ENSEMBLE 1

Ensemble 1 biography
It all started when drummer Tom WAY was playing drums in a rock band in the Brighton, UK area and discovered experimental music through the works of Steve REICH, Phillip GLASS and Glenn BRANCA. He began to explore minimalist styles and soon met guitarist Joe POTTS and they started playing together, exploring contrasts with heavy and minimalist music. It wasn't enough to just settle on that though, the duo wanted to be abstract, yet fast and rhythmically centered. The duo collected early music that they had written and experimented with what they had until they assembled the album simply entitled "Guitar, Bass & Drums" which was released in 2021. The duo is already working on their subsequent album with all new material waiting to be recorded.

The band's Bandcamp page says that ENSEMBLE 1 "[c]ombine['s] minimalist composition methods with speed, volume and intricate percussion techniques to create gargantuan soundscapes. Eschewing traditional narratives in favor of geometrical principles, rhythmic complexity and auditory hallucinations, a commitment to an otherworldly sonic experience is at the center of the group." The band incorporates technology to give the listener the impression that they are listening to a large ensemble playing in unison with precision.

The duo cites their influences as Steve RIECH, Phillip GLASS, KING CRIMSON, BATTLES, TOOL, GLenn BRANCA, LEFTFIELD, DON CABALLERO, James TENNEY, John Luther ADAMS, Andrew POPPY, Ingrid MARSHALL and THE FIELD.