Szun Waves

Szun Waves unites three respected musicians whose individual paths reflect progressive and experimental leanings. The ensemble first appeared with At Sacred Walls in 2016 and then applied a strict no-edits policy to New Hymn to Freedom in 2018. They resurfaced in 2022 with Earth Patterns, an album shaped by more complete compositions and shared authorship.

The project began through an exchange between producer and synthesizer artist Luke Abbott, best known for solo work on James Holden's Border Community imprint, and saxophonist Jack Wyllie of Portico Quartet and Circle Traps. Drummer Laurence Pike, previously active with Triosk and Pivot/PVT, completed the lineup. During three days in March 2015 the musicians recorded at Holden's Sacred Walls studio in London. Abbott edited and mixed the untouched takes, and the resulting six tracks surfaced the following May on Buffalo Temple, the label he runs with Gareth Dobson.

Szun Waves next moved to The Leaf Label and elected to omit overdubs or edits entirely. They documented six improvisations that appeared in August 2018 as New Hymn to Freedom. After a European tour in 2019 the members spent three days improvising in the studio with the intention of building their next album from those sessions. When the COVID-19 pandemic stranded them in separate regions, they chose to develop the material further with assistance from Holden and producer/engineer David Pye. Three, an EP of unused tracks from the New Hymn to Freedom sessions, was issued in 2020. The group's third album, Earth Patterns, followed in 2022.