Spaceways

Spaceways, the hip-hop/jazz fusion outfit, issue recordings through Bristol's Cup of Tea imprint. That label's output from Grantby, Red, Monk & Canatella, and Purple Penguin joined efforts by more visible local acts including Massive Attack and Portishead to position the city as an emerging center for hazy, dub-infused, jazz-tinged headphone music. The band advocates a groove-oriented, performance-rooted blend of funky programmed rhythms and live drums alongside abundant brass, guitars, upright bass, and further acoustic elements rarely heard in club-oriented electronica. Alongside Red Snapper and Propellerheads, Spaceways belong to an emerging wave of acts that revisit dance music's origins in real-time playing. The seven-piece ensemble, which includes a horn section, came together in 1989 during the peak of Britain's acid-jazz movement, a background plainly audible on their initial Cup of Tea singles "Japanese Flute" and the debut album Trad—though the jazz here favors a looser, less polished feel than the Talkin' Loud and Acid Jazz material that defined the era. The group maintains a busy touring schedule and remains a fixture in Bristol via Cup of Tea's ongoing club nights, which regularly mix DJ sets, visual work, and live performances.