Since 2013 Cardiff-based Slowly Rolling Camera have carved a path for themselves as one of the rising stars of the European jazz scene. Their heavy grooves, unleashed hooks and extremely emotional contrasts has become a hallmark of their epic sound.
Hailing from the heart of Wales, Slowly Rolling Camera has consistently pushed the boundaries of cinematic soundscapes and sonic storytelling. Fusing jazz, electronic, and ambient textures, the collective creates music that evokes both the intimacy of quiet reflection and the vastness of open spaces. Their compositions breathe with emotional depth, weaving together intricate melodies and immersive atmospheres.
Formed in 2013, Slowly Rolling Camera quickly gained recognition for their innovative approach, blending soulful vocals with expansive, jazz-influenced arrangements. Their eponymous debut album, Slowly Rolling Camera (2014), set the stage for their journey into sonic experimentation, leading to critically acclaimed releases like All Things (2016) and Juniper (2018), the latter marking their first fully instrumental album and a pivotal shift in their creative direction.
Flow (2023), written originally for the film A River of Mirrors, a kayak film that transcends traditional sports documentaries, is an epic sonic journey. The album blends their hallmark emotive and cinematic soundscape with a more minimalist, hypnotic, and almost spiritual-like approach. The music weaves and soars, rich in colour, full of warmth and passion, all held together with strong, melancholic melodies and breathtakingly sculpted improvisations. Flow is a vital and compelling addition to the band’s already vibrant catalogue, marking another milestone as they approach their 10th anniversary in 2024.
Their latest album, Silver Shadow (2024), takes their sound into even deeper cinematic territory. “This album reflects our fascination with the cinematic approach, not just in sound, but in how we construct our music,” the band explains. Inspired by the visual and musical interplay of film montages, Silver Shadow centres around a fictitious protagonist, an idea encapsulated both in the album’s narrative arc and its striking artwork. With shorter, more concise tracks, this album marks a departure from their earlier extended compositions, focusing instead on immediate emotional impact. The blend of acoustic and electronic textures continues to define their sound, enriched by the contributions of long-time collaborators like Jasper Høiby, Josh Arcoleo, Stuart McCallum, and Verneri Pohjola.
Over a decade in, Slowly Rolling Camera remains a formidable force in the European jazz and cinematic music scenes, drawing comparisons to artists like The Cinematic Orchestra. Their genre-defying approach has garnered critical acclaim from the likes of The Guardian and Crack Magazine, while Deutschland Radio has praised their seamless fusion of jazz and trip-hop influences, cementing their reputation as contemporary sonic innovators.
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