Brass player, multi-instrumentalist and composer, Jonathan Enser’s most recent project MATTERS UNKNOWN highlights the irrepressible fluidity of contemporary UK Jazz. Well known as a key member of pioneering global beat collective that is Nubiyan Twist, his own music travels along a similar afrobeat, soul, funk orbit of that band but also diverts elsewhere. The rated debut MATTERS UNKNOWN album from 2022, ‘We Aren’t Just’ infused that familiar potent mix with shots of cosmic jazz and blues, echoing the influence of Enser’s time in Chicago and New Orleans. It also introduced more of us to Enser as a composer and band leader, a musician tuned into a distinctive sound and shaping that with a large ensemble. But what made the album really stand out was the emotional resonance of the music, drawing on Enser’s own experience of serious illness, loss and the restorative power of creativity.
That depth and intensity looks set to underpin MATTERS UNKNOWN’s upcoming EP release ‘Silhouettes: A Dream Sphere Journal’ (due 24th January via Bridge The Gap). Once again Lyle Barton (keys) and Matt Davies (drums) join Enser for a set that’s part autobiographical, part political, reflecting on his time living with chronic pain and as a disabled person while exploring parallel themes of broader resilience and unity.
That might sound weighty going but the preview tracks from ‘Silhouettes’ are elevated by MATTERS UNKNOWN’s energetic, bristling delivery. You might have heard ‘Race Against The Sun’ when it sneaked out a few weeks ago, all sultry latin funk, spiced with silver-tongued spoken word and bubbling psychedelia. Now comes a second trailer ‘I Am The Birds’ featuring Enser’s Nubiyan Twist buddy Tom Excell and the dynamic Kweku Sackey aka K.O.G.
Excell and Sackey also make music together as Onipa and there’s a hint of that band’s dancehall skip in amongst the ingeniously crafted orchestral swoon which widens the song’s ambitions. Inspired by a time when Enser, because of his condition, was confined to bed watching parakeets in the tree outside his window, the tune sparkles with hope and vibrancy. The swirl of flutes, harps, crisp guitar and Kweku Sackey’s commanding voice sees ‘I Am The Birds’ glide with grace and purpose.
Signs are the ‘Silhouettes: A Dream Sphere Journal’ EP will see MATTERS UNKNOWN fly further.
Pre-order you copy of ‘Silhouettes: A Dream Sphere Journal‘ by MATTERS UNKNOWN from your local record shop or direct from Bandcamp HERE
MATTERS UNKNOWN Tour dates :
28th January 2025 – Glasgow: Rum Shack, Laylow
29th January 2025: Leeds, The Attic
30th January 2025 – Newcastle: Cobalt Studios
31st January 2025 – Shrewsbury: The Unitarian Church
2nd February 2025 – London: Lower Third
