Ancient Infinity Orchestra - It's Always About Liberation (Gondwana Records Vinyl LP)

Ancient Infinity Orchestra - It's Always About Liberation | Vinyl LP - 2026 Gondwana Records (GONDLP081, produced by Matthew Halsall)

Ancient Infinity Orchestra started as a group of friends improvising at open-ended rehearsals in Leeds, and the communal origins still show. Ozzy Moysey writes and arranges everything, plays double bass and donso n'goni, and leads a rotating ensemble that runs to sixteen musicians on this record plus a thirteen-voice community choir. The instrumentation covers ground that most spiritual jazz groups don't reach. Alice Roberts's harp sits alongside Oliver Dover's kaval, a Turkish end-blown flute, and his G clarinet and baritone saxophone. Khemi Shabazz plays oboe, still rare enough in jazz that it changes the texture of every passage it enters. Evan Rhodri Davies switches between violin and mandolin. Joel Stedman covers bass clarinet, flute, congas and percussion. Two double basses (Moysey and Elliot Roffe), two trumpets (Will Blackstone and Sam Ehret-Pickett, who also plays flugelhorn and baritone horn), two tenors (Will Howard and Matt Cliffe, who doubles on alto flute), an alto saxophone from Jake Rider, viola from Aby Vulliamy and Megan Jowett, cello from Michael Bardon, piano from Hugh Vincent, drums from John Arnesen and additional percussion from Jed Cutler and Toma Sapir round out the ensemble. Everyone sings.

The debut, River of Light, came out on Gondwana in November 2023 and placed the group firmly in the label's spiritual jazz lineage alongside Matthew Halsall's own records and Jasmine Myra's releases. This follow-up was recorded over four days at The Nave Studio in April 2024, produced by Halsall alongside Moysey and engineer Tom Orrell, with Daniel Halsall handling the artwork. The six tracks run from the opening breath of "Nafas" through to the closing build of "Mountain," with the choir entering on "Triton" and "Celabrating The Beautiful Lineage Of Sound & Hypnotic States."

This is the 2026 Gondwana Records release (GONDLP081), distributed by K7 Music.