{{short description|British nu jazz group}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}} {{Use British English|date=August 2015}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | name = The Cinematic Orchestra | image = The cinematic orchestra.JPG | caption = The Cinematic Orchestra in 2009 | landscape = yes | alias = | origin = London, England | genre = {{hlist|Nu jazz|electronic|downtempo|modern classical}} | years_active = 1999–present | label = {{hlist|Ninja Tune|Domino}} | associated_acts = {{hlist|DJ Food|Roots Manuva}} | website = {{URL|http://cinematicorchestra.com}} | current_members = * Jason Swinscoe * Phil France * Luke Flowers * Tom Chant * Nick Ramm * Stuart McCallum | past_members = * Jamie Coleman * T. Daniel Howard * Federico Ughi * Alex James * Patrick Carpenter * Clean Sadness * John Ellis }}
'''The Cinematic Orchestra''' is a British nu jazz and downtempo music group created in 1999 by Jason Swinscoe and later involving his music collaborator Dominic Smith.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Cinematic Orchestra |url=https://www.dominomusic.com/artists/the-cinematic-orchestra |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=Domino Recording Company |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-07 |title=The Cinematic Orchestra: A Collaborative Reset |url=https://xlr8r.com/features/the-cinematic-orchestra-a-collaborative-reset/ |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=XLR8R |language=en-US}}</ref> The group is signed to independent record label Ninja Tune.
The Cinematic Orchestra have produced four studio albums, ''Motion'' (1999), ''Every Day'' (2002), ''Ma Fleur'' (2007) and ''To Believe'' (2019), and two film soundtrack albums, ''Man with a Movie Camera'' (2003) and ''The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos'' (2009).
In addition to Swinscoe, the band includes former DJ Food member PC (Patrick Carpenter) on turntables, Luke Flowers on drums, Tom Chant on saxophone, Nick Ramm on piano, Stuart McCallum on guitar, Phil France on double bass. Former members include Jamie Coleman (trumpet), T. Daniel Howard (drums), Federico Ughi (drums), Alex James (piano), and Clean Sadness (synthesizer, programming). Heidi Vogel (vocals) appears as a regular collaborator.
Swinscoe and Carpenter have also recorded together under the band name Neptune.
==Style== The Cinematic Orchestra's sound, in both live and studio contexts, employs a live band which improvises along with a turntablist and electronic elements such as samples provided by Swinscoe. In their studio releases Swinscoe will often remix the live source material to produce a combination of live jazz improvisation with electronica,<ref>{{cite news|first1=Interview by Matt|last1=Munday|access-date=2019-04-09|title=Jason Swinscoe: 'I'm not doing this to make a pop song that's on Radio 1 for two weeks'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/13/cinematic-orchestra-jason-swinscoe-q-and-a-to-believe|newspaper=The Observer|date=13 November 2016|issn=0029-7712|via=The Guardian}}</ref> such that it is difficult to tell where the improvisation ends and the production begins.
==History== Swinscoe first formed a group called ''Crabladder'' in 1990, whilst studying Fine Art at Cardiff College,<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2019-04-09|title=Cinematic Orchestra|url=https://www.atpfestival.com/artist/cinematicorchestra|website=All Tomorrow's Parties}}</ref> releasing one official single on his own ''Power Tools'' label.
The Cinematic Orchestra's debut album, ''Motion,'' was released in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2019-04-09|title=The Cinematic Orchestra: Motion|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1467-motion/|website=Pitchfork}}</ref> The critical success of that album led to them being asked to perform at the Director's Guild Awards ceremony for the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to film director Stanley Kubrick.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://exclaim.ca/Interviews/FromTheMagazine/cinematic_orchestrascore|title=The Cinematic Orchestra...Score!|first=Joshua|last=Ostroff|work=Exclaim.ca|date=June 2002|access-date=10 August 2013}}</ref>
The band were asked by the organisers of the Porto European City of Culture 2001 festival to write a new score to Dziga Vertov's classic 1929 Soviet Union film ''Man with a Movie Camera,'' to be performed live in accompaniment with a showing of the silent film.<ref name="empireonline">{{cite web|first1=PHIL DE|last1=SEMLYEN|access-date=9 April 2019|title=Alternative Silent Film Scores To Knock Your Socks Off|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/alternative-silent-scores/|date=10 August 2012|website=Empire}}</ref> The work differed from the band's usual compositions due to its live performance, ruling out the post production work that was present on ''Motion.'' The Cinematic Orchestra toured the work and later released it as an album.<ref name="empireonline"/><ref>{{cite news|first1=Peter|last1=Bradshaw|access-date=2019-04-09|title=Man With a Movie Camera review – visionary, transformative 1929 experimental film|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jul/30/man-with-a-movie-camera-review|newspaper=The Guardian|date=30 July 2015|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Many of the compositions originally created for that album, ''Man with a Movie Camera,'' were later adapted from live form (adding in vocal tracks and electronic elements, among other changes) for their next album, ''Every Day''. It reached #54 in the UK Albums Chart in May 2002.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book|first=David|last=Roberts|year=2006|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=1-904994-10-5|page=107}}</ref>
In 2006, the band contributed a cover of Radiohead's "Exit Music (For a Film)" for the Radiohead tribute album ''Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads'' as its title track and closing track.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2019-04-09|title=Various Artists: Exit Music: Songs With Radio Heads|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/6663-exit-music-songs-with-radio-heads/|website=Pitchfork}}</ref> In this piece the band slowed down the tempo of the original, divided the timbre into four sections beginning with saxophone, to the classical guitar, to the electric guitar, ending the piece with the same simple acoustic guitar rhythm as the original.
The Cinematic Orchestra released the album ''Ma Fleur'' in May 2007.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2019-04-09|title=The Cinematic Orchestra: Ma Fleur|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/10334-ma-fleur/|website=Pitchfork}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Pascal|last1=Wyse|access-date=2019-04-09|title=He shoots, he scores|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/may/11/electronicmusic|newspaper=The Guardian|date=11 May 2007|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Stuart|last1=Nicholson|access-date=2019-04-09|title=CD: Cinematic Orchestra, Ma Fleur|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/apr/22/jazz.shopping|newspaper=The Observer|date=21 April 2007|issn=0029-7712|via=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Robert|last1=Jackman|access-date=2019-04-09|title=BBC - Music - Review of Cinematic Orchestra - Ma Fleur|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/fpzf/|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> Several songs feature Patrick Watson, Fontella Bass, or Lou Rhodes on vocals, with Rhodes and Watson sharing vocals on one song.
The Cinematic Orchestra recorded the soundtrack to the Disneynature film ''The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos,''<ref>{{cite web|first1=Jordan|last1=Mintzer|access-date=2019-04-09|title=The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos|url=https://variety.com/2009/film/reviews/the-crimson-wing-mystery-of-the-flamingos-1200473080/|date=26 January 2009}}</ref> released in France in December 2008 (originally as ''Les ailes pourpres: Le mystère des flamants).'' The score was produced by the band and Steve McLaughlin. The score was performed live with the London Metropolitan Orchestra at Union Chapel, Islington in September 2009<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2019-04-09|title=The readers' choice of 2009 culture|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/the-readers-choice-of-2009-culture-1847127.html|date=22 December 2009|website=The Independent}}</ref> and won the award for Best Original Score for a Documentary Film at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival in Wyoming, USA in October 2009.{{cn|date=June 2025}}
Ninja Tune invited the Cinematic Orchestra to perform at the twentieth anniversary gala performance of the label at the Royal Albert Hall in November 2010.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2019-04-09|title=The Cinematic Orchestra, Royal Albert Hall, London|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/the-cinematic-orchestra-royal-albert-hall-london-2136937.html|date=18 November 2010|website=The Independent}}</ref>
In 2011, the Cinematic Orchestra commissioned a series of compositions for avant-garde short films<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2019-04-09|title=The Cinematic Orchestra: In Motion #1|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16845-in-motion-1/|website=Pitchfork}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=2019-04-09|title=The Cinematic Orchestra launch new series, In Motion|url=https://www.residentadvisor.net/news/16884|website=Resident Advisor}}</ref> that were performed at the Barbican Centre under the auspices of its curating a series entitled "In Motion" (also featuring Dorian Concept with saxophonist Tom Chant, Grey Reverend, and Austin Peralta).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=12527|title=The Cinematic Orchestra|access-date=11 December 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104053448/http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=12527|archive-date=4 November 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> It subsequently released the album ''In Motion #1'' in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2019-04-09|title=The Cinematic Orchestra launch first in new In Motion album series|url=https://www.factmag.com/2012/06/13/the-cinematic-orchestra-launch-first-in-a-new-in-motion-album-series/|date=13 June 2012}}</ref>
In 2015, they created their own version of Melanie De Biasio's track "I'm Gonna Leave You" for the album ''Gilles Peterson presents - No Deal Remixed''.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2020-07-09|title=Gilles Peterson presents... Melanie De Biasio 'No Deal'|url=https://www.frontview-magazine.be/en/news/gilles-peterson-presents-melanie-de-biasio-no-deal|date=2 December 2014|website=Frontview Magazine}}</ref>
Their fourth studio album, ''To Believe,'' was released in March 2019.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2019-04-06|title=The Cinematic Orchestra make a remarkable comeback on To Believe - album review|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/cinematic-orchestra-review-to-believe-album-release-date-a8822431.html|date=14 March 2019|website=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Rachel|last1=Aroesti|access-date=2019-04-06|title=The Cinematic Orchestra: To Believe review – soundscape originators' accomplished return|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/15/the-cinematic-orchestra-to-believe-review-ninja-tune-electronica-soundscape|newspaper=The Guardian|date=15 March 2019|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Damien|last1=Morris|access-date=2019-04-06|title=The Cinematic Orchestra: To Believe review – heartbreakingly brilliant|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/17/the-cinematic-orchestra-to-believe-review|newspaper=The Observer|date=17 March 2019|issn=0029-7712|via=The Guardian}}</ref>
==Song appearances== {{Section cleanup|reason=this section contains redundancies and unsourced claims.|date=April 2023}} "To Build a Home", from the album ''Ma Fleur'' and featuring the vocals of the Canadian singer-songwriter Patrick Watson, has been used extensively in film and television. In 2008, the song was used for the Chivas Regal ''Live with Chivalry'' advertisement.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/49Yzx06RLUo Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20091130195739/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49Yzx06RLUo Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49Yzx06RLUo|title=The Movement, Live with Chivalry, Chivas|date=30 October 2008|access-date=11 December 2016|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=June 2025}} It has also been featured in the films ''Trinidad'', ''The Tree'', ''Polytechnique'', and the 2011 shorts ''Rapha Continental'' and ''This Is Brighton''.{{cn|date=June 2025}}
It was also featured in August 2013 for an extended trailer of the upcoming third series of ''Homeland'' on Showtime. It appeared in the 2009 documentary ''Ingredients: Who's Your Farmer?'' about the local food movement. The song's slow, melancholy melody provided an easy, smooth transition from the first half of the documentary to the next. In 2012, the song was used in a video named "The Most Astounding Fact", in which science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson answers a question posed by a ''Time'' magazine reader. The video was edited by freelance videographer Max Schlickenmeyer who posted it to YouTube, where it garnered more than 9 million views.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/9D05ej8u-gU Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120305150554/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D05ej8u-gU Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D05ej8u-gU|title=The Most Astounding Fact - Neil deGrasse Tyson|last=Max Schlickenmeyer|date=2 March 2012|access-date=11 December 2016|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 2013, the song was used in an advertisement for Guinness featuring wheelchair basketballers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwndLOKQTDs| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904202456/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwndLOKQTDs&gl=US&hl=en| archive-date=2013-09-04 | url-status=dead|title=Guinness basketball commercial|date=3 September 2013|access-date=11 December 2016|via=YouTube}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=June 2025}}
A shorter version of the song "That Home", with a slightly different composition, has also been used on occasion, such as an episode of ''Teen Wolf'', in an episode of ''Suits'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://heardontv.com/tvshow/Suits/Season%202/Break%20Point |title=music from Suits - Break Point |access-date=19 August 2012}}</ref> in the trailer for the 2011 film ''Another Earth'' and in the ABC drama ''Defying Gravity''. It also featured in the season seven finale of the FOX dance competition ''So You Think You Can Dance''. It was also featured as one of the dance performance songs in the 2012 film ''Step Up Revolution''.{{cn|date=June 2025}}
==Discography== ===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:22em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Details ! scope="col" colspan="4"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Certifications |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UK<br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/2274/cinematic-orchestra/|title=Cinematic Orchestra {{!}} full Official Chart history|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=23 March 2019}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| BEL<br>(Fl)<br><ref name="bel-fl">{{cite web|url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=The+Cinematic+Orchestra|title=The Cinematic Orchestra discography|website=ultratop.be/nl|access-date=1 September 2013}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| FRA<br><ref name="fra">{{cite web|url=http://lescharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=The+Cinematic+Orchestra|title=The Cinematic Orchestra discography|website=Les Charts|access-date=1 September 2013}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| SWI<br><ref name="swi">{{cite web|url=http://hitparade.ch/showinterpret.asp?interpret=The+Cinematic+Orchestra|title=The Cinematic Orchestra discography|website=itparade.ch|access-date=1 September 2013}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| ''Motion'' | * Released: 27 September 1999 * Label: Ninja Tune * Format: Digital download, CD | — || — || — || — | |- ! scope="row"| ''Every Day'' | * Released: 27 April 2002 * Label: Ninja Tune * Format: Digital download, CD | 54 || — || 124 || — | |- ! scope="row"| ''Ma Fleur'' | * Released: 7 May 2007 * Label: Ninja Tune, Domino * Format: Digital download, CD | 44 || 37 || 71 || 94 | * BPI: Silver<ref name="BPI">{{cite certification|region=United Kingdom|artist=Cinematic Orchestra|access-date=26 November 2022}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| ''To Believe'' | * Released: 15 March 2019 * Label: Ninja Tune, Domino * Format: Digital download, CD | 19 || 24 || 87 || 37 | |- | colspan="20" style="font-size:85%;"| "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released. |}
===Soundtrack albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" style="width:22em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:16em;"| Details |- ! scope="row"| ''Man with a Movie Camera'' | * Released: 26 May 2003 * Label: Ninja Tune * Format: Digital download, CD |- ! scope="row"| ''The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos'' | * Released: 26 October 2008 * Label: Ninja Tune * Format: Digital download, CD |}
===Live albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" style="width:22em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:16em;"| Details |- ! scope="row"| ''Live at the Big Chill'' | * Released: August 2007<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/Cinematic-Orchestra-Live-At-The-Big-Chill-03082007/release/1272456 |title= The Cinematic Orchestra – Live At The Big Chill 03.08.2007 |website=Discogs |date= August 2007 |access-date=2 May 2016 }}</ref> * Label: Ninja Tune * Format: Digital download, CD |- ! scope="row"| ''Live at the Royal Albert Hall'' | * Released: 14 April 2008 * Label: Ninja Tune * Format: Digital download, CD |}
===Remix albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" style="width:22em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:16em;"| Details |- ! scope="row"| ''Remixes 98–2000'' | * Released: 13 November 2000 * Label: Ninja Tune * Format: Digital download, CD |}
===Mix albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" style="width:22em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:16em;"| Details |- ! scope="row"| ''Late Night Tales: The Cinematic Orchestra'' | * Released: 14 June 2010 * Label: Late Night Tales * Format: Digital download, CD |}
===Other albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" style="width:22em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:16em;"| Details |- ! scope="row"| ''The Cinematic Orchestra presents In Motion #1'' | * Released: 2012 * Label: Ninja Tune * Format: Digital download, CD |- ! scope="row"| ''The Swimmer''<br/><span style="font-size:85%;">(Phil France album)</span> | * Released: 2013 * Label: Ninja Tune * Format: Digital download, CD |}
===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:1em;"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Certifications ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| FRA<br><ref name="fra"/> |- ! scope="row"| "Diabolus" | rowspan="2"| 1999 | — | | rowspan="2"| ''Motion'' |- ! scope="row"| "Channel 1 Suite" / "Ode to the Big Sea" | — | |- ! scope="row"| "All That You Give"<br/><span style="font-size:85%;">(featuring Fontella Bass)</span> | rowspan="3"| 2002 | — | | rowspan="3"| ''Every Day'' |- ! scope="row"| "Horizon"<br/><span style="font-size:85%;">(featuring Niara Scarlett)</span> | — | |- ! scope="row"| "Man with the<!--NB "the" is correct; the album has a different title--> Movie Camera" | — | |- ! scope="row"| "To Build a Home"<br/><span style="font-size:85%;">(featuring Patrick Watson)</span> | rowspan="2"| 2007 | 96 | * BPI: Platinum<ref name="BPI"/> * MC: 4× Platinum{{Certification Cite Ref|region=Canada|type=single|title=To Build a Home|artist=The Cinematic Orchestra}} * RIAA: 2× Platinum<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gold & Platinum |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=the+cinematic+orchestra#search_section |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=RIAA |language=en-US}}</ref> | rowspan="2"| ''Ma Fleur'' |- ! scope="row"| "Breathe" | — |- ! scope="row"| "Arrival of the Birds" | 2008 | — | | rowspan="3" {{n/a|Non-album singles}} |- ! scope="row"| "Entr'acte" | rowspan="2"| 2011 | — | |- ! scope="row"| "Manhatta" | — | |- ! scope="row"| "To Believe"<br/><span style="font-size:85%;">(featuring Moses Sumney)</span> | 2016 | — | | rowspan="3"| ''To Believe'' |- ! scope="row"| "A Caged Bird / Imitations of Life"<br/><span style="font-size:85%;">(featuring Roots Manuva)</span> | rowspan="2"| 2019 | — | |- ! scope="row"| "A Promise"<br/><span style="font-size:85%;">(featuring Heidi Vogel)</span> | — | |- | colspan="20" style="font-size:85%;"| "—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released. |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{official website|http://www.cinematicorchestra.com}} *{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p376075}} *{{discogs artist|The Cinematic Orchestra}} *{{LastFM music|id=The+Cinematic+Orchestra}} * {{musicbrainz artist|name=The Cinematic Orchestra|id=7c158ea8-c0aa-410e-bdc1-20bba9759577}} *[http://ninjatune.net/artist/the-cinematic-orchestra The Cinematic Orchestra] at Ninja Tune
{{The Cinematic Orchestra}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cinematic Orchestra, The}} Category:Ninja Tune artists Category:Acid jazz musicians Category:English electronic music groups Category:English jazz ensembles Category:Musical groups established in 1999 Category:Electronic music groups from London Category:Downtempo musicians Category:Nu jazz musicians Category:1999 establishments in England