Madvillain Vol. 1: Abstract Orchestra

LP version. Originally released in 2018. Led by saxophonist Rob Mitchell, Abstract Orchestra have been a consistent presence on the UK music scene, touring constantly in promotion of their debut LP Dilla and follow up 45 New Day featuring Illa J, steadily building a loyal and supportive fanbase.

•  Led by saxophonist Rob Mitchell, Abstract Orchestra have been a consistent presence on the UK music scene, touring constantly in promotion of their debut LP Dilla.
• Madvillain Vol. 1 takes the template of their debut LP Dilla and applies the same approach to the collaboration of MF Doom and Madlib, aka "Madvillain" and their albums Madvillainy and Madvillain 2.
• Sampling the likes of Sun Ra, Bill Evans, Freddie Hubbard, George Duke, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder gave the albums a jazz oriented feel and ethos which in turn lend themselves perfectly to the deconstruction and re-imagining of Abstract Orchestra.

Inspired by the legendary live performances of The Roots with Jay-Z and the 40-piece orchestral arrangements by Miguel Atwood Ferguson of the work of J Dilla, classic arranging techniques underpin modern loop-based structures, breathing new life into familiar material.

The band itself is based on the classic jazz big band instrumentation of saxes, trumpets and trombones and features the cream of the north of England's jazz scene who collectively have played with Jamiroquai, Corinne Bailey Rae, Mark Ronson, Martha Reeves, John Legend & the Roots, Roots Manuva, and Amy Winehouse.

Madvillain Vol. 1 takes the template of their debut LP Dilla and applies the same approach to the collaboration of MF Doom and Madlib, aka "Madvillain" and their albums Madvillainy and Madvillain 2. Sampling the likes of Sun Ra, Bill Evans, Freddie Hubbard, George Duke, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder gave the albums a jazz oriented feel and ethos which in turn lend themselves perfectly to the deconstruction and re-imagining of Abstract Orchestra.

As with their debut, all the tracks were recorded live in the studio with very few overdubs. Abstract Orchestra's Madvillain Vol 1 explores the jazz, TV soundtrack and film score aspect of the original work, combining it with classic big band writing and a focus on improvisation. There is a strong influence of Quincy Jones, Lalo Schifrin and David Shire on the album, and the arranger Rob Mitchell crafts his own sound that inhabits the space between Madlib's production and Quincy Jones' writing.