Omega Institute
Bristol dub jazz trio hit their groove...
Who?
Formed in 2019 and with influences ranging from Can to Teo Macero to Merzbow, Omega Institute's output sits somewhere between free jazz and experimental dub, while their love of frantic, futuristic electronics has been compared to that of Tristram Cary's soundtrack for the disturbing 1967 sci-fi horror 'Quatermass And The Pit'. They started life as a duo comprising electronics maestro Nigel Bryant and drummer Aidan Searle, who first met at one of Bristo's numerous free improvisation events. They soon realised their sound was missing the punch of that all-important low end, though, so in came bassist Carl Cottrell, who has since been replaced by Jeff Green.
Why Omega Institute?
Everyone who listens to Omega Institute seems to pick different reference points," say the trio. It's easy to see why. The insistent drum grooves and cosmic synth squeals of 'Pulse Ritual' from 2021 album 'Panic Mount' might be a point of entry for one, while the cacophonous blips and beeps of 'Subtle Petrichor' from this year's 'Theoretical Domains' might appeal to another. No doubt this range is in part due tyo their heavily extemporaneous approach, both in the studio (where the group tend to improvise and edit the recordings) and when they're out plauing live (they can often be found contributing to improvisation events such as Broken Numbers).
Tell Us More...
The band's second album of the year, ' Interval Approach', was recordin in Bristol's now-defunct Bink Bonk studio and mixed in a day. The record retains a sense of nagging immediacy throughout, with tracks like 'Kinection' and 'Liquid Knowledge' blending tidal waves of stuttering electronics with dubby rhythms that are as hypnotic as they are intense. An acquired taste for some, perhaps, but you can bet at Can would be fans.
Words - Imogen Bebb, Electronic Sound Magazine
