Oddfinds is a series about the records, bands, songs, or even shops, labels and other pieces of the musical ecology that are literally ‘odd finds’. Stories, pieces of vinyl, CDs, or online sounds found in digital corners. From my point of view, an oddfind is good – very good.
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Oddfinds #5: A Question of Sault
Who the hell are Sault?
For a long while the main question about Sault was “who the hell are they”? An anonymous south London band/collective that burst onto the scene a few years back with mysterious, untitled or numbered albums, all with black covers and simple matchsticks graphics. Their music could be broadly categorised as ‘urban soul’, with a lot of other black and world music influences in the mix, together with a sophistication, simplicity, humour and deep collective vibe to the production and performances. The songwriting was fabulous.
They started as I imagine they meant to continue – as a mystery. More is now known about the characters that flow in and around the project, but they still surprise with sudden releases, unannounced shows and free mixtapes and albums dropped and deleted in days. And it seemed as if music just poured out of them – their first five albums: 5, 7, 9, Untitled (Rise) and Untitled (Black), were all released between 2019 and 2021!
Sault also seem to have no boundaries in the music they release – stretching from bass-driven psychedelic punk sung by a choir of school kids, to experimental modern classical, to reggae, R & B and funk.
I’ve been meaning to write about them for a while as they had very quickly become my new favourite band; they combine most of the influences I love in contemporary music, and they do it while sustaining an experimental, pop sensibility that is really hard to carry off. They keep it 'real’ too, emerging from a Black British experience that says something necessary and essential about the best and worst of our nation, and the promise of a post-colonial punk-soul-funk cultural fusion.
Acts of Faith
This post was prompted by the sudden appearance of a post on Instagram (that might have disappeared by the time you read this!) with a link to download a brand new piece of music – a mixtape style, 9 track album of 32 minutes and 17 seconds entitled ACTS OF FAITH 0.0.
(Note the download link isn’t live any more but the album/mixtape is on YouTube linked below).
I’m listening to it now, and it’s as beautiful, solid and soulful as Sault always is, even if the title invites another question: “If this is Acts of Faith 0.0, what comes next?” Actually, the first iteration of ‘Acts of Faith’ was an event at the Drumsheds in London last November that was lauded as one of the best live events of the year: “Utterly astonishing”; “Best of all time”, “Breathtaking”, “Awe-inspiring”, “Performance Art Meets Musical Perfection” – well you get the idea.
Needless to say, I didn't get a ticket; didn't even know it had happened until the reviews came out. The videos below capture the event, and it seems that the new album drop comprises of some of the new songs played at that first gig.
It somehow doesn't dispel the mystery though does it? Just makes the whole “question of Sault” all the more intriguing…
By the time of the live show the mystery of who the anonymous band/collective had already been clearing: Cleo Sol, Kid Sister, Chronixx, Jack Peñate and maestro producer, Inflo, had emerged as the main names, together with fellow collective superstar collaborators, Little Simz and Michael Kiwanuka. If there was ever a soul supergroup then this is it. And they make Taylor Swift seem like an amateur at dropping clues and keeping people hanging on!
The music keeps coming
As I’ve said, the first five albums came one after another between May 2019 and June 2021. The two ‘untitled’ albums (Rise) and (Black), are both coherent, accomplished pieces of work – both receiving rave reviews, and ‘Rise’ receiving a Mercury prize nomination.
Of the first five, I particularly love 9 - the first of their albums I bought. It’s gritty, bass driven and uncompromisingly urban, from London Gangs and Bitter Streets, to the hilarious You From London? voiced by Little Simz. The album was released in 2020, and was only available for streaming or buying for 99 days and then deleted. It’s still not up on their official discography or streaming platforms (though you can find it on YouTube…).
With such talent in the collective, each producing amazing work in their own right, it seemed inevitable that Sault would be seen as a crucible for the black British experience to be chronicled through their amazing musical output – but the biggest surprises were yet to come.
In 2022, came two completely different releases. The first, Air, a beautiful 8-track classical album, and a short EP, 10, comprising of a 10 minute, three part reggae track called Angel which has become one of my favourite pieces of their work. Both sound very different from the assertive, knowing black-conscious funk and soul of their previous five albums, but that’s the joy of their eclectic and always excellent output.
The big drop
Many supergroups would have had a rest from their ‘side project’ at this point, and maybe return to their main work. They did, of course: Cleo Sol, Little Simz and Michael Kiwanuka have had well received albums, tours and performances in recent years. They’re prolific in their own right – Cleo Sol has had four albums of her own released in three years, with Little Simz releasing five albums and EPs since 2019, including winning the Mercury Music Prize for Sometimes I Might Be Introvert in 2022, and the wonderful NO THANK YOU, a few months later.
However, far from resting, Sault just continued to surprise. Late in 2022, they released five (yes, five!) new albums - 56 songs - free to download from their website. Again the digital albums were only up for a short time, but their release was a treasury of wonderful variety. AIIR is a classical follow up the earlier AIR release. Earth and 11 continue the R & B and funk feel from their earlier albums, while Untitled (God) is the most obviously a set of funked-up contemporary worship songs – though the full set of five were billed as ‘an offering to God’, when they were made available to download. They are all available now on streaming services, though physical copies of all five are - as for all Sault’s releases - hard to come by.
Again the superlatives came out in the reviews. As Damien Morris wrote in the Guardian in his 5 star assessment of the five album release, “honestly, anyone can find their own five-star classic among these 56 songs. By the close, it’s clear that these albums are an act of supreme generosity, not indulgent superfluity.” A gift to God, if you like, but also a gift to the wider musical community from some of the most supremely talented musicians and producers working in the UK and beyond.1
Keep on moving in the dark
(poem extracts from the front cover of Today and Tomorrow by Sault)2
This is not your home keep moving When they throw stones keep moving From your soul to your bones keep moving You are not alone keep moving
My favourite of the five albums dropped that November, however, is a strange psychedelic punk set sung mainly by a chorus of London teenagers: Today and Tomorrow. I’m guessing it might not be to everyone’s taste, but I just love the adventure - the audacity - of it. And it’s almost certainly the case that you won’t have heard anything like In the Beginning since some 70s psyche-garage band were jamming in a basement somewhere to ‘find their groove’! Even without the voices, it’s just so funky! When the kids’ voices come in, this is the most distinctive and adventurous aspect of the album. The effect is extraordinary, and the call and response between the groove laid down by the band and the teenagers’ voices continues throughout the whole album.
I’d have loved to be in on the recording of this one! In my imagination, there is this amazing band – guitarist (with effects pedals), bassist, drummer, who have just turned up in one of those old-fashioned London school halls with high wooden ceilings and classrooms opening out from the central atrium and a stage at one end. The band set up on the floor in front of the stage, and a choir of teenagers from all backgrounds assemble on the stage itself. They’ve rehearsed, but this is a one-session project and everyone is nervous. The band start up and, on cue, they record the album in just one take…
It’s hard to pick a favourite track - I’d definitely recommend listening to the whole album at a sitting – but to get a feel for the ambition and range of this album, I’m going for Run (for the groove, guitar solo and kids choir intro) and Money (fast punk, and just great fun!). I could have chosen any of the tracks from this album though. Basically it sounds like the best and coolest school show you’re likely to see – which I guess it is…
Keep on moving in the dark When the light shines inside You don’t need to hide.
A question of Sault - the future?
It seems almost certain that Sault are going to continue to surprise. They have plans for live performances around the world in 2024 and 2025 (apparently!), though these haven’t been confirmed as yet. Their Instagram account - https://www.instagram.com/saultglobal/ - is the place where hints, breadcrumbs and new music are dropped, so it would seem a good idea to keep an eye there for news of future events and releases. In the meantime, if you can get to listen to the latest offering Acts of Faith 0.0, I’d highly recommend it. There’s nothing better than Sault in the way of British contemporary music around right now.
In a future post, I’m going to highlight the Sault ecosystem a little more and focus on some of my favourite tracks and music emerging from the collective’s individual members and their collaborations…
Notes
The ecosystem of talent in and around Sault is pretty extraordinary. Inflo (aka Dean Josiah Cover) is one of the most successful producers working out of the UK at the moment - his credits include The Kooks, Michael Kiwanuka, Little Simz, Adele, Tom Odell and many others. Little Simz is an artist at the top of her game - see my last Listening2… post which featured her Glastonbury set. Michael Kiwanuka is one of the best singer songwriters in the world - and he also had an amazing Glastonbury set this year; Cleo Sol is a prolific soul singer songwriter, releasing four albums since 2020, and two of them Heaven and Gold (both beautiful sets) in September last year. Jack Peñate is an artist and songwriter who works with Adele and others. Chronixx (aka Jamar Rolando McNaughton) is a Jamaican Grammy nominated reggae artist. Kid Sister is a US rapper and singer who has worked with Kanye West. And the roots and branches go way beyond these…
On the front cover of the album Today and Tomorrow by Sault, is a long poem/song lyric, entitled Keep on Moving in the Dark. At first sight it just seems like it’s part of the enigmatic cover design that Sault go for. However, this is the only album on which there is more than a single word or number superimposed on a single colour block (usually black, but green in the case of Earth, and red in the case of 11). This might all feel a bit geeky, but I am intrigued. I can’t find the poem/lyric anywhere on the internet, and there is no credit on the album itself. Like a lot of things about Sault, it’s a mystery. Or maybe it isn’t. If you know, let me know, I’d love to find out! Here’s an extract from the end of the poem:
Keep on moving in the dark When there is nowhere to go Everywhere grows like home Keep on moving in the dark ‘Cos I don’t need to see To know that I am free Keep on moving in the dark When the light shines inside You don’t need to hide.