misha phillips
amazing debut. it's hard to imagine one person composing, playing and recording all these parts so meticulously. imo the longer these pieces develop for, the more engaging and satisfying they become. there is no messing about on this disc whatsoever.
Favorite track: Guitar, Bass & Drums II.
Special thanks to Elaine Wolvey, Joe Potts, Lee Starkey, Benjamin Guenther, Marta Ptaszkiewicz
“Caution: heavy lifting required. Ensemble 1’s stirring debut album nudges at the boundaries of rhythmic comprehension, refusing to dumb anything down for the listener throughout its three mammoth tracks.” – 9/10 Invicta Media
“This is so freaking weird. This is also so freaking interesting. A mighty progressive instrumental effort that asks you to embrace the notion that nothing is ever what you might expect it to be. That’s the mantra of Ensemble 1’s Guitars, Bass & Drums. Expect the unexpected and still expect to be surprised regardless. It’s diverse music that shifts and shimmers like a mirage in the baking hot desert.” – 8/10 Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life
“I love when metal bands take inspiration from musical concepts. No, more than inspiration, fascination. Ensemble 1 shows us just that, and they’re fascinated with, as they put it, “geometrical principles, rhythmic complexity, and auditory hallucinations”. So, what they’ve given us as a result is Guitar, Bass, and Drums, a rather self-explanatory title for an album consisting of compositions of intertwining voices for guitar, bass, and drums. And it’s amazing!” - Can this even be called music?
“…this is pretty exciting stuff — it’s definitely got a lot of hayday post-rock feels for me, but it’s definitely something that’ll sit well with metallers who like to get stoned (though it’s rarely metal-heavy)… A welcome kick up the arse for lazy, composition-averse rock bands, in short.” - Freq
“It's rare to find an album that really doesn’t sound quite like anything else, but on the evidence of ‘Guitar, Bass, & Drums’, Ensemble 1 have found their own particular niche.” – 8/10 Whisperin’ & Hollerin’
“The thing is, this album is virtually impossible to be categorized stylistically. Some of it actually sounds like a Rage Against The Machine rehearsal session gone nuts.” – The Noise Beneath The Snow
“Imagine, Alex Gallieni and Sicker Man teaming up with Shalosh, and you might receive a similar sonic experience like this album. "Guitar, Bass & Drums" contains 47 minutes of intelligent, exciting, versatile music that will not only please fans of Prog and Math.” – MangoWave
Ensemble 1 combine minimalist composition methods with speed, volume and intricate percussion techniques to create
gargantuan soundscapes. Eschewing traditional narratives in favour of geometrical principles, rhythmic complexity and auditory hallucinations, a commitment to an otherworldly sonic experience is at the centre of the group....more
A modern minimalist masterpiece in an unconventional context, they took the standard jazz trio format and created an electronica-influenced polyrhythmic sound-world spanning 45 minutes. Ensemble 1
It's hard to describe Yawn adequately in a short space, but this album is one of the most original things we've heard in a long time, and it's absolutely killer. Ensemble 1
The Dublin trio melds post-rock and jazz, adding electronic touches, for a signature sound that's energetic, spacious, and resonant. Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 2, 2019