Claude Cooper – Myriad Sounds

It’s pretty certain that out there in the world somewhere, more than one person named Claude Cooper exists. It’s equally certain that no one named Claude Cooper is actually involved with this amazing new band, composed of various notable names from the music scene in Bristol, the southwest English city that brought us Banksy, Tricky, trip hop and notorious sound-system riots. The killer first single “Tangerine Dreams” showcases Roni Size & Reprazent associate Si John’s tensile, talkative upright bass. Pete Judge of sturdy jazz-rockers, Get The Blessing, contributes his trumpet, working wonderfully with John on “Two Mile Hill.” In-demand hip-hop flautist Nathan “Flutebox” Lee (centre stage on “Bloom Fields”), Portishead-adjacent guitarist Sean Snook, and BEAK> bassist Billy Fuller are also on board. Breakbeats are the basic building block of most tracks, and drummer Anthony “Errol” Flynn doesn’t disappoint with his crisp, disruptive delivery. Another vital element is the salacious, abrasive squawk of Jeff Hollie’s saxophone. “St Nicks House“ and “Holy Water” are momentary lapses into murky mystery music, respite from the kicking and biting elsewhere, and there’s a light dub rinse throughout to bring out the flavours. Raw and impatient, the debut album, Myriad Sounds, recalls, in the best way possible, the heyday of Ninja Tune 20 years ago, and even the loft-party jazz-punk of NYC circa 1980—all while being very much in line with the current swell of quirky, kick-ass crossover jams emanating from England.