The Cinematic Orchestra have announced the Counting Backwards UK and European tour, beginning in April 2027. The British collective says it will bring an entirely new live show to the dates.
The itinerary includes Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Manchester and Dublin. In London, the group will play three consecutive nights: KOKO on April 30, EartH Theatre on May 1 and Union Chapel on May 2.
A changing live ensemble
Led by founding member Jason Swinscoe and longtime collaborator Dominic Smith, The Cinematic Orchestra combine jazz improvisation, electronic production, orchestral arrangements and vocals. Their live performances have featured changing lineups of instrumentalists, producers, singers and orchestral collaborators, with arrangements that can differ from the recordings.
Saxophonist Tom Chant uses live looping to develop instrumental passages, while drummer Luke Flowers provides the rhythm beneath the ensemble’s arrangements. Guest vocalists have included Heidi Vogel and Tawiah. The group has not detailed how the new production will vary between tour stops.
Music and moving images
The collective’s work with film includes Man With a Movie Camera, its 2003 album that grew out of a soundtrack project for Dziga Vertov’s 1929 silent film. At anniversary concerts for the album, visual artist Ben Olsen incorporated live camera feeds, altered imagery and projections into the performance. During a 2023 concert in Edinburgh, he filmed objects, performers and other material in real time as the musicians played.
Among the group’s best-known recordings is “To Build a Home,” its collaboration with Patrick Watson from the 2007 album Ma Fleur. The song has appeared in film, television and other media.
