Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere - Theta Three

Third release by the improvising rock group Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere, a 7 piece outfit referencing the music of Terry Riley, prog and Krautrock explorations with a contemporary electronic edge. This double CD showcases the core band at their best- innovative improvisation, haunting hypnotic grooves and blasts of sheer exuberance. It has been simmering since 2015, when bass and drums laid down inspiring rhythms and a day's recorded improvisations in the studio led to a collection of infinite complexity and powerful pieces.

Had Pink Floyd's Ummagumma taken a jazzy detour, the results could resemble much of Theta Three...This collection of composed and improvised pieces is permeated with a spacey, psychedelic effervescence. Brooding bass-saturated landscapes, arcs of echoing electronics, thickets of ruminative horns, terse violin arrangements and chilly drifts of Mellotron create an immersive world that evokes the analogue spirit and tonalities of early minimalism and capacious mind-expanding playfulness of Kosmische Musik's pioneers. - Sid Smith, PROG

Martin Archer - keyboards, electronics, saxophones, clarinets, flute, bass recorder, bass harmonica
Chris Bywater - keyboards, electronics, laptop, percussion, voice
Steve Dinsdale - electronic drum kit, keyboards
frostlake - voice, electronics, viola
Yvonna Magda - violin, electronics
Walt Shaw - percussion, electronics, voice
Terry Todd - bass guitar
George Murray - trombone
Paul Schatzberger - violin
Aby Vulliamy - viola
Angela Rosenfeld - cello