Mammal Hands - Animalia

Captivating, ethereal and majestic, folk-jazz-minimalists Mammal Hands (saxophonist Jordan Smart, pianist Nick Smart and drummer and percussionist Jesse Barrett) carved out a refreshingly original sound from a disparate array of influences: drawing on spiritual jazz, north Indian, folk and classical music to create something inimitably their own. Animalia was their debut album and the first of five albums featuring the original line-up.

Hailing from Norwich, one of Britain's most isolated and most easterly cities, they have forged their own path away from the musical mainstream and their unique sound grew out of long improvised rehearsals. All three members contribute equally to the writing process: one that favours the creation of a powerful group dynamic over individual solos. Their Gondwana Records recordings are entrancing and beautiful affairs, while their hypnotic live shows saw them hailed as one of the most exciting bands in Europe.