‘Watching Sloth Racket perform is a thrilling experience, conveying a palpable sense that the musicians are navigating the scores by the seat of their pants, making real-time group decisions that sculpt the compositions into unique shapes each time they’re played.’
– Daniel Spicer, The Wire, December 2021
ALBUM REVIEWS
Exabout: Live In Ramsgate (Luminous, 2020)
‘A full-strength blast of fire music.’ – Lee Rice Epstein, Free Jazz Collective (2020 Top 10, joint review with Anna Högberg Attack)
Spontaneous Music Tribune review in Polish
Dismantle Yourself (Luminous, 2019)
‘Mixing free improvisation and graphic scores, Sloth Racket produce sumptuous, mischievous music.’ – Antonio Poscic, The Quietus
‘The band had more time to experiment in the recording session and it shows. You can hear the thought in the music. The pacing is outstanding, enhancing the many gripping, climactic moments. This is collective free improv of the utmost depth and maturity.’ – Thomas Rees, Jazzwise
‘Dismantle Yourself is full of tiny micro-conversations and statements – a fleeting, transitory, yet cohesive, endlessly fascinating sequence of collisions and collusions.’ – Dave Foxall, A Jazz Noise
‘Roberts is building a strong body of work…Dismantle Yourself can do nothing but further her cause.’ – John Sharpe, All About Jazz
‘Is the album’s title a message about Johnson and Trump and their overweening egotisms, I wonder?’ – Chris Searle, Morning Star
Spontaneous Music Tribune review in Polish
A Glorious Monster (Luminous, 2018)
‘Gossamer guitar webs…doomy plod…free burn…now let’s see them try it with a 50-piece band.’ – Daniel Spicer, The Wire
‘As Sloth Racket grapple with these sounds together, they overcome musicianly insularity, communicating their arduous findings with extrovert intent.’ – Nick Hasted, Jazzwise
‘The crew slips effortlessly between tonal registers from the get-go, flicking between horn-lead swoon, mazy cacophony and mischievous alto pecking with enviable skill and wit.’ – We Need No Swords
‘Full of inventive musical decisions, sudden and colorful stylistic waves and bright sound.’ – Avant Scena
Favourite Animals (Sloth Racket extended lineup – Luminous, 2017)
‘Lurching between riff and abstraction…maintains an elegant balance between emergent melody and the wilder activity at its fringes’ - Stewart Smith, The Wire
‘Startling moments of altered perspective’ - Dave Sumner, Bandcamp Daily
‘Roberts and Hunter show new possibilities for the leftfield big band by combining sophisticated ensemble writing with state of the art extended techniques from the wilder shores of free improvisation.’ – Stewart Smith, The Quietus
‘Gritty and anarchic…Favourite Animals confirms Roberts’ talent as a composer and Luminous as a label to watch’ - Thomas Rees, Jazzwise
‘Bursts out of the speakers’ – Lee Rice Epstein, Free Jazz Collective
See The Looks On The Faces: Live Recordings (Tombed Visions, 2017)
‘The group’s ability to move freely from jointly articulated statements to darkly atmospheric extended techniques is remarkable and this tape gives a fascinating glimpse of where they might go next.’ - Stewart Smith, The Wire
‘Excellent’ – We Need No Swords
Spontaneous Music Tribune review in Polish
Shapeshifters (Luminous, 2017)
‘The UK quintet tend not to stay put.’ - Stewart Smith, The Wire
‘Superb ensemble and individual playing’ - Daniel Spicer, Jazzwise
‘This is meaty, powerful music, thoughtful and multi-dimensional with no lacunae and no navel-gazing.’ - Tim Owen, Dalston Sound
‘In the shared space of Shapeshifters, everyone has a place and a voice. And in the final stretch, with the band moving in unison along a partially charted route, you can hear this philosophy in all its glorious action.’ – Lee Rice Epstein, Free Jazz Collective
Triptych (Luminous, 2016)
‘Consider this an important contribution to the debate about spontaneity versus form.’ – Daniel Spicer, Jazzwise
‘An agreeably spicy goulash of free improvisation, grumpy riffs and bluesy themes.’ – Stewart Smith, The Quietus
‘Nobody in their right mind is going to call this row slothful.’ – Spencer Grady, Record Collector
‘A powerful debut’ – Tim Owen, Dalston Sound