Miles Spilsbury @ The Rose Hill, Brighton, UK, 25 January 2024

Miles Spilsbury, J. Josephine, A Basic Fault

Miles Spilsbury @ The Rose Hill, Brighton, UK, 25 January 2024,

01 February 2024
By Nick Roseblade
Photo: Joseph Johnston
Web Exclusive

To say I was thrilled with Miles Spilsbury in The Rose Hill would be an understatement. But it might not be for all the reasons you'd expect. Spilsbury was and is a member of the excellent The Physics House Band and their debut album was high on many end of 2023 charts. All reasons to count down the minutes until showtime, but the main reason was a Ceremonial Laptop show at The Rose Hill. For some reason this pairing always delivers nights of fried gold. Ceremonial Laptop is a record label, radio show, booker and club night presenter. I've never had a bad night with them or seen anything I didn't like, and Rose Hill feels like their spiritual home. If you want an example of how special things can be, listen to an early recording of Arthur Leadbetter, you know Arthur from Squid, playing live on 'Vol. 1” tape they released in 2018. Expectations were high to say the least.

J. Josephine was first. Last time I saw them they were supporting Xiu Xiu. This set was atmospheric, droney and emotional. In the intervening six months, the project has expanded its scope and vision. Part of that is the inclusion of a live double bass player. This gives the soundscapes extra texture and reverberation. Also, there's something hypnotic about watching someone bow steadily while it sounds like the end of the world is echoing around you. That's how it must have felt on the Titanic as it sank. You know there's danger around you, but the music is shocking.

After a short break where I used the excellent self-service tea bar, A Basic Fault followed. If J. Josephine is Ying, then A Basic Fault is Yang. The band is relatively new, but you couldn't tell from the power of the performance. This trio consists of drums/percussion, bass, guitar, vocals and loops/effects. Their set started slowly. A guitar played through a pedal board that would make Kevin Shields have a quick butcher. This distressed sound was an exercise less and more. From my slow strum the guitar went cheesy and great. As the momentum builds, the soundscapes become more complex, but not enjoyable. There are similarities to Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, sorry for the obvious shorthand, but also J. Dilla, Cremation Lily and the overlooked band Regal Record Orange Can. Each member was given their time to shine. Especially the bass. It also ran through a pedal board which gave it a different grain. Near the end of their set some heavenly chords were played through a laptop. Over this serene bass, percussion and guitar played blessing the crowd.

After another short break, and the tea pitstop, it was time for the Miles Spilsbury duo. The duo consisted of Spilsbury and Cameron Dawson on bass. Spilsbury is a multi-instrumentalist jazz musician. It was obvious from the start that he wasn't messing around. Saxophone meditations were released live to create the backbone of the songs. On top of this Spilsbury added flute, keyboard, piano and percussion. It was droney and enjoyable. Throughout the 45 minute set Spilsbury showed why he is a rising name on the UK jazz scene. His work with The Physics House Band was excellent and his debut album, Maneuvers of light, was one of the must have albums of 2023. The set worked best when Spilsbury combined different loops to create vibrant soundscapes, which could then be layered by another instrument. However, the highlight of the set was when he only played an upright piano solo. No result. No loop. Just an upright piano. It was melancholy, but it still lingered in my psyche on the long walk home. “It's the first time I've played these songs as a duet” Spilsbury said in the middle set. “It's fun to try”. And the set was fun, but I'd say if Dawson was needed on every song. (This may be due to the live mix, but) His input didn't add up to as much as the duo had hoped. However, on the last song Dawson locked into a groove and stayed there throughout. Give Spilsbury a solid background to add some funk/fusion vibes.

Ceremonial Laptop has done it again. Another quality night of progressive music. These nights aren't for everyone, but if you have the right mind and open ears, you could find something that not only brightens your day but changes your life.