Bristol might not be the first city that comes to mind as a classical music hotspot. However, the town is famous as the birthplace of “trip hop”, a psychedelic, moody meld of instrumental hip hop beats and electronica, with elements of jazz, dub and techno thrown in for good measure. Spawning huge alternative acts such as Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky, the south-western British hub is also known as the birthplace of Banksy, perhaps the most famous anonymous visual artist in the world.

This rich cultural heritage perfectly contextualises the music of Ishmael Ensemble, a Bristolian five-piece who describe themselves as blending spiritual jazz, dub, experimental, and electronic music. Touring Australia for the first time, Melbourne’s iconic hipster haunt The Night Cat provided the group’s debut Australian stage, where they were supported by locals Horatio Luna.

Ishmael Ensemble. Photo supplied

The initially sparse venue quickly filled up once Horatio Luna began playing, with a notably good-spirited and diverse crowd warmly welcoming the five-piece’s high tempo electro-jazz. Led by Naarm-based bassist, producer and composer Henry Hicks, the group’s drummer and keys player were notable standouts of the set, blending undeniable virtuosity with...