Orchestra of Spheres


Described by the Canadian electronic musician Caribou as “Part Sun Ra otherworldliness, part Sublime Frequencies and part ESG,” Wellington’s Orchestra of Spheres embodies a longstanding local avant-garde music tradition that stretches back through the decades into the 1970s/1980s scenes that emerged around The Wellington Artist’s Co-op, Braille Collective, and The Primitive Art Group.

Dressed in otherworldly costumes, they perform with homemade invented instruments such as the biscuit-tin guitar, the sexomouse marimba and the huhu organ, and more traditional musical tools like drums and synths, as well as chanted and sung vocals. Often presented against strikingly trippy visuals, their music draws from a heady amalgamation of influences, including cosmic jazz, no-wave, psychedelia, and numerous rhythm-driven electronic dance genres from across the African continent. 

Orchestra of Spheres in 2010 (L-R): Zye Sosceles, Jemi Hemi Mandala, Mos Iocoss, Baba Rossa 
Orchestra of Spheres - Fingerweg music video (2014)
Gig poster for Bachelorette, Orchestra of Spheres and Stef Animal at Meow, Wellington, 2015.
Orchestra of Spheres play the hits of Sun Ra at Meow, Wellington, 2014.
2017 EP Pastel Cat in a Crystal Tube by Orchestra of Spheres (released on Sound Explorers). 
Photo credit: Collage by Phaedra Boyd
Orchestra of Spheres and Terror of the Deep poster for gig at Mighty Mighty, Wellington, 2013.
Orchestra of Spheres, 2011. From left: EtonalE, Mos Iocoss, Baba Rossa, Jemi Hemi Mandala.
Photo credit: David James
Daniel Beban aka Baba Rossa of Orchestra of Spheres, 2010.
Orchestra of Spheres playing 'Blanket' by Bachelorette at the APRA Silver Scrolls 2011
Orchestra Of Spheres performing Mirror live at the Pyramid Club for RNZ (2018)
Orchestra of Spheres' debut EP Space Art Music (2010) released through Sound Explorers.
Mos Iocoss of Orchestra of Spheres, 2010
Photo credit: Warwick Smith
Jemi Hemi Mandala (Jeremy Coubrough), Orchestra of Spheres, 2010
Orchestra of Spheres with Mongo Skato and Terror of the Deep at Meow, Wellington, 2015.
Baba Rossa (Dan Beban) of Orchestra of Spheres, Newtown, Wellington, 2011
Orchestra of Spheres in Italy, 2017.
Orchestra of Spheres performing at B10 Live for the OCT-LOFT Jazz Festival, Shenzhen, China, 2015.
Photo credit: Stefon
Orchestra of Spheres - Electric Company official music video (2014)
Orchestra of Spheres in Oamaru, 2019. From left: Nell Thomas (Mos Iocoss), Isaac Smith (Zye Sosceles), and Erika Grant (EtonalE). 
Poster for Orchestra of Spheres, Badd Energy and Thought Creature live at San Fran, Wellington, 2012.
Orchestra of Spheres live at Festival BBmix, Boulogne-Billancourt, France (2013)
Orchestra Of Spheres - Rocket #9 - 360° Video (2017)
Poster for Orchestra of Spheres, Commandant Cadet, and Les Pythons de la Fournaise. Sonic Lyon, Lyon, France, 2012.
Orchestra Of Spheres - In The Face of Love music video (2016)
Kiwese presents.. Orchestra of Spheres: Te China Rockumentary EP. 1 Beijing (2016)
Orchestra of Spheres + Lady Lazer Light performing 'Rotate' live at Temple Bar, Beijing (2015)
Orchestra Of Spheres - Āta official music video (2018)
Orchestra of Spheres - Trapdoors official music video (2016)
Orchestra Of Spheres, Goin' Live With Chabs And Milky at San Fran, Wellington (2021)
Orchestra of Spheres and The Revolutionary Arts Ensemble poster for gig at Common Room, Hastings, 2018.
Europe tour fundraiser for Orchestra of Spheres with support acts AudioTears and Hex at Meow, Wellington, 2016.
RNZ Music 101: Orchestra of Spheres - Bliss Raag (2015)
Orchestra of Spheres: Te China Rockumentary trailer (2015)
Orchestra of Spheres live at The Newtown Festival, Wellington (2018)
Mid Winter Blacklight Disco poster with Orchestra of Spheres, Full Fucking Moon, Golden Awesome and Golden Axe at San Fran, Wellington.
Orchestra of Spheres portraits by David James, 2011. Clockwise from top left: Mos Iocoss, Baba Rossa, Jemi Hemi Mandala, EtonalE.
Album cover for Brothers and Sisters of the Black Lagoon (2016) by Orchestra of Spheres. Released through Fire Records.
Photo credit: Artwork by Alexander Tucker
Orchestra of Spheres, Sheit Geist and Parties gig at Space Monster, Whanganui, 2015.
Orchestra of Spheres performing Hypercube live at Christchurch Art Gallery (2019)
Orchestra of Spheres in China, 2015. Left to right: Woild Boin, Baba Rossa, EtonalE, Mos Iocoss.
Photo credit: 叶熙杰
Orchestra of Spheres' 2013 album Vibration Animal Sex Brain Music released through Fire Records / Sound Explorers.
Photo credit: Design by Kerry Ann Lee
Mos Iocoss (Nell Thomas), Orchestra of Spheres, 2010
Orchestra of Spheres with Negative Nancies at Settler Theatre, Oamaru, 2019.
Zye Sosceles (Isaac Smith) of Orchestra of Spheres, 2010
Poster for Orchestra of Spheres and The Revolutionary Arts Ensemble's show in Te Awanga, Hawke's Bay, 2017.
Orchestra of Spheres, 2010 (L-R): Baba Rossa, Mos Iocoss, Jemi Hemi Mandala, Zye Sosceles. 
Orchestra of Spheres on RNZ Music's Headquarters (2018)
Orchestra Of Spheres - 2,000,000 Years official music video (2014)
Labels:

Sound Explorers


Fire Records


Outside Inside Records

Members:

Daniel Beban

Jeremy Coubrough

Isaac Smith

Nell Thomas

Erika Grant

Andy Wright

Riki Gooch

Funded by

Partners with