B i o g r a p h y (by Official Press)
The aptly named Cinematic Orchestra (TCO) were formed by 30 year old J. Swinscoe back in 1999. At the time Jay was still an employee at Ninja Tune in South London, where he was responsible for export sales at the long-standing independent record label. Swinscoe arrived at London Bridge from Scotland via Yorkshire and Cardiff with a background playing bass and guitar in bands and DJing, as well as a head full of ideas and influences, such as his love of jazz bass players, rhythm sections and film soundtracks. So while he knocked out Mr. Scruff and Coldcut records to Spain and Scandinavia by day, he began putting together the TCO album in his downtime. Taking on the role of bandleader, Swinscoe rallied a group of adventurous jazz players and delivered a debut album that took everyone by surprise and was voted album of the year by listeners to Gilles Peterson’s Radio One show. And more than a few other programmes too! It is a record which underlines the cinematic in the Cinematic Orchestra, with Uncut likening it to "every hard-boiled, neon-lit Hollywood thriller you’ve seen, the sound of a thousand femmes fatales, doomed P.I.’s and bitter plot twists remixed and refashioned in one ingeniously sampled audio narrative". ‘Motion’ was followed in 2001 by an album of TCO remixes of other artists (‘Remixes 98-2000’!) which garnered more critical acclaim and also caught the imagination of the broadsheets, with The Guardian heaping praise upon both Jay’s sense of space and his attention to detail: "It’s frighteningly rare that a musician in a contemporary field brings so much generous knowledge and that transforming power to their work, inviting you inside their world and introducing you to a new way of listening". If ‘Motion’ reflected the cinematic aspect of TCO, their second album ‘Every Day’, brought out more of the orchestral side, too. Arguably a more refined record than its predecessor, it is uncompromising in its approach nonetheless. And in these production-line, rebirth-of-the-pop-idol times, ten minute tunes and seven tracks on an album are hardly the norm. But evidently the Cinematics do their own thing very well. On ‘Every Day’, Swinscoe worked with bass player Phil France as his co-pilot and co-producer, France’s background in jazz the perfect counterpoint to Swinscoe’s technical knowhow and raw feel. The pair flew out to St. Louis to record the legendary Fontella Bass (of ‘Rescue Me’ and Art Ensemble of Chicago fame) for the single ‘All That You Give’ and ‘Evolution’, both of which appeared on the album. Closer to home, they enlisted the talents of Mercury and Brit nominated South London rapper Roots Manuva on the soul searching ‘All Things To All Men’. ‘Every Day’ also features the drumming of modern-day jazz legend Luke Flowers , who had played together with France for a number of years as youthful stars on the northern jazz circuit. Another name on the same scene was the much travelled fellow Mancunian, keyboard player John Ellis who played on the 'Everyday' album and toured live. He has now been replaced by another Mancunian Steve Brown for the start of the Man With A Movie Camera dates and beyond. Next up, and a fixture at left of centre jazz gigs all over the world, is 24 year old saxophonist Tom Chant, who is known as one of the UK’s top free jazz players. Turntablist PC, meanwhile, is one of the original Ninjas, for many years the studio backbone of the label and an integral part of the DJ Food project. The single ‘Horizon,’ which did not appear on ‘Every Day’, featured feisty 24 year old Niara Scarlett who has been touring with the band over the last year (and who is featured in both the documentary and the live performances on the DVD). Niara is also a successful songwriter in her own right with her credits including the Pop Stars: The Rivals ‘Sound Of The Underground’ single. In the last three years the Cinematics’ have played far and wide at every conceivable type of venue and on all kinds of occasion. They have shocked out from the Jazz Café to the Jazz Bop via Ronnie Scott’s. And in somewhat hardcore fashion they toured the North American Jazz Festival circuit in the back of a transit van, with the dates culminating in a prestigious support slot for John McLaughlin in Central Park. They have toured in Germany, Japan, Italy and Portugal. They have also clocked up the music festival mileage appearing at, amongst others, Homelands and Essential (UK), Sonar (Spain), Celerico De Basto (Portugal), North Sea Jazz and Drum Rhythm (Holland), Cannes (France), Fuji Rock (Japan) and Montreux (Switzerland) and have headlined The Big Chill twice. Their appearance on the Radio One Live week in Birmingham in 2001 with Roots Manuva and Ricky Rankin, was also a memorable affair and they were invited back to play at last year’s event in Nottingham. Other live highlights include playing at the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award for Stanley Kubrick by the Directors Guild. Also the ‘Every Day’ album launch when the Hanover Grand was dressed and draped with red velvet curtains and Chinese lanterns and new TCO singer Niara Scarlett battled it out with Fontella Bass. And most recently, they sold out the Shepherds Bush Empire wand had all three balconies jumping.
Horizon Lilac Wine
Motion
Durian
( from Nina Simone 'strange fruit')
Strange and bitter crop... Crop... For the leaves Drop... Drop... Drop... Drop... For the leaves
Channel 1 Suite
Hug you... Squeeze you... Hug you... Squeeze you... Till you're blind...
And Relax! Summertime... Summertime... Summertime...
Diabolus
Listen... Listen... Listen... And when he's born... Listen... Listen... And when he's born...
Every Day
All That You Give ( vocals by Fontella Bass ) All that you are All that you are All that you have All that you give You hear me raving You hear me raving Raving, raving You see me crying I'm grieving from my hat Down to my shoes All that you are All that you are All that you have All that you give All that you give
Burnout
But when the money's gone... They don't come around... But when the money's gone... They don't come around...
Evolution ( vocals by Fontella Bass) The stars light up my life The stars light up my life So bright Everlasting The sun Light up my life Oh, oh yeah (x4) What I need The sun And dawn Your love Or your life So bright Everlasting Oh, oh yeah (x2) Evolution... Evolution... The stars light up my life So bright Everlasting The sun Light up my life
All things to all men ( vocals by Roots Manuva ) And now it seems As if we're used to the shegree We made our beds And now we hate where these beds be Took nothing at all to part this red sea I'm a shackled child Singing the good song of freedom They've got no pride They interrupt our grieving Tear drops dropping For the pain of the world My best friend dies When she was just a young girl Left me here, to fend for myself Now the pain never leaves We just learn to cope So when the devil needs hanging Will you tie up the rope and shout pull Let's put an end to this bull Zen thing How many years Before we practice what we preach How many tears Before we truly clinch the peak Only to find that There is no honey on the moon Official gloom With the unofficial croon (2x) I'm all things to all men All of the women All the children Just say when And I’ll take you to my Tardis Who's the hardest Who's the hardest 16 bar cycles Heart felt recital From the wacky blacky man They should have called me Michael Look at the monster you make Look at the monster you pay But you claim no responsibility Cause it's each to his self In these times that we live Does god have a sense of humor Then the joke's on us Cause we're chasing our tails For how long The tussle makes us how strong Vintage poor people fun If we could ease up On these booze and fags Then, just maybe Life wouldn't be so mad Be a man my dad said But what the hell he know He lost his dreams He lost his flow And i don't wanna be alone I'm born king So where's my throne I'm too intense I'm too deep I'm too nice for life So what makes this place so nervous? (4x) I'm all things to all men All of the women All the children Just say when And I’ll take you to my Tardis Who's the hardest Who's the hardest Look at the monster you make Look at the monster you pay But you claim no responsibility But you claim not We're searching for Jesus But I’ll be damned If I’ll be crucified by ten thousand spies Compulsive lies They hate me They love me They hate me Cause I’m all things to all men, all of the women, all the children Just say when and I’ll take you to my Tardis Who's the hardest, who's the hardest
Ma Fleur
To build a home
( vocals by Patrick Watson ) There is a house built out of stone Wooden floors, walls and window sills Tables and chairs worn by all of the dust This is a place where I don't feel alone This is a place where I feel at home And I built a home For you For me Until it disappeared From me From you And now, it's time To leave And turn To dust I'm in the garden where we planted the seeds There is a tree as old as me Branches were sewn by the colour of green Ground had arose in past its knees By the cracks of the skin I climbed to the top I climbed the tree to see the world When the gusts came around to blow me down Held on as tightly as you held on me Held on as tightly as you held on me And I built a home For you For me Until it disappeared From me From you And now, it's time To leave And turn To dust
Familiar Ground
( vocals by Fontella Bass ) How near How far How near, boy Tell me, how far How near Oh yes How far How near How far How near, how near, how near, how near How far, how far, how far, how far How near, how near, how near, how near How far, how far, how far, how far How far And how far Tell me how far
Music Box Patrick Watson : My darling, darling girl Won't you shout it to the world My darling, darling, darling girl Shout it out, my golden girl Wrap yourself with all the world Lou Rhodes & Patrick Watson: Little bit of gold, little bit of pearl Little bit of gold, little bit of pearl (Oh, my golden girl) Little bit of gold, little bit of pearl (Wrap yourself in all the world) Little bit of gold, little bit of pearl (Shout, my golden girl) Little bit of gold, little bit of pearl (Wrap yourself around the world) Little bit of gold, little bit of pearl Little bit of gold, little bit of pearl (Wrap yourself around the world) Little bit of gold, little bit of pearl
Into you
( vocals by Patrick Watson )
I'm sinking into you now Watch me disapear I'm sinking into you now Watch me disapear I'm sinking into you now Sweet song Watch me sinking into you now So much better here So much better here
Breathe ( vocals by Fontella Bass ) Oh, that song is singing Singing in to me Over everything I used to be Oh, that song is singing Singing into me Slow and sweet It carries me Carries me Out to sea And swallows me Into the deep And comforts me And comforts me Oh that weight is lifting Lifting on me It carries me Out to the sea And swallows me And swallows me And swallows me Into the deep And comforts me And comforts me In, into the deep And comforts me And comforts me And comforts me Breathe up to me Breathe up into me Breathe out through me Breathe into me Oh breathe out through Through me Why don't you breathe in Breathe into me And breathe out Through me
That home
Where the doves are moaning all day long Where the stairs are leading dusk 'till dawn Where the windows are breathing in the light Where the rooms are a collection of our lives This is a place where I don’t feel alone This is a place that I call my home
*** Thanx a lot to Grucha For this one ***
Time & Space (feat. Lou Rhodes) Every soul comes to the sun Carried on angel’s wings to human birth Born of love or born of hate Each one is heaven sent to human fate Dream Little girl, dream Dream Little boy, dream Dream In joy and pain each one will grow For wisdom is so much more than what we know And every child will find their way Of living the whole life story day by day Dream Little girl, dream Dream Little boy, dream Dream
*** Thanx a lot to Jose & Billy for this one ***
To Believe To Believe (feat. Moses Sumney) Turn around wake a little Howling, save the little girl You found, you found, you found And when it all aligns Silent, what you're reading from And when our worlds collide Eyes remember every lie Are you able Find your ground Other people Fallin' down Tell the world that Saw you head for hell I can be your something You believe in You are here, making a shadow Stay in the middle ground You found, you found, you found Silent as a hollow sound, you're Silently calling out for Something you can't deny You feel inside your hands Are you able Find your ground Other people Falling down Tell the world that Saw you head for Hell I can be your something You believe in Something you can believe Something you can believe Something you can believe Something you can believe Oh, you can believe You can believe You can believe Believe Believe
A Caged Bird / Imitations Of Life (feat. Roots Manuva) Artists in the round found an infusionary Foot mat linguistic scanter Helpless in the entity See the caged bird At the bosom of the angry short fall One finds a fistful All engaging All engaging Perfection is in that non perfection, and I see Queen, I see King, I see King, I see Queen, well None of you know my kingdomanium Last chance to attract it Last chance to retract it Why Would you hide From yourself Belief is here to find you Why Would you hide From yourself Belief is here to find you Well, I pick up my foot and do those things Improve thyself, improve with things I thank you for the healing in Wings of meditation Situation is strange to us Stranger things are claiming us I've been told we've easily As easy as that breathing be Not so, never so, she's been told, she's down so apart of her soul How the hell would we let it go, how the hell would we ever know Now and then and here and then, claim to be my bestest friend It’s just the word she's saying it, there ain't no returning now There ain't no returning now Why Would you hide From yourself Belief is here to find you Why Would you hide From yourself Belief is here to find you Well, I pick up my foot and do those things Improve those, improve with things I thank you for the healing in Wings of meditation Situation is strange to us Stranger things are calling us I've been told we've easily As easy as the breathing be You and I can be In heaven Wandering forever (?) You Will be forever
Wait For Now / Leave The World (feat. Tawiah) Take my hand and see Where we could go, when you take the leap Leave the fear behind And let me know, now Walk with me Lead me to the light Show me where to go 'Cause I need your council Give me strength so I can be Let your walls fall down I'm lost without your way We had it all My undivided Let's change the way we are We'll have it all, just like before Hold me close Guilt and pain has made me, honest once again So can I show you all, the lessons learnt, now How long for the perfect time If not now then when, oh how long No, don't be silent We can be true again No need to wait Wait for now Our walls come down Reveal to me No need to wait For me to see Now is the time Reveal to me If not now, when For me to see
Zero One / This Fantasy (feat. Grey Reverend) In this fantasy Everyone needs someone to believe Hold you Hold me Lay your hands on me Everyone needs someone to believe Hold you Hold me And we have been silent But we don't belong The fate is decided And the beauty is gone In this fantasy Everyone is someone to believe Hold you Hold me Lay your hands on me Everyone needs someone to believe Hold you Hold me Cause I won't let you go When the rain comes falling You hear the voices calling So far So far So far away I've been dreaming about it It's all that I know We can go on without it But the beauty won't show In this fantasy Everyone is someone to believe Hold you Hold me Lay your hands on me Everyone needs someone to believe Hold you Hold me Everyone needs someone to believe I won't let you go When the rain comes falling And you hear the voices calling So far So far away So far So far So far So far away So far So far So far
A Promise (feat. Heidi Vogel) I'd say I won But lost This war Although My remains In that Heart Of yours Sky And I can see Sky And I can see The sky in me Sky And I can see Sky And I can see My soul I pray The rain Will wash The pain From me Sky And I can see Sky And I can see The sky in me Sky And I can see Sky And I can see My soul I pray the rain will stop the pain Storm in my heart start to fade My tears fall down and wash away The pain Although, I remain in that Although, I remain in that Although, I remain in that Although, I remain in that heart Of yours Of yours Of yours Of yours Of yours Of yours
Non Albums Tracks
Horizon
( feat. Niara Scarlett / Horizon, maxi-single, 2002 ) So far I see That I hold the key to an Ever may be In this life for me I know I'm strong And I will make it through I'll make it through All I can say is keep looking forward don't look back Take time to understand in this life just where you're at You got so much precious time to yourself just be true, be true to you You know your beauty shines within You know your soul will always win Waiting for motion to begin Rising In storm this day There's a new horizon Be you, be free And set your life to motion Don't be afraid of who you are Just keep on rising 'Cause all you can do is keep moving forward don't stand back Make the most of what you got and forget what's in your past So difficult to see, just open up your eyes And realize You know your beauty shines within You know your soul always wins Waiting for motion to begin Rising You know your beauty shines within You know your soul always wins Waiting for the motion to begin Rising
*** Thanx a lot to Billy for this one ***
Lilac wine ( Words by J. Shelton / Performed by Nina Simone) I lost myself on a cool damp night I gave myself in that misty light Was hypnotized by a strange delight Under a lilac tree I made wine from the lilac tree Put my heart in its recipe It makes me see what I want to see And be what I want to be When I think more than I want to think Do things I never should do I drink much more than I ought to drink Because it brings me back you Lilac wine is sweet and heady Like my love Lilac wine, I feel unsteady Like my love Listen to me, I cannot see clearly Isn't that she, coming to me Nearly here Lilac wine is sweet and heady Where's my love Lilac wine, I feel unsteady Where's my love Listen to me, why is everything so hazy Isn't that she, or am I just going crazy, dear Lilac wine, I feel unready for my love Feel unready, for my love