Treacherous Orchestra – Origins

The traditions of celtic folk music have seen a welcome revival in recent years, but perhaps more exciting is the exploration of how they can be crossed with other musical forms. In Origins Treacherous Orchestra have done just this, flamboyantly foraging through various genres with bagpipe and fiddle always at the fore, announcing themselves as “the ultimate eleven-piece, pan-Scottish outfit”. How all the other eleven-piece, pan-Scottish outfits feel about this is hard to say, but it’s a claim they’ve certainly backed up with an impressive debut album.

Solely instrumental, the group take pride in their electivity and for good reason – the analogue synths of Sea of Clouds sit in stark contrast to the funky hooks of Look East – but this level of foray occasionally breaks the flow from track to track. The boldness doesn’t go unrewarded, however, as between these inconsistencies are some moments of real innovation and ardency.