The Cinematic Orchestra did not put their name just out of the blue. They actually are cinematic and pretty much orchestral. But this compilation of remixes done by the group, but also a couple of their own songs remixed by other artists, is on the groovier side of music. The feel is still atmospheric, only the flow gets speeded up a bit. It is a record that puts the remix genre on a higher level, proving that a remix can upgrade, or significantly change, not only the structure but also the essence of a song. With a masterful sound design of the record, as with all of their releases, The Cinematic Orchestra blends jazz, electronica, classical music, and ambient sounds into a distinct musical idiom.
The Cinematic Orchestra is a British nu jazz and electronic music group, created in 1999 by Jason Swinscoe. In addition to Swinscoe, the band includes former DJ Food member PC (Patrick Carpenter) on turntables, Luke Flowers (drums), Tom Chant (saxophone), Nick Ramm (piano), Stuart McCallum (guitar) and Phil France (double bass). Former members include Jamie Coleman (trumpet), T. Daniel Howard (drums), Federico Ughi (drums), Alex James (piano), and Clean Sadness (synthesizer, programming). The most recent addition to the band is Mancunian guitarist Stuart McCallum.
The Cinematic Orchestra's sound, in both live and studio contexts, employs a live band which improvises along with a turntablist and electronic elements such as samples provided by Swinscoe. In their studio releases, Swinscoe will often remix the live source material to produce a combination of live jazz improvisation with electronica, such that it is difficult to tell where the improvisation ends and the production begins. Developing their completely independent style, the group managed to truly bring together the old and the new, the classic and the modern. Samplers and turntables are not placed as chic additions to the stage edge - they are essential to connecting together eras of music, something that The Cinematic Orchestra does so well during these past two decades.
