Variously described as punk-jazz, prog or even, at the start of their existence, ‘avant funk’, WorldService Project have moved label and usher in some personnel changes for their new Chris Sharkey-produced album set for an April release.

They have signed for Giacomo Bruzzo and Eraldo Bernocchi’s London-based prog-jazz and avant jazz-rock label RareNoise Records who have also posted details of a number of other 2016 releases in the pipeline.

Titled For King and Country, this new WSP album will arrive three years on from the Megasound-issued Fire in a Pet Shop. Produced this time around by virtuosic Shiver ex-trioVD guitarist Chris Sharkey, it will be five and a half years since the highly Zappafied award-winning outfit made their debut with Relentless.

Led by keyboardist/composer Dave Morecroft – with Tim Ower on saxophone, Raphael Clarkson playing trombone, Trinity Laban student Arthur O’Hara on bass guitar (replacing Conor Chaplin), and their latest drummer Harry Pope – WSP will launch For King and Country with this line-up at Kings Place in London on 6 May. A few weeks earlier during release month producer Chris Sharkey joins the band in the north-east for a special Gateshead Jazz Festival appearance.

WSP top and playing live above