Leading a charge against staying in one genre's lane, Red Snapper consistently broke new ground. On labels like Warp, the London outfit pushed at and remade styles until their sound was all their own. There's jazz, funk, and hip hop in the lines of a Red Snapper number, but more too. And that's evident on their latest live record.
Live at the Moth Club captures a blistering set from May 2022 in Hackney, London. Tracks like a funky "Tarzan" stand out here, as does "Hot Flush", a more moody and evocative number. "Wonky Bikes" pops and throbs with real pep, the heft of the hooks here doing a lot of work, while "Space Sickness" is rock-ier still. This one shows how nimble this lot's skills are, with bits and pieces of this having the improvisational energy of a jazz session, and others the force of a rawk band. Throughout it all, Red Snapper maintain an energy that's still impressive, especially on "Suckerpunch", originally from their 1998 Making Bones LP.
For this set the players are Ali Friend (double bass, vocals and Gato drum), Rich Thair (drums), Tom Challenger (sax, clarinet and keyboards), Tara Cunningham (guitar and vocals), and Natty Wylah (vocals), though the instrumental force here is what's going to draw in a listener. There's a deft power to all of these tracks, enough that the music feels more fusion-y than a past association with Warp might suggest to some. The musicians here dive in and the whole record seeps into the soul rather quickly, with even the longer songs maintaining a tight jam-like fire all the way to the end.
Live at the Moth Club by Red Snapper is out now via Lo Recordings.
[Photo: Red Snapper]