On Thursday 13 November, saxophonist, rapper, composer and broadcaster Soweto Kinch will perform his newest work Soundtrack to the Apocalypse with the LSO at the Barbican Hall in London.
This orchestral suite is the final instalment in his trilogy of fearlessly political and incredibly unique works which have been in collaboration with the LSO. Beginning with The Black Peril in 2019 and followed by White Juju in 2021, Kinch’s innovative artistic voice has often been heralded as the future of British jazz. For many audiences, witnessing his synthesis of jazz, hip-hop and classical music through epic orchestral movements has been an unmissable, ear-opening experience, and Soundtrack to the Apocalypse will be no different.
This final instalment of the trilogy, Soundtrack to the Apocalypse, was debuted earlier this year at the Southbank Centre, but it will be presented again at the Barbican Hall this November. Having already represented views of the past and present with his previous works, Kinch aims to push into speculative territory with Soundtrack to the Apocalypse. This work is a futuristic meditation on collapse and renewal, exploring apocalyptic visions colliding with spiritual reflection and cutting-edge sonic experimentation. If we know anything about Kinch from his previous work, it’s that we should always expect the unexpected.
In an interview with Stevie Chick, Kinch stated that despite the doomy title, this final chapter of music is ‘spiritual in inclination’. The word apocalypse may strike fear into many, but Kinch surprises us by stating that ‘the original Greek origins [of apocalypse] are “to uncover, to unveil”, which puts a different complexion on the typical doomsday connotations’. This epic work, then, is not about destruction and the end of days – it is, in fact, about uncovering truths, unveiling the layers of the unknown, and reimagining the future. As Kinch said himself, ‘a lot of us are deeply offended by how the world is run, and are craving it to be reconstructed in a different way’ and therefore ‘this show is about revealing – not just what’s wrong, but what might still be possible.’ Soundtrack to the Apocalypse is therefore an exploration in how to express possibility through times of destruction; how to reimagine futures when somebody is trying to sink the ship. This work seems to suggest a victory in the face of defeat – as Chick put it, ‘this dark moment in history might be the gateway to some kind of rejuvenation that will rescue us from the brink’.
With a narrative this profound, audiences may expect a sombre atmosphere – but of course, this could never be the case with Kinch and the LSO. The performance will combine the symphonic power of the LSO with high-impact narration, rap, and will feature Kinch’s first use of the aerophone (electronic saxophone) on a sequence of short, high-impact tracks. Having heard Kinch perform with an orchestra before, I can personally attest to the epicness of the experience. Kinch’s work always seems to reach for something higher – to try to transcend through creative exploration and experimentation. A 70-piece orchestra is, in itself, a truly special and privileged experience for any listener: the calming serenity of harps, the swooping warmth of strings, the striking clarity of brass. But this in collaboration with rap, jazz-infused saxophone improvisation and hip-hop grooves is a whole other plane. If you want to feel truly inspired, moved, challenged, or thrown into a totally new realm of thinking, then this is the concert for you.
With so much abuse of power going on in the world, this performance will be a space to truly explore alternative futures through music. But most importantly, to feel a sense of hope – as Kinch stated ‘There’s this international nexus of terrifying wars with no immediate end in sight, but I don’t think things are going to end as darkly as everyone expects. Maybe this is just the lunatic optimism of a jazz musician.’ Soweto, if this is your way of expressing lunatic optimism, then we are all extremely grateful – we could all do with a little musical hope.
Look out on the UK Jazz News newsletters of 29 Oct and for a code offering subscribers a 20% discount on tickets to the concert on 13 November.
