Hidden Orchestra
Cinematic soundscapes & strings, layered to perfection
Hidden Orchestra is the brainchild of one man / music machine, Joe Acheson.
Joe got the bug early on – he has been composing music since the age of 8 and is classically-trained in composition and orchestration. He has played in all kinds of chamber groups and orchestras, as well as rock, funk, indie, jazz, country, hip hop, live drum & bass bands. He has studied piano, bassoon, organ and singing, and plays guitar, bass guitar, double bass, various percussion, zither and even drums. It comes as no surprise that Joe writes and produces all the music for Hidden Orchestra.
The band consists of Joe (bass/samples/fx), Poppy Ackroyd (violin/keys) and 2 drummers; Tim Lane and Jamie Graham. You might think 2 drummers is a bit excessive, but they could actually do with another one to play all the layers in Joe’s production – one of them playing looped jazz solos, whilst the other brings out the main underlying hits that build up the overall groove. They have performed with Bonobo (live and DJ), Gilles Peterson, Jaga Jazzist, Red Snapper, The Bays, Aim, Alice Russell & TM Juke, Aaron Jerome, Zero dB … and Coolio.
Their debut album, Night Walks, is heavily influenced by classical, jazz, all shapes and sizes of electronica and dance music with the simplicity and honesty of folk and rock to balance the scales. It was released on Tru Thoughts in September 2010. The Flight EP, available digitally, is the second single to be taken from Night Walks. This EP brings eagerly anticipated new material and remixes.