Hackney Colliery Band
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Since 2009, east London musical pioneers Hackney Colliery Band have pushed the boundaries of brass band conventions, building a steadfast fanbase with their joyous live shows and slew of heralded releases. Now fifteen years deep into their collective journey, and with some incredible career highlights to note (such as performing to 80,000 people at the opening of the 2012 Olympic Games in London), the 9 piece outfit prepare to announce their 6th full-length offering, the hotly anticipated ‘Collaborations : Volume Two’. Whereas their fifth album ‘Collaborations: Volume One featured a range of World Music legends including Grammy-winning Beninese vocalist Angélique Kidjo and godfather of Ethiopian jazz Mulatu Astatke, ‘Volume Two’ sees HCB focus on songs and singers, alongside a sprinkling of instrumentals featuring harp, guitar, cello, and even conch shells.
As anyone who has attempted any degree of social organisation will attest, it is no mean feat to gather nine people in one place, at the same time, on a semi-regular basis, never mind taking this group of people all over the world to play instrumental music. Add into the mix an industry where artists are encouraged to find a genre niche and stick to it – advice HCB have joyously ignored for their fifteen year career – and the community and kinship that HCB have built up over this time seems even more remarkable.Frontman/composer Steve Pretty and composers Olly Blackman and Luke Christie say of this release: ‘It’s a privilege and joy to still be playing together after all these years, and especially to be pushing each other to be as creative and innovative as we can be. The process of collaborating with so many amazing artists, and the freshness that’s brought to the project is endlessly inspiring. Some of this music started life almost a decade ago, and other tracks are only a few months old, but we’re so proud of the breadth of musical talent on display with this record.’ A testament to their tenure and calibre as musicians, ‘Collaborations : Volume Two’ is an exuberant and original addition to HCB’s already impressive and varied catalogue, highlighting their restlessly collaborative and creative instincts.
