- The South London collective's debut LP adroitly captures the jazz-flecked, alt-orchestral sound of their unique live shows.
- Born out of a series of Brixton spoken-word and rap sessions started in 2006, Speakers Corner Quartet show in microcosm how London's musicians have livened up the capital's jazz and classical music scenes by injecting heavy influences from the world of hip-hop. Comprising the event's original house band—Biscuit on flute, Kwake Bass on drums, Raven Bush on violin and Peter Bennie on bass—the four-piece mix together sparse, hip-hop-speckled rhythm sections with expressive jazz melodies and flashes of abstract orchestral instrumentation. Think the echoing plucks of a violin string or the distant, ambient whistles of a flute. It's a captivating blend of ideas, and after more than 15 years together, the group have finally delivered it in album format.
A range of London-based collaborators have helped grow the project and reinforce its roots in the UK capital. The emphasis on collaboration that fuelled those iconic Brixton nights plays a pivotal role in their debut album—across 13 tracks, a wide-ranging network of MCs, singers and poets pepper Speakers Corner Quartet's leftfield semi-orchestral instrumentals with their own stories and ideas. We hear the soft, soulful vocals of world-renowned singer-songwriter Sampha, the marauding keys of Ezra Collective member Joe Armon-Jones and Tirzah's enchantingly understated, half-spoken vocals.
Against Raven Bush's haunting violin meanderings on "Geronimo Blues," Kae Tempest brings their wonderfully incisive brand of politically conscious storytelling, exposing social dilemmas and inequalities with clarity and grit. Scathing satirical vignettes like, "They sentence our young to a lifetime of debt / Lovely tuxedos / Satin and velvet," follow cleverly crafted rhymes decrying our over-reliance on technology. Tempest spits, "How can a million blips with their silicone clips and an Instagram chip repair the deep cracks to the kingdom." It's powerful stuff that highlights how Speakers Corner Quartet are eager to empower progressive voices, even if they never step up to the mic themselves.
The band's knack for creating ambient moments of tension makes those vocal performances even more hard-hitting. Their far-reaching multi-instrumental dynamic, which weaves together strings, percussion, synthesisers, field recordings and more, is all about creating an immersive listen that drifts repeatedly between light and dark. Throughout the recording process for Further Out Than The Edge, which stemmed from their 2021 Barbican live show of the same name, the group added texture by sampling their own improvised jam sessions. The focus was on capturing a live sound that reflected flautist Biscuit's assertion that "we're all one living, breathing organism when it comes to playing."
This project was a long time coming, which highlights how Speakers Corner Quartet are most comfortable onstage, whether that be headlining the Roundhouse or filling up a converted railway arch south of the river. But the group can take pride in the fact that with Further Out Than The Edge they've created a fascinating and, more importantly, authentic representation of their unique sound. It's shaped by a healthy dose of self-restraint that ensures each instrument has space to breath, but it's also incredibly full of life. Further Out Than The Edge's vibrant cast of characters, lively experimental rhythms and rich improvisation underlines why Speakers Corner Quartet are so firmly embedded within South London's musical landscape.
Tracklist01. On Grounds feat. Coby Sey
02. Acute Truth feat. Kelsey Lu
03. fix feat. Tirzah
04. Wavelet feat. Confucius MC & Joe Armon Jones
05. Dreaded! feat. Léa Sen
06. Can We Do This feat. Sampha
07. Geronimo Blues feat. Kae Tempest
08. Soapbox Soliloquy feat. LEILAH
09. Hither Green feat. James Massiah
10. Round Again feat. Tawiah
11. Behind The Sun feat. Lafawndah & Trustfall
12. Shabz Needs Sun feat. Shabaka Hutchings
13. Karainagar feat. Mica Levi