Ogives Big Band is a riff powerhouse hailing from Bristol, UK. Initially formed as an instrumental trio with a view to expand the existing Øgïvęš solo material, the now 4-piece released their debut album, Boisterous Love on 5th July via Bristol label, Stolen Body Records (Slift, Earth Tongue, Karkara, Wyatt E. Vinnum Sabbathi, Paul Jacobs etc).
“In a lot of ways the music could be described as complex or technical, but we try to present it in a way that isn’t overly precise or clinical. It’s very much based on push and pull, so that the human element and feel is emphasized.” says guitarist, Ben Harris.
Ogives was started as a solo home recording project in 2008 by Harris, sporadically recording and releasing ambient and noisy releases. It was at a release show for the EP XrmXfrme in 2018, when all this changed and the set was split into two halves; one solo and one with a full band. It was at this point that Ogives became a Big Band with Oli Cocup on drums and Ben Holyoake on bass, both play on the new record.
The addition of an established and furious rhythm section warped the compositions and song writing process into a new beast entirely. Featuring polyrhythmic soundscapes crashing into brutal breakdowns, blistering riffs melting into luscious ethereal drones and an all encompassing sense of drive and menace.
In 2020, vocalist, Steve Roberts joined Ogives Big Band, transforming a previously instrumental setup into a much fiercer prospect. Replete with furiously yelled vocals, serene croons and abstract lyricism and wordplay.
Roberts explains, “There is a running theme of heroes, and the death of what you assumed were worthy goals in life being falsehoods as you mature. The title ‘Boisterous Love’ is encapsulated in the album artwork; we have mischievous otherworldly elements bestowing their love and grace upon worldly elements that have suffered the rages of time and experience. It’s also taken on a meaning of childhood idolatry and adoration for heroes.”
Since the recording of Boisterous Love in 2023 a new rhythm section has been introduced; Corey Carruthers Bell on bass and John Stewart on drums. This marks a new creative chapter and refreshed approach for the band. The album showcases a move into new musical territories of savage, angular, doom laden sludge, progressive metal and psychedelic stoner rock.
Lyrical themes are delivered by Roberts through irreverent social commentary and abstract metaphors. Each song observing changes in social behaviours and using self-contained narratives which highlight the absurdities of the world we exist in “I wanted to throw my aggression towards things that make me truly furious on this album; to vent about the insane aspects of some parts of modern living that normally leave me speechless in polite conversation” he says.
“Part of the joy in taking the working titles that Ben uses and having them as a springboard is that it allows me to interpret something that may not have even been considered originally, and making it a tangible piece of music with its own identity”
The track, “Super Sanity” features furious grooves and encapsulates a core idea of the band – accidentally using odd time signatures to convey a sense of heavy feel. The song eventually settles into switching between big stoner rock payoffs and jittery choppy sections, peppered with flourishes of craziness.
Ben Harris alludes to an underlying thematic connection between “Chronic Thuggery” and “Brandishment.” “Really these are sister songs as they use the same chords and musical themes to create a two-part epic.” he explains. “Chronic Thuggery” kicks off with a kind of bastardized prog-thrash alternating with moments of calm before finally winding down into “Brandishment”, “I love how structurally the first half of ‘Brandishment’ is a more raucous rock song with a relatively standard structure, and then the second half is an absolute riff bonanza. It might seem chaotic, but it’s a highly constructed, self-contained, adrenaline fuelled world of its own.”
“Annihilation” harks back to the source code of what created Ogives in the first place, it’s the sound of primordial, triumphant hypnosis that provides respite from the crazed arrangements elsewhere on the album whilst simultaneously building intensity for the final behemoth of a track – “Absolute Unit”.
This final song is the absolute monster of the album. It encapsulates everything that Ogives were, everything they are and points towards what they want to be. There is Latin grooves and heavy doom, quiet and almost jazz oriented spaces combined with indulgent riffing. The tension and release, and the payoffs are quite devastating.
Since the inception of the Big Band in 2018, they have toured the UK and Europe, shared stages with the likes of Torche, LITE, Boss Keloid and Beggar and played at ArcTanGent 2019 and 2022 (also returning as fan voted favorites in 2023) and Portals 2023. The band will be touring in July 2024 – dates to be announced shortly.
