Ishmael Ensemble

Sydney Festival: Ishmael Ensemble

Sydney Festival presents spiritual jazz, electronica and dub from Bristol’s finest, at ACO On The Pier as part of its 2025 program.

✬✬✬✬ “Music that’s pitched somewhere between astral jazz, burbling electronica, trippy minimalism, psychedelic dub and 20 years of club culture.” – The Guardian

With their boundary-pushing mix of astral jazz, psychedelic dub and electronica drawn from two decades of club culture, Bristol’s Ishmael Ensemble have blasted beyond the ‘new UK jazz’ tag to carve out their own distinct sonic terrain.

Formed in 2017 by producer, DJ and saxophonist Pete Cunningham, the collective rose to fame with their acclaimed 2019 debut A State of Flow, a record that combined lush, cinematic compositions with left-field dub and electronic sensibilities. They expanded their sound with soaring strings and guitars on their 2021 follow-up Visions of Light, a layered epic that drew rave reviews for its “soft-as-silk touch” (The Guardian).

Released in September 2024, their new album Rituals marks another significant leap forward for the band, pushing their sound in scope to incorporate everything from left-field electronics and dub to soul and beyond. 

Patrons are advised that this event is predominantly standing room only.

Discover all Sydney Festival events at ACO On The Pier

CONCERT duration
60 mins (no interval)