Leeds’ Submotion Orchestra used to hone its sound with a weekly residency at Hukaz Bar. It was a live workshop that fed into the songwriting of early records. But with lead singer Ruby Wood on sabbatical to focus on motherhood, the group reshaped to invite a more collaborative texture to Colour Theory.
The sound began to shift with the explorations found on EP III, as producer Dom Ruckspin explored their instrumental side. It was a three-song cycle of IDM that chopped the vocals into digital coos that sprout from the ether. A brief getting over in the absence of Wood. With the recording of Colour Theory, digital realm meets the smokey jazz fusion instantly on “Red Dress”, which features Wood, whereas “Kimono” reflects the group’s enduring instrumental IDM prowess. The record features collaborations with vocalists like Andrew Ashong, Billy Boothroyd, Ed Thomas, and an artist that simply goes by Still. With Wood playing an auxiliary role on Colour Theory, Submotion Orchestra seek a spectrum of sounds.
For Submotion Orchestra’s “Colour Theory Club Mix Pt.2” Ruckspin delved into his memory banks for a collection that warms his soul. The mix is a point of pride for him, as he defines “proper warehouse club” as recalls it coming up in Leeds. He explains below:
This mix showcases some of the Submotion material (originals and remixes) in what I would consider a proper warehouse club or late-night festival environment. As the mix progresses, it wavers between modern techno stylings, choppy “future garage” shufflers, and a more dubbed-out vibe that makes me reminisce about some heady times down at the Leeds West Indian Community Centre. Either way, it’s about that point when the dancing shoes are firmly on and you lose yourself in the darkened haze of flashing lights and smiling faces. Of course it wouldn’t be right to have a mix that harked back to Leeds raving days without having that hint of “LFO (Leeds Warehouse mix)” at the end though would it?!
Submotion Orchestra’s Colour Theory is out now on Bandcamp.
“Colour Theory Club Mix Pt.2” tracklisting:
01 Howling, “X Machina” (Cubicolour remix)
02 Dave DK, “Whitehill” ft. Piper Davis
03 Submotion Orchestra, “Needs” ft. Andrew Ashong
04 Del, “Move” (Menik remix)
05 Submotion Orchestra, “Swan Song” (Kidnap Kid remix)
06 Pan-Pot, “Sleepless” (Stephan Bodzin remix)
07 Moderat, “Bad Kingdom” (DJ Koze remix)
08 Close, “Wallflower” ft. Fink (Huxley remix)
09 Leo James & Quark, “Daydream in Dub”
10 Klaves, “Hope It Gets To Love” (Fault Lines remix)
11 Submotion Orchestra, “Damn Hot” (Troy Gunner remix)
12 Submotion Orchestra, “Jaffa” ft. Still
13 Aphex Twin, “Window Licker”
14 LFO, “LFO” (Leeds Warehouse mix)
