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The London-based quartet, Ill Considered, has churned out nine full-length albums in less than two years, each high quality and each a unique jazz creation. Founded in 2017, saxophonist Idris Rahman, drummer Emre Ramazanoglu and bassist Leon Brichard replaced their additional percussionist with Satin Singh on their second release, Live at the Crypt (Self Produced, 2017). Rahman and Brichard had recorded in a short-lived group called Wildflower; that trio bearing more than a passing similarity to the style of this lineup. On 6 the quartet expands to a quintet with Steve Ashmore on guitar on many of the nine tracks.

The music of Ill Considered has elements of post-minimalism, hard bop and a great deal of free improvisation. 5 and 6 were released simultaneously but vary stylistically. While the former features fewer—and extended—pieces in a contemplative ambiance, 6 bristles with tension and antagonism while sharing those reflective qualities. It isn't an abrupt alteration from one piece to another but a skillfully executed amalgamation of approaches, as on "Lies" with its serene opening, detonated by the growl of Rahman's tenor, only to morph into a minimal bass solo. Similarly, "Gunning," "Ward" and "I Didn't" use these paradigm shifts to effect high drama in the midst of mesmerizing dreamscapes. "Waterfall" and "Percolator" represent an overall edginess atypical of the Ill Considered approach, adding to the diversity of the album; Ashmore produces gauzy, iridescent blasts, but at a distance that enhances the music rather than drastically altering the overall vibe. The two percussionists and Brichard's relentlessly driving bass anchor Rahman's knotted labyrinth of textures.

The music of Ill Considered is mystical and forceful in equal measure. The group works from a skeletal framework, mostly creating in real-time. Much of the Ill Considered catalog is comprised of live recordings and in those settings, the concentration of the musicians is evident. Rahman spends much of his stage time curled over the sax, almost becoming part of the instrument; his scorching squalls and nomadic sax reveries laying the foundation for enthralling grooves. All of the group releases are more than worthy of a listen and the self-titled debut and 3 are outstanding places to start. This is bold and highly recommended music from a very promising group. – All About Jazz

Their latest album, Ill Considered 5—their fifth in two years, and one of two new albums this month—was created during a studio session in London. The band built the compositions around sketches and themes, with each musician feeding off the energy musical cues of the other to build self-contained sonic worlds, rich in mystery, sensuality, mischief, and darkness. The songs are driven by a wide percussive palette, drawing on everything from traditional syncopation to Middle Eastern-style drumming. It’s frenetic and subtle in equal measures, and an impressive canvas for the soft wail of the saxophone, the low-but-strong hum of the bass clarinet, and the staccato ripples of both the electric and the upright bass.

The group’s strength is generating a wide range of emotions from two extremes: minimalism, and the wild experimentation that incorporates elements of electronic music. On the melancholy album opener “Calling,” the percussion, sax, and bass seem to execute a kind of tentative slow dance. Album standout “Incandescent Rage” begins with a haunting, minor key conversation between saxophone and bass clarinet, but explodes into a jungle-meets-drone composition that could easily soundtrack a car chase in a noir film. All of these elements work together to create an album that demands attention—music swathed in dense atmosphere, and as alive as the most vivid of dreams. – Bandcamp Daily