Anticipation crackles for tonight’s debut live performance from Sault, the purposefully enigmatic collective centred around producer Dean Josiah Cover, AKA Inflo. Their discography – 11 albums in four years, five arriving in a single data dump a year ago – encompasses the kaleidoscope of Black music history, growing ever more spiritual and exploratory. Exactly which incarnation of Sault will materialise tonight: the sinewy garage-funk unit? The street soul artisans? The composers of diaphanous choral symphonies?
The answer is: all of them, as confirmed by numerous stages of varying size and purpose around Drumsheds’ main hall, which is accessed only after walking through an open fridge that leads into a winding installation composed of grimy tunnels and mirrored gardens. Any disorientation is intentional – Sault intend you take them on their terms, opening the set with an electrifying tribal drum solo that lasts over 20 minutes.
The various stages field string sections and harpists, banks of choristers and teams of dancers whose artful choreography and striking costuming serve as our eyes’ primary focus. Clad in ninja garb, the band play in the shadows or within a frosted-glass terrarium, the vocalists – including Cleo Sol and Little Simz – silhouettes cast on curtains or singing from behind a spectrum of veils. Sault may finally be in the building, but their enigma remains intact.
The music would lack meaning if not for its consistently impressive quality. They have a diverse range of styles, but each one is grounded in substance and can move both the feet and the heart. Examples include the choir-led symphony of “Time is Precious,” Simz’s captivating “Fear No Man,” and the perfectly timed “Warrior.” Genres seamlessly transition from dancehall to kalimba to qawwali, and the lively beat of “I Just Want to Dance” is interrupted by a marching drumline. In addition, a silhouette of Michael Kiwanuka sings the poignant and stunning “Colourblind.”
This event is quite impressive. With all the excitement surrounding Sault in the past four years and the expensive £100 ticket, it was expected. However, this immersive, diverse, and incredible three-hour experience showcases Cover and their collaborators as time-travelers exploring both Afro-legacy and Afro-future. They are like masked visionaries, balancing between modesty and boldness. It’s clear that there are no limits to what they can achieve.
Source: theguardian.com
