Ishmael Ensemble - “The Rebuke”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 2

Pairs Well With…Jon Hopkins, Oneohtrix Point Never, Four Tet

Ishmael Ensemble’s first goal is ambience, often starting songs with lonely soundscapes before adding light phases of rhythm or full-on trip hop grooves. A mix of instrumental and vocal tracks, their catalog including full-lengths A State of Flow and Visions of Light is ambitious, yet notably patient. By keeping a minimal, mysterious space, Ishmael Ensemble ensure that the bursts of UK jazz jams hit extra hard given the spacious balance on the other side. The band’s latest single is “The Rebuke”, among the most R&B-leaning of their songs and a soulful, surprisingly intense addition to Ishmael Ensemble’s works. Given their instincts to explore, Ishmael Ensemble are worth a deep dive to really get a sense of their unique breadth of what this Bristol-based band can do. (Kevin McStravick)