LIJF 2027: Richard Spaven Quintet

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Richard Spaven - Drums / Stuart McCallum - Guitar / Yves Fernandez - Bass / Graeme Blevins - Flutes / James Copus - Trumpet

Richard Spaven stands as one of the defining rhythmic voices of the past two decades, shaping the space where jazz, hip hop, club culture and drum and bass intersect. His technical fluency and electronic sensibility have helped redefine modern drumming, functioning as a tool of expression - enabling him to control density, space and pulse with precision. Across collaborations with Loyle Carner, Jordan Rakei, Petter Eldh and Alfa Mist, Spaven’s touch remains distinct: elastic, deliberate and deeply rooted in groove.

Now entering a new chapter with his signing to Edition Records for Light of Day, Spaven steps further into focus as a bandleader and composer. In the studio and on stage - joined live by Stuart McCallum on guitar and Yves Fernandez on bass - the emphasis remains on feel and the pocket, with groove informing harmony and texture informing form. The result is a tightly unified sound built on interaction and restraint, where virtuosity is absorbed into feel and rhythm shapes the direction of the music.