Submotion Orchestra

Submotion Orchestra, a seven-piece group blending electronic and jazz elements, wove together bass, soul, ambient electronica, jazz, and dub textures, all elevated by the sultry vocals of singer Ruby Wood. York Arts Council commissioned the project in 2009, tasking founding members Tommy Evans of Gentleman's Dub Club and Dom "Ruckspin" Howard of Author with creating a classical/dub crossover composition for performance at York Minster. Following the event's strong reception, Evans and Howard headed back to their Leeds, U.K., base carrying a fresh creative outlook along with the connections needed to recruit additional players.

The ensemble earned acclaim for its dynamic live performances, beginning with a weekly residency at the Leeds venue Hukaz that built a local following. The group soon moved onto the broader U.K. festival circuit, where its sound and the upbeat mood it generated turned the act into a consistent crowd favorite. Its debut album, Finest Hour, arrived in 2011 on Ranking Records and drew ongoing endorsement from BBC Radio 6 DJ Gilles Peterson. Fragments, the follow-up, appeared the next year; shortly afterward, Counter Records, an offshoot of Ninja Tune, reached out regarding future releases. That partnership yielded the third album Alium in 2014 and the fourth, Colour Theory, in 2016.