balance between melodic composition, improvisation and electronic pulse.