Ancient Infinity Orchestra

Theatre

Ancient Infinity Orchestra unfurled in the North of England. The joyous large ensemble has communal music-making at the heart of everything they do. “There’s no economic reason for doing a 15-piece band,” says Ozzy. But Ancient Infinity Orchestra is an attitude: a love, enthusiasm and openness. No surprise, then, that their last album began life during another moment of collective celebration: the 2024 edition of Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here festival. Irreversible Entanglements were playing. Moor Mother was on the mic, riffing on two phrases: It’s always about love/ It’s always about liberation. The 15-member ensemble is led by [classically trained] double bassist and composer Ozzy, with a distinctive line-up that explains their sound better than any artificial genre divisions: two double basses, harp, saxophones, clarinets, violin, viola, cello, oboe, flutes, mandolin, congas, piano, drum kit, with bells, shakers and other percussion instruments scattered on the floor of live sets and recording sessions, ready for members to use whenever the spirit takes them. This orchestration, and the overlap between membership and friendship, gives Ancient Infinity Orchestra a sound that is at once expansive and intimate, earthy, and cosmic, constantly shifting yet grounded in shared intention. The attention to intention and the inviting sonic world connects the music to artists ranging from Alabaster de Plume to Gondwana label boss Matthew Halsall.

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