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Review: Ebi Soda, Strange Brew – ‘Cosmically otherworldly’
Ebi Soda just might have the best horns in the game.
Hailing from Brighton, the quintet have been quietly disrupting the jazz scene’s periphery since forming nearly a decade ago.
The group command a unique sonic ground that equilibrates paying homage to the genre’s originators while navigating more modern, explosive soundscapes – chaotic yet tightly controlled, at times sparse yet rich in texture, somewhat industrial yet cosmically otherworldly.
Stopping in at Strange Brew, the show is on the band’s first tour, in support of their latest album frank dean and andrew released in late 2025.
The record sees the group widening their musical dimensions even more so than before, venturing even further into the realms of electronica and dub to great effect.
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Pinning down the average Ebi Soda fan is no easy task. Perhaps a testament to the ‘melting pot’ make-up of Bristol’s jazz aficionados, the Strange Brew crowd is filled with everything from fisherman-beanie-donning hipsters and block-fringe-wearing art students, to Radio 6 Music dads and their teenage children.
Opening, heavily textured synths and electronic effects set the prelude for some supremely talented musicianship as the group delved into a near-hour masterclass in jazz.
Horns – both physically and figuratively – take centre stage here. Dan Gray on trumpet and Will Heaton on trombone are central to the group’s unique sound, swelling in intensity as tracks build towards their peaks before easing into softer, more melodic phrases that bring a sense of calm between the chaos.
That’s not to downplay the rest of the group’s contributions. Louis Jenkins crafts hazy melodies on keys, Hari-Lee Evans keeps things tight on bass, Conor Knight adds psychedelic texture on guitar, while Sam Schlich-Davies seamlessly shifts from freneticism to funk.
A mixed crowd turned out to see the outfit that blend jazz, electronica, psychedelia and dub all crowned by impressive horns
The set spanned the old, the new and the unknown. Fairly restrained between songs, frontman Heaton would occasionally interject to signpost to the room “this is from our new album”, “this is unreleased”, or “this is a bit of an older one”.
It does have to be said – and I mean this endearingly – the guys have minimal swagger. Certainly to a far lesser degree than many of their contemporaries in the thriving UK jazz scene, like Yussef Dayes or Ezra Collective’s James Mollison.
Hands-in-pocket stances, empty ground-facing gazes, and muted body language – the group’s stage presence certainly leaves a lot to be desired. It feels incredibly cliché to say so, but the music definitely does the talking here.
And that’s okay. The quintet come across as a group of music nerds who’ve long honed and mastered their craft. Each locks into their individual instrument and combine to captivating effect.
The five-piece prove they’re not here to strut
Just before ten o’clock, the group’s set comes to an emphatic yet abrupt end.
Horns fade out triumphantly, with synths lingering just a little longer. Heaton very briefly thanks the Bristolian audience before he and his fellow band members disappear – no encore, just a swift request to meet them at the merch stand. Efficient, that’s for sure.
Ebi Soda’s Spotify ‘about’ section reads: “Ebi Soda is a six piece music group that makes music. Their trombone player does loads of cool effects and the drummer plays fast sometimes and slow at other times” – a description I think sums up the evening quite aptly.
Not a bad way to spend a school night.
All images: Josh Templeman
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