SPINDLE ENSEMBLE
Since their formation in Bristol in 2016 Spindle Ensemble have garnered much praise for their innovative take on contemporary classical music. Their distinctive sound is a combination of composer Daniel Inzani’s idiosyncratic modern-impressionist pieces, their improvisation, deft musicianship and unorthodox instrumentation of piano and harp (Inzani), violin (Caelia Lunniss), cello (Jo Silverston), marimba and vibraphone (Harriet Riley).
Spindle Ensemble are renowned for stunning compositions with beautiful use of harmony and a unique narrative style which transports listeners into their own inner-realm of imagery and storytelling. Equally at home performing in concert halls such as the Union Chapel, Southbank Centre, Bristol Beacon, St George’s Bristol, CCB (Lisbon) and festivals including Shambala and Hidden Notes to churches, art centres, record shops and independent venues across the UK, Europe and Canada they continue to bring their music to a diverse and ever growing audience as one of the UK’s leading contemporary chamber ensembles.
Their acclaimed second album Inkling was released by HNR in May 2021 as a limited edition vinyl and received features and reviews in the likes of the Big Issue, Electronic Sound, BBC Music Magazine, Louder Than War, Loud and Quiet, Joyzine and A Closer Listen. That year, Inkling was a top selling ‘modern classical’ album on Bandcamp and featured in the Guardian’s Top 10 contemporary albums.
In 2023 HNR released their collaborative EP ‘Live In Toronto’ with the legendary Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan ensemble from Canada. The 2 ensembles spent a week together devising new material for a special one off concert, the EP features recordings from that concert and rehearsals.
Listeners may hear influences from composers such as Moondog, Jonny Greenwood, Ravel, Satie, Pärt, Reich, Glass and Mingus in their music but might also find the soundtracks of Morricone nestled alongside the more experimental leanings of groups such as Rachel’s, Esmerine, Bell Orchestre and Amiina.
DISCOGRAPHY
BEA (2017 ADDERWELL MUSIC)
INKLING (2021 HNR)
FRACTALS - COLLAB WITH TESS TYLER (2022 MANNERS MCDADE)
LIVE IN TORONTO - COLLAB WITH EVERGREEN CLUB CONTEMPORARY GAMELAN (2023 HNR)
BANDCAMP: https://spindleensemble.bandcamp.com/
“Compelling” ‘Inkling’ listed in top 10 contemporary albums of 2021 – The Guardian
“The clincher for this enchanting work by Bristol’s exciting contemporary chamber quartet is the number of bravura shifts in tone, mood and timbre it takes.” Electronic Sound
"Superbly composed and adroitly performed." Louder Than War
“Beautiful sounds, definitely a band to watch…” Fiona Talkington, BBC Radio 3 Late Junction
"Philip Glass-style minimalism, Morricone-esque exotica, Japanese-inflected C&W and Satie-ish romanticism." The Guardian
“Such a rich live feel” Gideon Coe, BBC Radio 6 Music
“If you love to be delighted by fluid and sparkling musical arrangements and instrumentation you will greatly enjoy this record.” Nick Luscombe
"The quartet mixes post-classical and minimalism, with brief stylistic dalliances; Okemah Sundown hints at folksy Americana,while Waves has a neo-romantic vibe..." Big Issue
"Effervescent music-making"BBC Music Magazine
”A captivating listen that welcomely reminds of contemporary classical’s breadth.” Loud and Quiet
"Sumptuous, broad ranging and beautiful." Joyzine
"A constant flow of beautifully and moody fluctuated imaginative musicality; fit for stage, cinema screens and beyond." Monolith Cocktail
"The ways in which moods lift and fall is breath-taking" Magazine Sixty
"Utterly stunning musical craft" Higher Plain Music
”A chamber quartet who have produced an album of such delicate beauty that it is almost impossible to listen to it without feeling…everything. Fragile, gentle and careful this is the sound of musicians of great skill and craft. Beautiful in every way.” Our Sound Music