Contemporary jazz is a spectrum and there are few musician-composers in the field that epitomise its openness more than the drummer-composer Seb Rochford. His singular, honest and intuitive approach thus far in his career has inspired everyone from Andy Sheppard through to Patti Smith to want to work with him. Pulled by Magnets is just the second band Rochford has fronted to date: he was the long-time leader of Mercury-nominated Polar Bear, an ensemble that boasted a fanatical following of rock band proportions that’s rare for a jazz-rooted group. Having pulled the plug on the band a couple of years ago, Pulled by Magnets is a far more radical quest across sonic borders than Polar Bear ever was. If Polar Bear was the cuddly side of the titular beast, albeit with menacing undercurrents, Pulled by Magnets is the grizzly that ominously stalks and devours its prey. Helping him develop its reverberating, foggy electric ambience are recent Anthony Braxton Standard Quartet member Neil Charles’ oversized churning, growling electric bass and Polar Bear comrade and Melt Yourself Down’s Pete Wareham, who stretches the imagination of what a tenor sax can sound like, his electronically-overdriven fuzzbox melodies howling into the gothic, sepulchral spaces of the Old Church in Stoke Newington where the recording took place. The inspiration comes more from drone-rock, hardcore and Indian spiritual trance music rather than jazz; imagine, perhaps, a meeting between Sunn 0))) and Bowie/Eno’s 1970s ambient urban dystopia. The three-way collective dialogue on the other hand is the stuff of musicians with high-level jazz sensibilities. It might split Bear fans but Rochford’s more open-eared disciples will be intrigued.

Jazzwisespoke to Seb Rochford: Can you tell me about how your stay in India and exploration of your Indian heritage has affected the new music for Pulled by Magnets?

My heritage has always affected my music as it’s a part of who I am, but this album is different; it’s difficult to go into here but I hope that with the accompanying text and symbology contained in the album artwork, people will receive a sense and also connect. On heritage though, I’ve started making podcasts speaking to other mixed-race people about identity and experience – anyone interested can listen to a Spotify podcast under the name of Kutcha Butcha.

The sound of the new band is influenced by the kind of alt-rock/ metal genres that were among your earliest musical influences.

I think starting off by playing extreme forms of music like hardcore/ grind/death metal, never leaves you and gave me a root to work from, but the writing of this music is more an expression of where I am at, thinking of movement and sonic as an intuitive and emotional expression, something I started perceiving differently again after seeing Sun Ra Arkestra in New York a few years ago. I think though that those more extreme forms of metal also inspired the decisions in how to capture the sound recording of it.

Having for a long time associated you with Polar Bear, it was a surprise hearing the radical sonic contrast with Pulled by Magnets.

For me, this music is still a natural progression from Polar Bear. I just strive to remain open, be honest in my expression.

Pete Wareham has been a vital collaborator since you started. How do you explain the deep connection between the pair of you?

As well as the beauty of newer musical relationships, there’s playing and living music with people over a period of time. Pete and I have had so many experiences and discoveries together. He’s a special person, inspires me and his level of commitment and abandonment to dive so deeply into the present moment in this music is something that awakens and energises me.