I formed the band MooV in 2006 bringing together a group of musicians who were sympathetic to my vision for a type of music which embraced the distillation of several elements; song-writing, chamber music, electronica, improvisation. I was lucky enough to find a fertile collaborator in Norwegian singer Elisabeth Nygård with who I’ve been working with since 2007. After a year or so off the band is looking to get back together in a new form for 2017. Watch this space.
Members of the band from which we form various live line-ups are drawn from Natalie Rosario (‘cello), Pete Wilson (electric bass), and Rob Millett (percussion). Our original ‘cellist was Zoe Martlew and original vocalist Olivia Chaney. A significant co-contributor the our first album and the setting up of the group was sound-artist Ben Jarlett.

The result of this journey so far has led to me creating two studio albums Fold (2007) and Here (2011) after much detailed work. The group has also performed a set of prestigious live concerts.

“‘The usual permutative critical vocabulary doesn’t really suffice to describe this imaginative, approachable yet unpredictable set of pieces from a band which should really be filling the right kind of festival slots throughout the season.’ (Jazz UK 2012)

‘Absolutely unclassifiable. Riley is that rarest of birds, a genuine original, and his music is sui generis, but consistently haunting and often beautiful.’ (London Jazz Blog 2012)

‘Jazz? Enigmatic chamber music? Avante-garde pop? Riley provides the colour, backbone and direction for the thirteen tracks on this album, but he stoutly refuses to dominate them. His lilting scales, sharp yet gentle piano stabs and oft disconcerting choices of direction merely shaping the outline that the stunning, breathy, fragile yet oh so deservedly confident voice of Elisabeth Nygård eagerly, although never too eagerly, fills. The effect is spellbinding and haunting, dark yet full of release, clever but never too knowing, but most importantly it is perfect for its surroundings. What really sets some of the music apart from other albums operating in this area is the electronic expertise of Riley, with tasteful, unobtrusive effects often remoulding the whole emotion, attack and atmosphere.’ (Sea of Tranquility 2013)

‘The five piece ensemble MooV is one of a number of projects masterminded by composer, pianist and electronic artist Colin Riley. Riley’s output straddles the boundaries of jazz, pop and modern classical music. MooV’s music is almost impossible to classify as it criss crosses musical boundaries with Nygard’s supremely flexible voice at the heart of the ensemble. With its references to avant pop and folk, modern classicism (chamber music crossed with minimalism) and electronica it’s a fascinating blend of colour, nuance and texture.’ (Jazzmann 2013)
http://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/here/

‘Arty but not Art Rock. Jazzy but not Jazz. Progressive but certainly not Prog Rock. Poppy but not pop. Electronic but not electronica. A sense of chamber music but not chamber music. Does that help? Probably not.’ (Progarchy.com 2013)”
“Something extraordinarily strange and beautiful.’ (Mary Anne Hobbs, BBC Radio 1 2009)

‘Colin Riley has a restless spirit. Though routinely identified as a classical composer, his activities in the past few years have resisted categorization … poised and engaging … Nygård’s voice meshes beautifully with Riley’s spare orchestrations, wrought from keyboards, bass, electronics, cello.’ (The Guardian 2008)

‘Rasping blues folksong inflections … icy-breath intimacy … real warmth and passion … the songs are occasionally reminiscent of David Sylvian while Nygård also comes across with the left-field pop sensibility of artists like Beady Belle or Bjork. Fold takes some time to unravel but is worth all the effort.’ (Jazzwise 2008)

‘Waifish, melodic drones and obscure jazzy exchanges … the album opens with the lovely, 12k-ish ‘Pure’, setting quiet, bell-like tones against Nygård’s mesmeric vocal … remains complex and mysterious … gentle and effortlessly lovely. Recommended.’ (Boomkat March 2009)
http://boomkat.com/downloads/170498-moov-fold

‘Spectacularly beautiful and appealing. A provocative album, which challenges one’s prejudices … faintly aromatic of this or that.’ (Bill Bruford 2008)

‘There are many intelligent musicians whose work defies casual categorization. The composer Colin Riley is one such musician. His MooV ensemble thrives on the tension between fragmented, minimalist instrumental textures and the ecstatic, lyrical melodies that float across them, suggesting the voice of the impassioned individual surrounded by the indifferent chatter of 21st-century life. Worth seeking out for anyone interested in sassy, sophisticated new music.’ (Classical Source 2006)”