Slowly Rolling Camera

This debut from British four piece Slowly Rolling Camera has strong overtones of the Cinematic Orchestra, yet as that band is hardly prolific and it’s genre less than oversubscribed it’s great to hear something that has the same vibe. SRC is composer and keyboard player Dave Stapleton, electronica and ‘sound designer’ Deri Roberts, drummer Elliott Bennett and singer Dionne Bennet. They are joined by a string section, double bass, synths, guitar and sax and produce a glorious sound.

The recording is clearly compressed, the drums quite heavily so, which gives them a density reminiscent of Jaga Jazzist, among others. But this does nothing to undermine the power and luxuriance of this Gearbox mastering. The sleeve notes detail the all-analogue mastering equipment used by this obsessive label, including vintage Scully lathe and Westrex amps. This is the first contemporary release I’ve heard from Gearbox and it’s not disappointed. I hope that Jay Swinscoe of the Cinematics hears it and decides to up his game on the vinyl front. Another reason for the richness of sound is Bennett’s voice and songs; these bring the element of soul to the forefront and make the tunes more than aural wallpaper.