Robocobra Quartet

Robocobra Quartet at ICA London

EFG London Jazz Festival presents Robocobra Quartet.

Experimentation is at the core of Robocobra Quartet, whether it be in the fluid line-up (musicians tagging in and out to make up the live touring quartet) or in their unique approach to recording and writing in their hometown of Belfast, N. Ireland.

These juxtapositions are just the beginning of the complex world of Robocobra Quartet - a band serious about their music but humorous in their approach, including members with no musical training alongside members with music conservatoire pedigree. The result is a collective of musicians inspired by Stravinsky and Dead Kennedys in equal measures. On stage, the band are protons and electrons circling drummer-vocalist Chris W Ryan; meticulous arrangements and on-the-spot improvisations hang on every word spoken, sung and shouted by Ryan. These words and rhythms are what propel the music of Robocobra Quartet forward and concoct a sound that is powerful but cerebral too, invoking the likes of Fugazi, Black Midi and Tortoise.

The free nature of the band’s live shows led to them being embraced early on by jazz fanatics just as much as rock fans - once finding themselves in Europe touring a jazz club one night, a house show the next and a pop festival the night after that. These unmatched live performances often channel-hop from moments of joy and playfulness to periods of intense fury, earning the band invitations to Montreux Jazz Festival, Glastonbury and as far as Inversia Festival in the arctic circle whilst receiving acclaim from the likes of The Quietus, MOJO, BBC 6Music and KEXP.