Anteloper gets some kudos!

September 27, 2021

Big thanks to PBS 106.7FM for giving Anteloper a plug! It was one of their Top Tracks on Feature Sounds for the week!

See the full list of their Feature Sounds here: https://www.pbsfm.org.au/news/emma-donovan-putbacks-1

Reviews

JAZZ

LOWLIGHTS

SPIROGRAPH STUDIES

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Independent

Four stars

Published in the Weekend Australian, January 8, 2022

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If there is one quality which most permeates the music of Spirograph Studies, it is melodic beauty. It explains the great pleasure this quartet provides for the listener. Even the presence of pianist Sam Keevers on some tracks, substituting for normal pianist Luke Howard, does not undermine the quartet’s strong artistic direction. He fits like a glove. Bassist/composer Tamara Murphy has subverted jazz machismo, whereby a powerful soloist is backed by subservient musicians. As with their 2019 album Kindness Not Courtesy, the result is unusually conversational music, whereby all players freely come to the fore throughout, reacting sensitively to others’ contributions. Also including guitarist Fran Swinn and drummer James McLean, the group produces overwhelmingly reflective music, sustained by lovely harmonic changes in Murphy’s compositions. The music is assertive enough to avoid mere ambience, while at the same time flirting with collective improvisation without being excessive. It’s a commendable balancing act by a Melbourne group whose music is extremely well-integrated.

Eric Myers
Published in the Weekend Australian, January 8, 2022

The Best Jazz on Bandcamp: October 2021

There’s a lot of subtlety at work on this enjoyable set from the Melbourne-based quartet Spirograph Studies, and the payoff to that approach are some pretty epic moments. It’s just as engaging to trace the path of the small, logical steps that lead up the huge melodic statements as it is to arrive at their destination. Those slow builds are the album’s winning quality, and border on addictive.

Dave Sumner
Best Jazz on Bandcamp List - October 2021. Available here: https://daily.bandcamp.com/best-jazz/the-best-jazz-on-bandcamp-october-2021