Submotion Orchestra have announced that their sixth studio album, Passed Me By, will be released on 8 May – their first long player in eight years.
The seven-piece ensemble, who fuse elements of dubstep, soul, ambient electronica, jazz and dub in their sound, developed the new record after revisiting earlier material, as well as going on tour with stripped-back arrangements.
The group reconvened in 2024 to start developing new material, a process that led to the Five Points EP, and a subsequent ‘intense period of writing and recording’ that has culminated in Passed Me By.
Commenting on the album, singer Ruby Wood said, “These songs reflect where we are in our lives now – they question, reminisce and trace the hopes and dreams that never quite leave you.”
The opening track, Midlife Kicker, showcases the group’s new palette of electronic textures. As pianist Taz Modi, who led production on the new album, commented, “I came across the expression ‘midlife kicker’ by accident, and it refers to the minor upgrade a product can receive to extend its selling period.
“This seemed like a particularly wry way of referring not only to any band that carries on making music together, but also anyone approaching their forties – you start young and with endless energy, but then as time goes on and you get older, that relentless forward momentum changes shape.”
Other tracks include Passed Me By, Rearview Mirror, Ten Years (intro), Ten Years, One and Done, Unravelling, and Tearing Down The Walls.
“I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved with Passed Me By, and I’m proud of us as a band too,” Wood added. “17 years together and still able to create new bodies of work, despite having busy lives and living at opposite ends of the country.”
Passed Me By will be available on vinyl and digitally from 8 May – you can pre-order it here. Following its release, the group will begin a UK tour starting on 12 May in Manchester, followed by dates in Brighton, Bristol, London, Birmingham, Milton Keynes, and Leeds.
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