The Comet Is Coming

The Comet Is Coming was a London-based experimental jazz trio formed in 2013. Saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, keyboardist Dan Leavers, and drummer Max Hallett brought together contemporary jazz, electronica, and psychedelic rock. The three musicians met when Hutchings attended a Soccer96 performance in London. Leavers and Hallett led Soccer96, an electronic duo. During one show in 2013, Hutchings spontaneously joined them on stage with his saxophone. Within weeks, the trio booked three days at Total Refreshment Centre in Stoke Newington and recorded directly to tape with no pre-written material, capturing hours of foundational music.

Hutchings and his collaborators released their debut EP, Prophecy, on The Leaf Label in November 2015. Their full-length debut, Channel the Spirits, arrived in April 2016 and established their signature sound: staccato saxophone, analog synthesizer arpeggios, and hypnotic drums. The album earned a Mercury Prize nomination in 2016. Critics compared them to cosmic jazz pioneer Sun Ra, praising their fusion of jazz, Afrobeat, and electronica. The band’s name came from a BBC Radiophonic Workshop composition. Hutchings explained that the choice reflected their interest in sci-fi, cosmic themes, and space mythology. In January 2017, they received the Momentum Music Fund through PRS for Music, supporting UK touring and recording.

The Comet Is Coming signed to Impulse! Records in 2018, a major milestone. Their second album, Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery, appeared in March 2019 with twelve tracks blending improvisational jazz, ambient passages, and grime-influenced beats. Vocalist Kate Tempest contributed to “Blood of the Past.” Pitchfork awarded the album 7.8/10, noting the trio’s skillful integration of bleak and radiant tones. Critics identified influences from Sun Ra and Alice Coltrane, with The Quietus observing the musicians had accelerated their own sound and jazz itself. Their power-trio configuration—saxophone, analog synthesizer, and drums without bass or guitar—created raw, exploratory textures prioritizing momentum over conventional song structure.

The third album, Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam, appeared in September 2022 on Impulse! Records. The eleven-track work intensified synth layers and rhythmic propulsion while maintaining psychedelic and funk influences. Hutchings announced an indefinite hiatus in May 2023 and stated his decision to cease performing saxophone. The band’s final performances came later that year, though a planned October 2023 farewell concert was canceled. The Comet Is Coming concluded their decade-long run without a definitive closing live performance, leaving a legacy as one of contemporary jazz’s most innovative ensembles.