Sault - What's the story?

Album is here - https://soundcloud.com/saultglobal/sets/sault-5

Just from the first track I can detect traces of ESG, The Jellies, The Dixie Cups & Holland–Dozier–Holland era Motown if it had been produced by Norman Whitfield. The production is timeless but state of the art at the same time. Ace songwriting.

My inner cynic reckons with the smart low key underground anti-marketing it is going to end up that Sault are some long time music business insiders, the album will eventually get a full release on say XL with a massive marketing push and it'll end up being thee essential album of 2020. Or not. But whatever, it doesn't detract from it being a great record.

I hate that the vinyl sold out like in a day and I was constantly checking if a release date was published. The whole willful obscurity of the project is frustrating but I guess it’s working. I heard Danger Mouse was involved but that might be fake.

Music wise I posted in the songs of summer 2019 thread that I absolutely love the combination of northern soul vocals + krautrock styled drums.

i think vinyl is still available from here - https://www.sault.global/store/sault-5

It's groovy, but I'm not really hearing the ace songwriting.

i guess it comes down to what kind of song writing you dig?

Xpost: Huh that’s weird last time I checked they were sold out! I guess they restocked, thank you for the heads up, already ordered.

People on discogs were selling them for twice or thrice the price which I thought was ridiculous as a second print was surely around the corner.

I see two sellers still have it for 50 pounds.

Oh I see there’s snippets of a new album called 7 on their instagram account and it also sounds great. Seriously who are behind this project? I can’t find anything on them only name I see attached is Dean Inflo Josiah which is also very obscure on info and... maybe an alias of another artist?

i thought i read somewhere that 00s blog fav kid sister was involved?

There is another name attached too - Cleopatra Nikolic.

She has written for Little Simz.

I'm not on Instagram so didn't know about '7'. Curioser and curioser.

Some of these new tracks sound very “Danger Mouse” I wouldn’t be surprised if he is in fact attached to this one. I see there’s a connection between this “Dean Inflo” mystery man and Danger Mouse on a Michael Kiwanuka album.

I kinda like how this band is a mystery. Really cool album!

This sounds great, thanks for the heads up.
allmusic has the following bio information: "A rhythm-forward heavy rock ensemble formed by members of American power metallers Kamelot and groove metal outfit Arcanium." LOL, that seems highy unlikely

It’s actually true! There’s another band called Sault who play metal. one of them might need to change their name eventually.

Never heard of them before this thread. Listened to a couple tracks so far - I like it but the ESG influence is PROMINENT. Also hearing Tom Tom Club as filtered though, I don’t know, something from the era of late 90s electronica’s-the-next-big-thing.

The song is the second single from Sault, a trio that features London-based musician Dean “Inflo” Josiah Cover (writer of DanDigs.com audio mainstays “Black Man in a White World” by Michael Kiwanuka, “House in LA” by Jungle, “Offence” by Little Simz, and many, many more). It’s released via Forever Living Originals, an independent label that counts Melisa Young among its cohort, better known as Chicago rapper Kid Sister (whose Kanye-featuring “Pro Nails” was a bonafide smash upon its release in 2011, as was the track’s magnificently massive Rusko remix).

https://www.google.com/amp/s/dandigs.com/2019/04/06/diggin-this-sault-dont-waste-my-time-forever-living-originals-dean-inflo-josiah-cover-melisa-young-kid-sister-we-are-the-sun-london-chicago-pro-nails-kanye-dan-digs-jungle-michael-kiwanuka-black-man-i/amp/

Oh nevermind I see you already figured this much out.

I listened to and enjoyed the album but also thought that almost every song seemed geared for placement on a modern Southern Gothic HBO-type show. (N.B.: I am watching Sharp Objects at the moment which may have influenced this conclusion).

new album already?

that should probably be 'new album already!'

7? Have I missed 6?

Haha I half wonder if they're just releasing individual discs from a huge boxset-sized debut album

7 is the one, I think (so far)--5 is pretty great debut for a 'sound' band--foregrounding those influences that seemingly nobody will ever tire of--but some of those songs on 7 really hit me deep in the soul

Both albums are amazingly consistent, hard to really choose one over the other. Huge low-end throughout. I feel wrong saying it, but this is what I wish ESG sounded like.

My copy of the 2nd one should arrive tomorrow. I'm perfectly happy with how ESG sound already and wouldn't change anything about their sound, but if their more recent recordings had sounded more like this I'd probably play them more.

"why, why why" is an earworm and a half even on a first listen.

Damn totally missed the second release!

It's really good too, although I feel ever slightly more favorably toward 5.

They're both pretty fucking amazing. Love the trend of bands popping out 2 albums this year

Really enjoy the slight layer of polish distinguishing the second album from the first. Even more, I enjoy trying to figure out if it’s the songs as a whole or the brilliance of the rhythm section that’s the force of what’s captivating me.

For me it’s the brilliance of the rhythm section. They are amazing. Apparently there’s a tour planned next year so I guess we’ll finally meet the people behind it.

yes, all about the rhythm section for me. is anybody else's copy of the second album warped?

Gradually, I'm growing to feel like this is ace songwriting, both wishing I could articulate why and knowing that I like it because I can't pin it down. It's Sly & Robbie, but it's also Sly and Robbie and Black Uhuru.

The grooves carry them on tracks that are less fleshed out, but there's definitely some standout songwriting too. "Why Why Why Why Why", "Masterpiece", and "Friends" leap to mind as A+ writing.

Yes, the grooves are what drew me in to begin with but the songwriting is what elevates it into something very special. it will be very interesting to see how it works live.

I missed the previous discussion on this but gave it a listen after seeing it listed as Bandcamp’s second best album of the year. Rhythm section really shines.

Jesus Christ these records are so utterly, completely everything I want/need in new music. Even things I love wholeheartedly, it's incredibly rare to hear something where just every decision feels so exactly right.

This has to be related to Little Simz, no?

The only connection I really hear to ESG (whom I adore) is that it's so perfectly minimalist--there's never more than like three or four sound sources. I hear some Library tendencies, some high sophistication a la Adrian Younge/Midnight Hour or Michael Kiwanaku but with so much more restraint. If there's an Afrobeat component it feels more like Lijadu Sisters than Fela... I mean, they definitely get the "who does this call back to" synapses firing, but ultimately I really don't care too much because it's just so perfectly timeless--never retro or overtly futurist, just. . . what it needs to be to do what it's trying to do.

If this is Danger Mouse related, it's by far the best thing he's ever been involved with. The restraint would seem uncharacteristic. . .

If you're not hearing this group, you're missing something pretty damned wonderful:

https://saultglobal.bandcamp.com/

^ you piqued my interest with those previous posts, so thanks! 7 is especially good, I quickly decided.

i wish the "dancing in the rover" (?) voice from "up all night" would reappear elsewhere. that little refrain is my favorite part of 5 !

we're all voting for "up all night" as the song to represent sault at the 77 best tracks ILM 2019. i said it first that means you have to do it

Kind of wish "Don't Waste My Time" was nominated, but don't want to further dilute the choices.

i love don’t waste my time! still haven’t heard the new album.

I'll go with that just to get them seen/heard--but I don't think I could pick fewer than 10 favorites across the two albums.

I'm pretty firmly sold on '7' as the better of the two albums, though both are top-5 of the year for me...

7 has grown on me but 5 is thee one i reckon. hard to choose between "don't waste my time" and "up all night".

I need to try 7 again, definitely dismissed it too quickly.

I can't figure getting one and not the other? They're hardly miles apart--tracks could be interchanged freely, other than '7' having a slightly more serious tone overall perhaps?

you're probably right tbh.

okay, there are songs on 5 that it sounds like had existed for many years but which I had only just heard (where has this been all my life?) whereas this one sounds more current and more like a straight RnB record at times (albeit a very good one). I was singing along with Up All Night, Why Why Why... and others after one listen (this is not always a good thing but is in this instance) but I struggle, so far, to have that connection on 7. 5 also sounds like a weird compilation of unheard tracks from various groups whereas 7 sounds like a record by a group (MAYBE) and that is not a negative, it just doesn't seem uncanny in the way 7 does.

I also want to add how much I love Sault as a band/project name.

Definitely voting both albums in the eoy poll and I’ll probably vote for all tracks nominated just to be sure.

I was assuming the “dancing in the rover” was a sample? I have both albums on vinyl and credits on it are practically non-existent. if there’s sampling going on in any of the albums it’s as mysterious as the people involved.

I always sing "Dancing in ye really wap" which is definitely 100% wrong and stupid but I'm also 100% sure it's not "dancing in the rover” either.

always sounds like vulva to me!

Lol, same

will vote 7 (although i prefer 5) if y’all rally behind “up all night”

Team Sault must remain united

xp lol this is what i hear:

dancing, dancing in the rover
racing, racing in the vulva

They're both going on my ballot, but 5 is going higher

https://cdn1-autoexpress-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/ii/w820/s/cdn1.autoexpress.co.uk/sites/autoexpressuk/files/styles/amp_metadata_content_image_min_696px_wide/public/5/55/dsc_1314_0_0_0.jpg

sounding good in the trailer for HBO's new Skate Kitchen spin-off series Betty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tQu2P5n4Bc

does Pink Sands from Sault 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9NM62YodU

sample the choral interlude part of Kat Bush's Hello earth?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S0zNFzK_ns

3:12 onward on the KB track.

oh Kate sampled it herself!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvrBWCtylyI

https://youtu.be/AvrBWCtylyI

It's actually Popol Vuh.

i should have spotted that.

is there any place in the usa to buy these records? the only thing i can find is https://www.vinyl-digital.com/en/Black-Grooves/Sault-7-09544353.html?cur=1&listtype=search&searchparam=Sault
which isn’t very clear whether it’s actually in stock or not.
i bought the digital version on bandcamp cause the lp was so pricey but every time i listen to it, i want the record.

New untitled album coming up. Snippets on their instagram page. Haven’t listened to it yet but it’s presented as a protest album against police brutality and systemic racism.

Only heard Wildfires and it’s so good.

If they created this 18 track album in the past couple of weeks as a protest stemming from the George Floyd case it’s seriously impressive. Again, I’ve only heard one song from it so far but it’s very promising.

by these previews it sounds incredible

https://www.instagram.com/saultglobal/?hl=en

I had a look earlier and pitchfork have never mentioned Sault once.

idk what i was looking at, but this popped up in some "similar releases" on a discogs page and i was surprised at how different it sounded to what i was looking at (it was maybe on a fela or marvin gaye release? i honestly don't remember. i'm not completely sold on everything just yet, but there's definitely a weird and intriguing mishmash of stuff going on. like it's mildly putumayo-ish in spots, but without the sheen, and then the vocals are definitely soul-inspired. and yeah, definitely has a bit of esg vibes in spots. it's hard to place.

i like, not love, what i've heard so far. some of the melodies aren't that unique and the grainy / distorted vocals wear a bit thin after a while, but i'm definitely interested in seeing what happens.

Gilles Peterson played the whole LP on BBC6 today--so brilliant and beautiful. Said it would be out "early next week". Probably streamable in the archive for today...

Incredible album cover (If there's going to be a vinyl). The fact it has no title seems very loaded, profound, even.

this is such great news, I had been getting the feeling that they were due for something new

Xxxpost: wtf it’s true, I hadn’t noticed before that pitchfork hasn’t reviewed or even mentioned them at all.

Michael Kiwanuka has a guest spot on this new one which sort or confirms my suspicion that Danger Mouse is involved or at least acquainted with the people behind the project.

I think it’s Inflo that’s in Sault, who has co-produced (?) the last couple of Kiwanuka records with Dangermouse.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000k1lx

full album starts at 38:20

Sounding so good. I wonder if this will be their breakout album? It's long, around 55 minutes so hope all the tracks make it on to vinyl.

Also, Gilles Peterson repeatedly mentions it being Inflo and Cleo.

This sounds a bit more like a mixtape to me, with less structured songs, flowing into each other. Much more moody, which suits the subject matter, but ends up being less exuberant than the other 2.

I wonder if Peterson went off-piste by repeatedly mentioning who was involved? Or didn't think it through. There's nothing in the social media presence to suggest that they were ready to change tack at this point.

I mean at this point it was pretty much confirmed Inflo and Cleo Sol were involved. There's several articles linked upthread which shared this same info. One article upthread describes them as a trio which includes Kid Sister as well. Inflo plays bass, drums and piano on Cleo Sol's albums so he might as well be behind the whole instrumentation.

They might not confirm it themselves in social media but their affiliation (and Inflo's ownership) of the label Forever Living Originals is a sort of confirmation in itself.

I've had the impression they're not trying to necessary be truly anonymous, but more that they wanted the focus to be on the music than the personalities? But yes, it's hardly difficult to connect the dots at this point...

Hadn’t heard of Cleo Sol prior to the last few posts, listening to her album now and it’s splendid so thanks ilx

They might not confirm it themselves in social media but their affiliation (and Inflo's ownership) of the label Forever Living Originals is a sort of confirmation in itself.

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, June 16, 2020 1:33 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

the LPs say PRODUCED BY INFLO on the back

Are there two singers (besides Inflo popping in) in Sault?

Listening to Cleo Sol's new album now, and this was certainly produced by Inflo, right?

according to dicogs, yes
https://www.discogs.com/Cleo-Sol-Rose-In-The-Dark/release/15475027

Holy shit, that Cleo Sol record is fantastic.

Yeah this is great.

omg @ "Her Light" on the Cleo Sol album (and the rest)

Live now on bandcamp: https://saultglobal.bandcamp.com/album/untitled-black-is

This sounds a bit more like a mixtape to me, with less structured songs, flowing into each other. Much more moody, which suits the subject matter, but ends up being less exuberant than the other 2.

― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles),

Love this aspect of it, 5 was like this too, to an extent though? 7 wasn't.

I Have only listened on laptop speakers but i love it. Looking forward to blasting it tomorrow. Fucking psyched to have this and the Cleo album in such quick succession. *Feeling blessed* :)

YES!!!

loving this a lot. "Monsters" is so funky in an Air or Beta Band kinda way

wasn't too into their albums last year but this one's sounding good to me. maybe i'll have to give 5 and 7 another try

I can't fathom not liking '5' and especially '7' if you like this album (or, not liking them, period, but that's me)

they weren't bad or anything i just didn't get the hype?

I didn't know there had been hype. They are fairly unknown broadly, no?

Asides the love from 3 or 4 members of ilm I haven’t seen them being hyped virtually anywhere else.

Gorillavsbear released his “best of the year so far” list placing this album and “wildfires” as his respective best song and best album of the year so far and Gilles Peterson playing the full album is the closest I’ve seen to hype for them. They deserve every bit of hype in my opinion. If you add the Cleo Sol album they’ve been incredibly prolific in the past year. There’s enough in there for a best of compilation.

Sorry for the terrible english up there. I posted without double-checking.

there was a lot of enthusiasm for them here and i thought there'd been a bit of love for them in the uk music press at least, but nothing huge. still, enthusiasm here is enough to count as 'hype' to me

so it is a double vinyl. on repeat this morning.

xp Andrew Jervis on the Bandcamp Weekly pod was the first person I heard really hyping them up

Honestly, given at first nobody really knew who they were, they dud no press, and the label they're on exists so far just to put their music out, I feel like the degree to which they're loved is because of the music itself.

I know I've played them for lots of musician/producer friends and so far everyone has become a big fan. Their just doing something that *feels* immediately familiar (in a good way) but doesn't *really* sound like anything else (including ESG). I can fairly guarantee they're not being propped up in secret by some massive corporate advertising campaign...

I wouldn't let fear of hype cut you off from it. If they were the most popular group in the world, I'd love them no less...

They were Bandcamp's #1 on some year-end list last year (which I think was a critical list, not sales or anything). But I haven't encountered anyone irl who already knew them.

Did I hear them in an Apple ad in the last year? That may not have the kind of impact it would have had ten years ago.

Loving the new one. It brought to mind Metal Box-era PiL. And it’s just as good. (There you go, my contribution to the hype.)

I broke down & bought all 3 on vinyl from their bandcamp. Expensive AF but I’m gonna be glad I have them.

i did the same on friday.

Only bought the new one on vinyl, but I'm very tempted by '7' too...

So I'm enjoying the new one, but not as much as the other two. I guess it comes down to how much you like a more thematic approach with lots of spoken word interludes. There's plenty of good moments on here, but the first two were more concise, more energetic, and had sharper songwriting.

"Wildfires" is an incredible song

I've only heard the first and third records so far but the basslines on these are terrific. Everyone involved plays a blinder - but I've had a vague sense for a while that a lot of musicians have forgotten the extent to which a really great bassline can make a song fly rather than just slam and these records are absolutely full of them.

I agree with Moodles. The double album length on this one means there's too much fat I'd have trimmed compared to 5 and 7, I don't think I'll be listening as much to this one for this reason. It's harder to swallow in one listen, both by length and subject matter. If it was up to me I'd actually cut 8 or 10 of the tracks in here. Too many interludes and ideas that feel like they need more work and would have been better left as future sketches for a future album.

That said, there's plenty to like in here and 'Wildfires' might be a contender for song of the year for me and is one of the best songs they've released imho.

I just don't get that at all. I think that's a big part of what makes it great. Aside from the fact that many of the interludes would work fantastically in a mix, it actually makes it seem like a very good mix in itself.

I've only heard the first and third records so far but the basslines on these are terrific. Everyone involved plays a blinder - but I've had a vague sense for a while that a lot of musicians have forgotten the extent to which a really great bassline can make a song fly rather than just slam and these records are absolutely full of them.

― Matt DC, Monday, June 22, 2020 4:25 AM (one week ago) bookmarkflaglink

see, 'eternal life'

i get why this is a double-album, and the interludes are good for some ambience and a few of them are really resonant. but it's a little frustrating that most/all of my favorite tracks show up on record #2 (incl. 'black,' 'eternal life,' 'monsters')

It looks like the Bandcamp page was updated with CD releases for all three albums - available for pre-order now, shipping July 20.

Damn, already have those all digitally (and have bought them several times for other folks), and splurged on the vinyl for 'Untitled'... But CD is the format I actually actively buy, so probably going to have to plunk down the $63 it's going to cost to get all three shipped to the US...

Friend just tipped me to the new one, which then sent me back to the earlier albums. Great stuff all around. Have not yet delved into the Cleo Sol album, obviously I should. The new one sits comfortably alongside Moses Boyd's album, both on my best-of-year shortlist.

So I've now been bingeing all the Sault albums and the Cleo Sol album for two weeks, and this is a pretty great body of work to all be churned out in under a year. Seems weird that it's still a little under the radar.

All their albums have been virtually ignored by US media. In the UK only the Guardian and Q magazine picked it up. I don’t know how getting your album reviewed works, is sending a copy enough? Is there payola involved?

Do you need to represent a big label to be considered at all? They would have slayed in scores, their sounnd ticks too many critics-darlings boxes. I don’t see how any of their albums would get a score lower than B-.

I managed to get a serious metalhead excited about their new one.

I don’t know how getting your album reviewed works

As far as I know (which isn't very far), you need some way to get editorial/writers to actually notice your email promo from the millions they receive. Maybe that's because they've already heard of you or something catches their eye, but more likely because it's coming from a PR or label person that they know and trust (or who sends promos for other notable artists, and who they want to keep having a good relationship with).

As topical as it is, I think the new one would get a lot more attention in the States if it was by an American artist.

But some kind of breakthrough feels sort of inevitable. They're too good to ignore.

Xpost: I mean Inflo is connected, he’s not an artist that gets lost in your spam... if he really wanted their albums to be reviewed by Pitchfork or Rolling Stone, he has worked and probably has the direct contact number of artists like Michael Kiwanuka, Danger Mouse, Belle & Sebastian, Little Simz, The Kooks, Portugal the Man, Jungle... I don’t think knocking on Pitchfork’s or RS’s doors and getting someone to answer is the problem here. Maybe it is, idk.

or maybe it's the new iteration of punk rock and the "major players" can fuck off?

also, yeah: the new one kicks fucking ass. wish i had the money to just buy the discography.

Yeah I think the albums being “obscure” and not giving a fuck if they get picked and reviewed is a very deliberate choice.

They’re doing ok on spotify for an act with virtually no media exposure. Most of their top songs are almost on the 2M plays.

fuck, i've been listening on bandcamp like the plebe-y purist scum that i am. i will

also, like the cheesy cornball doofus i am, i have to say that 'eternal life' is my fav track on the new one. just something so pure bout it. f`kin rad.

*i will start listening on spotify

Hahaha it doesn’t matter where you listen to them, I doubt they get any real benefit out of their Spotify plays. I was just pointing out that there’s a real fanbase developing in there.

bandcamp doesn't pay artists for streams, whereas plays on spotify *do* generate (very little) residuals. and spotify does have "charts" of sorts that help get the word out. and i like the music a lot anyway, so may as well listen on the platform that generates something for them.

Yeah 500k Spotify listeners a month is a shitload and way more than bands “in the machine” with publicists desperately trying to get Stereogum to premiere their blog single or whatever.

I think their attitude is obviously punk and pretty admirable and part of the draw. No information about the band. No press. No label. Nothing.

and yes, because of all that, i kind feel obligated to listen on the platform that contributes, as i don't have the money to buy the physical media at this point.

sorry spamming this thread this afternoon, BUT—

their discogs (confusingly) specifies only one person under group members: kid sister —— what!?

From what I read somewhere (Allmusic?) Kid Sister isn't even on 7, or not much. Cover and Cleo Sol cowrote everything on Cleo's album, so that album sort of IS a Sault album I guess? Hard to say. It's clearly all of a piece or on a continuum.

I finally heard my first Sault song in the wild, I suppose: a pool party that one of the guests was DJing. Hope this trend continues!

The albums are *very* affordable on Bandcamp digitally--something like £7, £7, name your price, very very worth it... Very spendy on vinyl/CD, but even there I copped, as these albums have more continuously and consistently brought be joy than basically anything since I got into Arthur Russell 20 years ago.

Also, the new one appears to have sold 5k+ copies on Bandcamp, which seems pretty remarkable for an almost-zero-promotion "mystery" band.

“don’t waste my time” was on an episode of YOU last season

if i had a staff slot somewhere i would have written about 5, 7, and this one upon release... as it is i included 5 and 7 in my top 10 last year. cutting staff jobs and farming new music discovery out to freelancers has had a pretty terrible effect on what gets covered!

the radio station I just got hired for has the album in heavy rotation fwiw. I need to go back and check their first two releases tho

both this and the Keiyaa album feel very post-When I Get Home to me

I still like the first 2 better, but have been listening to all 3 plus Cleo Sol a whole lot the past few days.

Paste wrote something extensive. It's categorized as a feature, not a review (and thus doesn't come up as part of their "review" section). But it says "review" in the URL.

It is by a staffer, not a freelancer:

https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/sault/sault-untitled-black-is-review/

Not vouching for the piece (haven't read it), just documenting some American press.

that's great!

fwiw the link showed up dead for me so I had to google it and googled link, which workd, shows exactly the same url you posted. Very strange.

The final slash seems to not be a part of the link in the url posted here, and appears to make all the difference.

my bad, hopefully this works:

https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/sault/sault-untitled-black-is-review

dammit!

this album is so so so great. i'm hearing parallels with D'Angelo's Black Messiah in some ways, not just because of the subject matter but in the way it's loose, formless, but also extremely confident, like an expert collage.

damn I just realized my post is the only measure of Keiyaa on ILM. This is in a similar vain as the new Sault but better imo: https://keiyaa.bandcamp.com/

It's so good!

andy k did an amg review: https://www.allmusic.com/album/untitled-black-is-mw0003397217

This band tick so many of my boxes that it's shocking I haven't really dived too deep into their three albums. I've decided I need to buy one of them on vinyl. Which should I get?

Start with '5' and '7' then also 'Untitled'.

Seriously though, it's all amazing. '7' is my personal fave.

OK, had not listened to Kiwanuka until I knew of the link, but it's lovely.

I haven't listened to 'Untitled' yet but '7' is all-time imo

It has to have been said, but in addition to Sault x2 + Kiwanuka, Inflo's magic is deep in Kittle Simz 'Grey Area'. Dude made 4 of my 5 top 5 records in 2019...

I should listen to Little Simz album then!

This Little Simz album is great.

I pretty much endorse any project that Inflo has been attached to. He’s a brilliant musician and producer.

And yes that includes a Kooks album!

FWIW, on the latest Sound Opinions episode, Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot call the new album a "masterpiece" and "album of the year."

With DeRo on our side, how can we go wrong?

https://www.instagram.com/saultglobal.chat

send request. report back results pls.

Hello,how are you doing?
I’m taking my time to check out on my fans during this pandemic period of covid19.
Please stay safe out there and remember I care ❤️❤️

This is the message I get via SAULT chat. Anything you want me to ask them?

i believe it is a bot, as i received the same exact message.

the plot thickens.

Have you replied to the message?

yes!

i said thank you for making awesome music and the response was, "how long have you been a fan?"

At this point, I think I prefer the Cleo Sol album over the new SAULT.

why would you say something so controversial, yet so brave?

It's my year of living dangerously

Well, yeah the Cleo Sol album is one of the best of the year. I think I'd agree with it being stronger than the Sault album, but it feels like an extension of the same sort of sound.

Absolutely does

i disagree, but they're both in my top five, so whatevs.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEzyszmAMSb/

Would've thought it just meant "thanks" to supporters... but says "Pt. 2"!!!

i have one thing and one thing only to say:

OH FUCK YEAH

seems like a new record to me, they obviously like to crank it out

so the end of the last record goes in a fairly gospel direction, not sure how much I want more if that is what the cover art is indicating

clips posted to their instagram just now.

Previews sound great! Only one track seems gospel-influence from what I can tell. Groove-wise it sounded closer to 5 to me.

I don't want to spoil it so just gave a few seconds' listen to each preview but this sound potentislly right up there with '5' and '7' (love 'Untitled' but just not quite as much). Inflo is Midas but with a happy ending.

Somehow I convinced myself this was coming today, got me through the week.

Anybody heard anything anywhere about it?

Samples here:

https://www.instagram.com/saultglobal/

Confirmed out tomorrow September 18th!

Cannot *wait*!

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/a97eba371b5c3399874c8792668566f116dc4feb/0_303_1675_1005/master/1675.jpg?width=1300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=7758c4c888a4c85016c8d7283653fe31

Five star review at the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/sep/17/sault-untitled-rise-review

😬YEEEHHZZZZZ😬

great news! what a review.

Awesome. Still waiting on my delivery for the last one though!

Oh shit

"more obviously dancefloor-focused"

I like the sound of that

psyched

Still waiting on my delivery for the last one though!

mine arrived yesterday so hopefully en route.

psyched for tomorrow.

Indeed, I like the sound of this one.

Got my CDs of '5,' '7,' and 'Untitled (Black Is),' but not LP of the latter. Seems like they're reaching folks in the U.S. now-ish.

I would *love* for "18 September" to mean midnight, GMT, so I could get this in two hours...

it’s on spotify here (australia)

Yeah, that's pretty much how new releases work globally, so you should look for it!

xp

I guess that's assuming you are on gmt time. It should be out by midnight on your local time zone.

Oh, sorry--I'm EST (US East Coast) so was hoping it'd be 12 midnight where Sault are based, and hence 7:00pm my time. I'll just have to wait till tomorrow ; )

Also I'm looking to buy it--so I'd guess for me it's whenever Sault decide to put it up on Bandcamp : )

Now?
https://saultglobal.bandcamp.com/album/untitled-rise

Now!

Sooo fucking good

On first listen, yes indeed. Loving all the Batucada style drums.

Really like this. Suspect the more spoken word tracks like You Know It Ain't will pall a bit over time, but still, I love this band.

Definitely more of a disco thing going on here, I'm digging it.

Slaps so hard! This fuckin band

how is this real?

this is brilliant!

I'm surprised because the bandname "Sault" always made me think this was a sludge-metal band or something!

I believe there is a metal band of some sort called
Sault

oh wow "strong" is such a great start

this is fantastic but especially the percussion!!! wow

I had this on a loop for hours last night while I was working, different songs leapt out at me each time through. Another great album.

Not only are they turning these out at remarkable pace but none of these records are even front-loaded imo. If anything I find myself latching more onto the tracks towards the end of them. Great strings on 'Scary Times'.

think this is pretty easily their best yet

'Untitled (Rise)' definitely feels... bigger, more "widescreen," less minimalist than earlier work (even than the first 'Untitled (Black Is)'), but without losing the edge and the spirit that makes Sault above-and-beyond almost anything else. It's polished without being "glossy".

On first couple listens last night, there were places where I was smiling and also felt like crying at the brilliance of what Inflo & Co are achieving. Feels like an immense celebration--and also synthesis--of African and Afrodiasporic music and collective strength. I want Sault to be the soundtrack of a radical reawakening of commonality between Black people everywhere and the breaking down of white hegemony... But even if it can't be that, they certainly have been one of the brightest lights in difficult days.

It's just unimaginable that they've created these four almost-perfect (yet highly eclectic) and singular albums in less than 24 months--especially these 24 months. AND that Inflo also played a huge role in shaping Little Simz' 'Grey Area,' Michael Kiwanuka's 'Kiwanuka,' and Cleo Sol's 'Rose In the Dark' during the same time! In 2019, he literally made 4 of my top 5 albums. And in 2020, 3 of my top 10...

I think this might be their best one yet. I’d probably rank them as:

Rise
5
7
Black is

But I love them all.

Loving the diy disco/Off the Wall feel so far (while keeping that dubby minimal Sault thing)

Feel very strongly that The Black and The Gold should have been the closing track. That thing is gorgeous.

wow absolutely loving this and something always held me back on the previous releases (I did like the Cleo Soul)

Yeah this is incredible. Best one yet and it is a very high bar. "Strong", "Fearless", "I Just Want to Dance", "The Beginning & the End" and "Free" are my highlights so far.

'7' remains closest to my heart--their most perfect front-to-back distillation. But even on just a couple listens, I'll put 'Untitled (Rise' up there with '5,' and 'Untitled (Black Is)' isn't far behind. All of them toward the very top of my favorite music of recent years, which have been my favorite years for new music since... the early 90s.

They have quickly become one of my favorite bands in years. I knew ‘5’ was something special when I first heard it but I wasn’t expecting they’d be 3 more albums in the same ballpark of quality and with such a short span between them.

Not a comparison in sound and this might sound completely off, but they remind me of Stereolab in how they seem to extract influence from some of the best sounds of previous decades into a charming sound of their own. While Stereolab seemed to extract mainly sounds of 60s and early 70s, Sault sound more indebted to the 70s and early 80s.

I can see the Stereolab comparison, in terms of their ability to synthesize/recall forebears without directly mimicking/reviving anyone. And in terms of being prolific-but-quailty.

Difference being I think Sault draws on a much wider musical realm--and drawing globally, and spanning at least 50s R&B, early 60s girl groups/soul/highlife, late 60s/early 70s funk/Afrobeat/Zamrock/Tropicalia/reggae, late 70s post-punk/disco/dub, early 80s boogie/pop, late 80s-mid-90s hip-hop, and much beyond...

well said moka. and definitely agreed about them being one of the best acts to come along in quite some time. i think the last "new" band that came out that i liked this much was king krule and that was nearly a decade ago!

new one is still too fresh, but after one listen it's just as good as anything else they've done.

Ha, yeah, there's certainly seems to be a Stereolab balance of being guided by a strong manifesto but without overthinking the actual music.

Just echoing what everyone else has said so far - this is fantastic and connecting with me much more than their previous one earlier in the year

so glad to have found this, wonderfully minimal, love the percussion recording

so glad to have found this, wonderfully minimal, love the percussion recording

― naked and sexually active alien (rip van wanko),

If you like minimal, wait till you hear '7' and '5'!

Don't know if they'll outdo 5 and 7, but I think Rise flows a bit better than Black Is, which drags a little.

Hey, look at that, it's Ned Raggett:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/covid-coping-41751129

ned otm, as usual.

Per Ned's thoughts--for sure, the "romance" and "mystery" of Sault has an appeal--but I view it as less of an defining alluring gimmick (not per se a bad thing, i.e. Daft Punk), and more of something that actually demystifies the Artist and in effect focuses attention on the music itself. (I admit, I've come to see Inflo as a heroic figure, personally, because he's touched so much of my favorite music these last two years--but I still barely have any idea who he is, so even then it's a musically-rooted appreciation).

So for all the mystery, what I love about how warmly Sault has been received by the listening public (seeming to transcend just-us-geeks) is that the reception focuses on the music, and how simply fantastic and singular it is, and how "of the moment" important but also "of the movement" important, and of human existence important. And also maybe the unfathomable rapidity with which so much great music has been created/released. They're a word-of-mouth (thus far) act if there ever was one in the internet age, and the words shared are mostly about "holy shit, you have to hear this". The content is far more significant in their success than the packaging, as it were--which is remarkably refreshing.

(An aside: Sault one of very few acts in my life that have inspired me to just... buy copies for people I think *might* like them (others: Modern Lovers, Arthur Russell, Roy Kinsey). But I have--probably half a dozen times for each album, on Bandcamp days, and I'm pretty certain everyone has been hooked and further spread the word themselves.)

The biggest romance of the mystery for me is wondering who the hell the drummer is and how they're being recorded.

My strong suspicion is Inflo on drums

"I Just Want To Dance" is a fire AF

lol not sure what i was typing there but it's the jam

xxps i've been taking that for granted since 5? sure thing he's the drummer here, right?

I’m assuming the Cleo Sol album has the same credits (this would mean they have actually created not two, but three outstanding albums this year) and Inflo is credited on bass, drums, piano, additional vocals and production on that album. I’d heavily bet on Inflo being the bass/drums behind every Sault song, as to how he records them we’d have to ask him.

What an amazing record. Free might be their best song (they are approaching a dozen best songs so far) and The Black and Gold is heartbreaking.

One thing that I find weird is that I can't hear the Cleo Sol voice from her solo album in these songs at all, for the most part. Are my ears broken?

I know it's churlish to complain but the two spoken word tracks on this will be deleted from the playlist once I buy this. No Black Violins in London at least has drama (and would have made a good instrumental) but You know it Ain't just sounds like someone very sarcastic complaining at you. I get it but no way do I want to listen to it.

this album is approaching 1000 purchases on bandcamp, which is very impressive for a first day of sales. On the other hand, there are ILXors who should be all over this thread and it's weird that they aren't here, tbh!

Am I the only one that finds it strange that Pitchfork have never reviewed a Sault record? The band have never even been mentioned on the site. I know Pitchfork doesn't have the clout that it had 5-10 years ago but I still find it weird, to put it generously.

would love to discover that pfork reached out to them early on and they told them to fuck off. so pfork being the bitchy little bubble that it is is throwing a temper tantrum by ignoring them.

sorry, writing sault fanfic.

Pitchfork bothers me a lot less than it did in the late 90s through 2000s when its writers cared a lot more about being "creative" and they mostly only covered indie rock. But I will say, they still seem to be pretty personality-oriented in their reviews and news coverage--so I guess a group (?) with only one explicitly known member who is himself still mostly unknown as far as biography/personality goes wouldn't be of much interest?

I was just thinking last night I'd love to see a good writer tackle all four albums (with a discussion of other Inflo work) in a single large review? I don't know who'd be a great candidate--I don't actually read a lot of criticism. But I bet ILMers would know who should pitch it...

Inflo as a Prince/Stevie styled composer, building the tracks up from his own rhythm tracks makes a lot of sense for these sounds.

this comment on Petridis's review in The Guardian:

R**watcher*d

It’s a work rate that would seem remarkable at any point in pop history, but feels positively astonishing today,

Having just listened to the exquisite and excoriating Wildfires I don't see anything remarkable about the work rate. Anyone moderately acquainted with ProTools, Logic or Cubase could knock that out in an afternoon, including tea breaks.

"exquisite and excoriating" being a quote from the review being replied to. In his defence the guy did post a track of his own and it was not that bad, actually.

but Wildfires is exquisite and excoriating and Sault are working at quite a pace, it may have been made in an afternoon, who knows?. But it's an incredible SONG in the first place!

I mean, yeah--who cares how long it takes? Real craftperson artist can be efficient and still achieve great things (like, uh, Sault).

This review in Variety is good:

https://variety.com/2020/music/reviews/saults-untitled-rise-album-review-1234775193/amp/

Am I the only one that finds it strange that Pitchfork have never reviewed a Sault record? The band have never even been mentioned on the site. I know Pitchfork doesn't have the clout that it had 5-10 years ago but I still find it weird, to put it generously.

uh, they knew about them the whole time honestly!

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/sault-fearless/

Previous Sault albums (5 and 7) are back in stock apparently, e.g. at Sounds of the Universe.

ha! there you go!

xp

I think the new one might be my favorite of the four. Their sound is incredible (seriously, crank this on big speakers if you have access)

I'm glad you like them, ET!

Anyone moderately acquainted with ProTools, Logic or Cubase could knock that out in an afternoon, including tea breaks.

This is one of the most ridiculously dumb statements i have read all year.

i binge listened all four albums last night. all are great but i thnk '5' might still just clinch it for me.

Following up on the Stereolab comparison--I recall that sonically, some tracks from '7' and '5' had mecthinking they actually had some commonalities with Broadcast. Drawing from some of the same 60s (but "other" 60s, a la Library) vibes; a similar just-so minimalism, the penchant for picking only exactly the sound/quantity of elements needed/silence/space and nothing more/less... Thst's become less foregrounded over the last two albums, but I still feel it...

My vinyl copy of (Black Is) finally arrived yay. Expect to order the new one eventually, but I plan to spend some serious time with the last one for the time being.

"free" is so good. i hear the faintest traces of robyn's "with every heartbeat" in one of the vocal melodies

Fearless has also made the weekly Pitchfork Selects playlist. Still no album review though xps

https://pitchfork.com/news/sufjan-stevens-sault-lil-tecca-and-more-this-weeks-pitchfork-selects-playlist/

Late pass for me. Only started listening recently and I like

Not seen this performance before. Wow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXUtOoNUOzE&ab_channel=COLORS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXUtOoNUOzE

so cool.

this one isn't on the Cleo album. I love it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwHUqJMN1pE

Those are both great. Thank you for posting.

Love them

"Why don't you" is very wise!

I see you work real hard
You wanna help your friends
But trust me baby, you don't owe them
Don't take on people's problems.

Sometimes I still doubt myself
But at least now I love myself
And I am quite emotional, that's why you can't get close at all
So I start to push away the ones that love me, 'cos I'm scared that they might walk away,
I'm not perfect....

Really quite obsessed by this song. Apart from the excellent lyrics, it moves so beautifully.

Got the new one on a loop at the moment. Fabulous. 25 notes for the vinyl is steep but I think I'm going to have to.

Free is my current favourite.

The Cleo album is definitely my record of the year even among stiff competition from Sault themselves. It's just so interesting, she's put her life out there. I'm in love.

I seem to be a bit of the inverse from others here - love all their albums but Black Is has really connected with me, whereas I think Rise might be the weakest of the bunch. Although as a unified statement I like them together - I like the thematic contrasts between them.

I'm inclined to agree with you, pg. But ranking them seems unfair, at least in the case of SAULT, as the two albums feel like two parts of a greater statement. And that's also nearly leaving out that all three feel very much like instant classics.

The fact one can differenciate meaningfully between four albums made in <24 months--while recognizing all are incredibly good--is amazing.

Even if they never put out another record, I feel like these four would grow in stature purely through word-of-mouth for years to come.

But clearly they're on such a roll I doubt the project will be retired any time soon...

We need to settle for around 4 tracks for Sault and 3 for Cleo Sol when nomming for the EOY polls or they wont make it due to all the vote slipping.

Sault - Wildfires and Cleo Sol - Why don’t you are perhaps the highlights but personally the rest change all the time, these days Little Boy and Rose in the Dark are the respective ones I’ve been obssesed with.

I dunno when they uploaded it but Rise is now on their website for free download like Black Is was

We need to settle for around 4 tracks for Sault and 3 for Cleo Sol when nomming for the EOY polls or they wont make it due to all the vote slipping.

Maybe we should set up a poll of the two 2020 albums' tracks, and just all of us who are really into them just commit to putting in the top three or four vote-getters, to avoid vote diffusion?

I like this idea, although I'd throw in the Cleo Sol album too.

Or maybe we'd have to run it as a miniature version of the various POLL [Artist X's Oeuvre] threads, so people could choose a personal top 5 or top 10, rather than just voting for a single track as "the favorite"?

while ya'll're getting that sorted, here's a cool pic from cleo's instagram stories this morning:

https://i.imgur.com/In9fhuw.jpg

brilliant.

Saw a short write-up about the new album in the latest New Yorker. They mentioned that Kid Sister is also part of the group in addition to Inflo and Cleo Sol. (Maybe that’s been mentioned upthread? I feel like ILM has mostly been focused on Inflo and Cleo.) I’m not familiar with her work but a quick look on Spotify, seems like she’s been around about a decade.

yeah kid sister is a known member but has probably been discussed less bc she hasn't really done much recently while inflo's been all over the place and there's this year's wonderful album from cleo. since she started working with inflo all she's released outside of sault is this track last year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEfwqCnsRlo

the one other known contributor who no one's really discussed yet here is blk vnyl/kadeem clarke who has writing credits on a few tracks on black is and rise. i can't find that much about him but he produced "one life, might live" by little simz this year and he's played keys live for her and michael kiwanuka, so he's certainly part of that whole scene.

Getting some love on Bandcamp, which stands to reason as it's been in their top 8 sellers since its release:

https://daily.bandcamp.com/album-of-the-day/sault-untitled-rise-review?utm_source=notification

kid sister is the sister of one of the dudes from flosstradamus & did a song called "pro nails" with kanye like 13 years ago

I know Kid Sister was mentioned upthread, I think of her as doing the more shouty/post-punk type vocals?

Idk if I've said it but this is a very good Sault album, up there with the best Sault albums.

xp

Dang that Kid Sister track is a great Sault-not-Sault track

also prefigures the strings on the new record

DAMN what a track... If she puts out an (Inflo-produced) album this year, I'm declaring Sault & Co. the best thing in this fucked world. Might do anyway.

kid sister is the sister of one of the dudes from flosstradamus & did a song called "pro nails" with kanye like 13 years ago

― ILX’s bad boy (D-40), Thursday, October 1, 2020 2:39 PM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

i was wondering if it was THAT kid sister haha, guess so.

she did a track with david banner that i shamefully loved circa 2008

rise is brilliant

it really is.

I had been sleeping on Sault, which was dumb of me. I've now come to my senses and bought all of their albums.

I wouldn't have thought they would work as lockdown listening but they totally do.

Liking 5 and 7 more than the Untitleds. It's all good though.

rise really is brilliant though

Aoty.

If there are end-of-the-year album lists this year...

I have to imagine Sault is going to make a lot of individual lists, and maybe some voted lists (with risk of vote-splitting between the two albums). Pretty amazing for a group (?) that has had almost no significant press/reviews, and has become beloved pretty much solely on the basis of word-of-mouth and just how intrinsically fantastic their music is.

Rise vinyl doormatting! Hope everyone who ordered is getting theirs. Perfect Friday evening listening.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CH8-3Z7n9lz/?igshid=197codjd5ysdn

Can confirm Pitchfork is still unclued: neither album auto-loads in their reader poll.

I suppose it only loads albums they reviewed through the year?

"Don't Waste My Time" spotted in an episode of Netflix's You. Wuuuut.

Up All Night has appeared in a few:

https://www.tunefind.com/artist/sault

We need to settle for around 4 tracks for Sault and 3 for Cleo Sol when nomming for the EOY polls or they wont make it due to all the vote slipping.

― ✖✖✖ (Moka)

we haven't sort this out, yet. wildfires beeing obv (?), for consideration: stop dem; sorry ain't enough; why we cry why we die

Could poll the tracks off the 3 albums and see which ones float to the top

Wildfires, Free, I Just Want To Dance, Little Boy

Wildfires is one of my top 10 songs of the year. I’d definitely pick that one. Dog latin’s pick seem to be the general favorites.

For Cleo Sol my personal favorite is “Rose in the Dark” but I think the most popular one is “why don’t you” - also an amazing song tbh.

So the newest one is completely sold out in all physical formats already? Awesome. Gotta say I love this new system of having to check bandcamp on just exactly the right days in order to buy a new album.

Have they been reupping stuff now and then? Or is that it?

Gotta say I love this new system of having to check bandcamp on just exactly the right days in order to buy a new album.

if you follow an artist you'll get notified.

Yeah, I do follow some. I just haven't checked Sault out yet, but all the year-end buzz got me curious. Liked what I heard and wanted to support them by ordering the CD, but that's gone already. Seems like not great timing with the EOY hype they're getting.

Would vote for Rose in the Dark but When I'm in Your Arms probably my fave xps

Ah, i see. i reckon they will repress.

i've got to know what's in that third panel, it's killing me. couldn't someone at least describe it?

ah, wrong thread.

lol, maybe they will sneak out a third album this year, but i doubt it

Hard Life is my choice, personally.

"strong", "i just want to dance" and "fearless" are my favs from them this year

"Fearless" is really special

"Fearless" is the track going in my end-of-year mix...

i have to go Wildfire for fav track this year

yup

Yeah I'd be kidding myself if it wasn't the one I'd vote for

that's my favourite from black is for sure

Rise is the better album but Wildfire is the highlight imho. That said I pretty much love all of the songs mentioned so far so I don’t think I would mind whatever song(s) places in the EOY poll.

All about "Son Shine" and "Her Light" here, though I won't insist on it

damn I just realized my post is the only measure of Keiyaa on ILM. This is in a similar vain as the new Sault but better imo: https://keiyaa.bandcamp.com/

― Get Me Bodied (Extended Mix)

both amused and amazed by the coincidence of you bringing up Keiyaa's record - which is brilliant, it's high on my eoy list, but no better than (black is), imo- and just finishing reading an interview with her, where she makes kind of similar points to that thread of yours from a hundred years ago, about the marginalization of black music and black audiences in the US

Yeah that album’s great!!

Love the Keiyaa album too, but can’t really compare them to Sault. Would play them for different moods.

You guys want to throw Keiyaa into the EOY tracks poll? I’m definitely voting for it in the albums poll... can’t really think of a song to represent it... Rectifiya, maybe?

I have a stupid self-imposed rule of only voting one song per album so, for Sault I’m voting Wildfires from Black Is... still undecided on which one for Rise... Strong, Fearless, Just Want to Dance, Free, Little Boy seem to be the ones mentiones the most in this thread and I can’t pick one out of those, they’re all great. Strong has that batucada shift halfway through which I love so much, Fearless has that dramatic disco vocal + strings, I Just Want to Dance and Free are so fun and Little Boy is different in energy, much simpler but one of their most effective moments.

For Cleo Sol I’m going for When I’m In Your Arms. Groovypanda is right... that’s probably the best one from the album.

I suggested "Hvnli" in the lobbying thread

That’s a good one. I also see sanpaku repping Negus Poem... that’s a good one too

Just got around to this ...project? this week and love it (haven't listened to 5 or 7 yet, only the first two). Glad to read this thread and come up with some idea of who the people are behind it, because as I said on Twitter I'd be really pissed to like it this much and then have it turn out to be, like, Primal Scream under a pseudonym. For me right now (Black Is) > (Rise) but that's because I hate dancing and fun.

only the first two

Only the latter two, I mean.

i love dancing and fun. (Black Is) > (Rise) is correct

I also much prefer Black Is. I actually think Rise is the least-good of the four. But that seems to be a minority opinion in this thread.

I really want to love this band but I find the production a bit... thin or something? I'm going to keep persevering.

Just got around to this ...project? this week and love it (haven't listened to 5 or 7 yet, only the latter two). Glad to read this thread and come up with some idea of who the people are behind it, because as I said on Twitter I'd be really pissed to like it this much and then have it turn out to be, like, Primal Scream under a pseudonym. For me right now (Black Is) > (Rise) but that's because I hate dancing and fun.

― but also fuck you (unperson), Thursday, December 10, 2020 3:00 PM

As much as I love the two 'Untitled' records (especially 'Rise'), '5' and especially '7' are just... magical beyond compare, to me. So I envy you getting to hear them for the first time!

IMO, Rise starts stronger but from Wildfires on, Black Is goes on a tear

Re: thin production - I think this is a bit of a strength and I hate stuff that has reedy sounds. Helps that their first releases were styled a little too more towards 80s new wave and art pop, and it sounds modeled towards that. Rise has more of a sampledelic 90s vibe, which also makes the mid range sound like it's been taken from other sources

I think it's part of the appeal, is that none of it rests on crazy production, or hides behind it. The drum sounds are super dry and attainable if you've done any kind of home recording. But it sounds like people playing instruments in an unadorned and refreshing way (like I'm sure it's all stacked overdubs, but not a lot of loops or programming). It lives & dies on the writing & performances, which are foregrounded by the straightforward production. And it consistently does the deceptively simple trick of making great songs out of the fewest possible number of elements.

I love the production on these, sounds to me like they’re trying to sound like a late 70’s band from the post-punk, punk funk, punk dance or whatever it’s called era.

It’s a very conscious decision too, as evidenced by Inflo’s work with other artists.... You can try the Cleo Sol album if you want a lusher, fuller sound by the same people.

But yeah I haven’t tried playing one after another but I think you can play SAULT songs in between ESG, Liquid Liquid, A Certain Ratio, et al and it wouldn’t sound out of place.

yeah that's what makes them so distinct to me, the way they combine that 70s dance-punk/post-punk sound with neo-soul etc.

really enjoying this

maybe a less hip reference than ESG etc and i'm sure it's probably unintentional and just a coincidence

but sometimes the songs are pretty skeletal, with just a drum loop and those great, dead sounding bass guitar loops remind me a little bit of sleaford mods

haha waited too long for payday and the physical versions are sold out again. oops. would love to see someone help them get some better distribution going.

i love rise so much

both amused and amazed by the coincidence of you bringing up Keiyaa's record - which is brilliant, it's high on my eoy list, but no better than (black is), imo- and just finishing reading an interview with her, where she makes kind of similar points to that thread of yours from a hundred years ago, about the marginalization of black music and black audiences in the US

― where do all these unsold amps go? (gaudio), Saturday, December 5, 2020 5:29 PM (two weeks ago) bookmarkflaglink

fwiw I like (rise) significantly more than (black is) which I find kind of lacking in songs, with a few notable exceptions

I tend to find that (black is) has more individual songs that jump out at me but (rise) flows better for me as an album & I tend to listen to it right the way through more often. Having said that, Strong is probably my overall favourite song from the two albums.

This is another thread where I don't have much to add but Sault have definitely been one of my biggest listens over the last few months. I hadn't heard anything by them prior to around October, so hearing all four of the albums plus going through the Sault-associated stuff like Cleo Sol solo, Little Simz & Michael Kiwanuka has been a lot of fun and has probably helped open me up to new music generally after going through a phase of mostly listening to older things.

I would say that so far nothing that I've heard involving Inflo or other Sault people outside of Sault has grabbed me quite as much as what they've done as a group, but there's still plenty that's excellent, and the Inflo arrangement/production style with the bass & drum grooves foregrounded is definitely very recognisable across the different projects (and kind of addictive to me). Thanks to everyone on thread for drawing out the links. Still need to give Kid Sister's solo output a shot at some point.

Enjoying the Keiyaa album a lot btw, thanks for the recommendation.

KEXP 2020 Top 10 - (Rise) #6, (Black Is) #7.

pfork doubling down with bnm-ing neither really nailing the lid on its tastemaker coffin.

Look forward to spending more time with Sault over my xmas break. When I've played them a bit so far, it just makes me put on the Simz album, which i love. I was curious what pitchfork did with that and it's weirdly right between today's two Sault scores at 8.1, also no BNM. yeesh lol

I guess it's hard to put BNM on something that came out 7 months ago... fairly glowing review otherwise

The review is quality. Pitchfork's bizarre lateness/indifference is still dumb.

Lol why would they even review them at this point? Did they felt left out from all the EOY lists placing these albums at their top 10?

You guys should take the W

We should be glad that they bothered to at least cover it at this point, as opposed to an album that was completely ignored at the time like "Ten Love Songs" was.

Vote in the poll!

I know I’m a broken record at this point, but baffling to see these folks getting an absolutely massive year end buzz going but it being impossible to buy a single physical copy of either of their albums. I feel bad for them, seems like they are leaving quite a bit of money on the table by having everything out of print already.

“their 2020 albums”, I should say.

yeah it's weird

bandcamp has a thing now where you can do a Kickstarter type pledge for reissues so if you hit X number of pre-orders you will repress, takes the risk out of it

I mean, I’m assuming it’s a thing with a tiny label that was not at all prepared for the huge reception, but I’d love to see them get some better distribution.

it's also not always easy to get stuff pressed quickly esp if you're independent

Oh absolutely, I don’t blame the band or the label, I just feel bad for them because there is clearly a big demand right now. I know I’m not the only one hitting their bandcamp up several times a day hoping they announce some new pressings.

I've heard some reviews on discogs pointing out that the pressing isn't great and that it sounds better played from a phone. Anyone who has the vinyls can confirm on the quality of the pressing? I have 5 and 7 and they sound great to me. I don't know if its better to wait to order these pair of 'Untitled' until they have sorted out the high demand.

Hell, I’d settle for even CDs at this point, but those are sold out as well.

vinyl pressings sound good.

lead times for vinyl pressings are very, very long just now, not helped by covid outbreaks at pressing plants.

wow, where are the plants? I'm actually surprised at the number of things that are getting pressed given the circumstances and the Apollo masters fire.

The Apollo masters fire made no impact on European pressings. All Euro pressing plants I know of have the longest backlogs I've ever heard of due to a convergence of factors, and then Covid has just exacerbated that. I'd rather not mention specific plants.

"...reviews on discogs pointing out that the pressing isn't great and that it sounds better played from a phone..."

I ordered the repressings(?) listed on Bandcamp and to my surprise the "**Shipping Mid Jan 2021**" vinyl arrived just after Santa (stateside no less).

Without perusing discogs for feedback on the non-black wax, I was just after saying to a friend that these black vinyl releases (some if not all pressed at Optimal) might be the quietest/cleanest new vinyl I've heard in ages.

Dynamics well present and well presented.

tl;dr, get them when/if you can.

The black vinyl of all four impresses with, by way of comparison, the 5 and 7 already in your library, slightly freer of non-distracting-but-not-unexpected-given-the-medium sonic artifacts.

finally getting into black is. dont hear ESG at all, unless you only have indie/post punk references and had to find something that sounded vaguely close. skipped a load of messages so no idea if dangermouse was involved, but def does have his 90s breakbeat sort of aesthetic. i know they are british, but the singer definitely doesnt sound british. or at least, what she is singing definitely sounds very american.

makes me think of king a bit tbh. or any number of neo/indie/alt soul voices. love her voice.

if it isnt DM, its someone who is obviously a fan. def has that '90s plug in' vibe to the production.

danger mouse isn't involved, it's all produced & co-written by inflo. there are two lead singers and one of them, kid sister, is american. the other lead singer is cleo sol

inflo has worked on other stuff with danger mouse a fair bit though so there's your connection

also hear some shades of corinne bailey rae and lianne la havas.

One of their tracks (“Free”) is on the official Inauguration playlist

The first two records ('5' and '7') are more minimalist than the 'Untitled' records. Still not especially ESG-ish, but the comparisons stem from those records, not the newer ones.

"i just want to dance" is definitely the most esg-ish thing on either of their 2020 albums

Yep the ESG bassline comparisons and the Jaki Liebezeit-style drums I mentioned are regarding 5 and 7. The Untitled records are more influenced by disco and funk than by post-punk and krautrock

E.g: “Let Me Go”

ont hear ESG at all, unless you only have indie/post punk references and had to find something that sounded vaguely close.

sorry but that is nonsense. 5 in particular definitely has tracks that have an echo of ESG (intentional or otherwise) in some of the basslines, the way the drums swing, the fills and how stripped down they are.

On black is?

Read the post, the answer is right there.

5 and 7 are the name of their first two albums in case you think we’re talking about track numbers?

investigating their other stuff. yes, i just want to dance does sound like ESG, my bad.

this album makes me think a bit of 4hero too actually.

that's a good connection

I prefer 5 and 7 to Rise and Black Is, mainly because I find 5 & 7 to be really fun and the spoken interludes in Rise and Black Is don't have replay value to me (this is true about spoken interludes or skits on any album in history, for me). I'd def like to pick these up whenever they get a repress, if they are of the quality the Cleo Sol album is, which I recently got. It was expensive as fuck to order from the US (I think it came to $60) but the pressing sounds amazing, the cover and booklet are beautiful.

Head's up! All four getting a repress. Still not inexpensive but not gonna miss a chance to finally grab Rise aka best album ever on wax

www.strandedrecords.com/collections/sault?mc_cid=2658748e32&mc_eid=0f24ac7b12

if it isnt DM, its someone who is obviously a fan. def has that '90s plug in' vibe to the production

I was wondering what kept me at arm's length from these records and it turns out on reflection that it's this

I guess this is sort of a KeiyaA default thread -- she did a livestream last night tied in with the release of her album on vinyl; am watching the playback now and rather enjoying it. Anyway, back to Sault.

really falling in love with the Cleo Sol record now that spring has sprung -- the deep warmth that emanates from this record is exactly what I need right now

Watching Zero on Netflix last night and Why Don't You featured very prominently in one episode.

Looking at Spotify I see it's got 20M plays, almost twice as many as Sault's most streamed song (Wildfires, 13M)

Cleo's on the new Little Simz track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHGf6tmnLYE

^ Gee, big spiffy arrangement on that thing!

(Okay, I now belatedly see that Simz's recent Introvert should have prepared me for this new emphasis. Intriguing!)

When Rise came out I was so excited, and in my enthusiasm convinced myself it was the best of the four. But I've been revisiting 5 and 7 this week and it's clear to me now that these first two albums actually tower over the subsequent two.

which is crazy because Rise and Black Is are phenomenal

The brevity of the first two work in their favor. You could probably trim Rise back to an equally pleasing 35-40 minutes.

!

Looks like there’s a new SAULT album incoming! pic.twitter.com/1yv5HNyQAl

— Concrete Islands (@islandsconcrete) June 14, 2021

OOF

oh damn

Direct link:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQGrz3jngFs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

!

AOTY 2021

Just you wait until FOUR comes out 12 weeks later.

nice.

I kind of hope the name indicates a return to the leaner sound of the first 2 albums

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQMWa1Fnkqx/

coming in 9 days but it's getting a dumb limited-time release as a gimmick

okay that is annoying.

unless maybe the album is filled with unlicensed samples or something. . . ?

it's going to be on streaming for the 99 days so i doubt it

happy birthday to me

Hell yes!

it's going to be on streaming for the 99 days

okay i misread that and thought it was only going to be there for nine days. dunno then. seems weird, especially considering the hype they've accumulated the last few months.

is it going to be a full length?

damn too bad it won't be rollout eligible next year since it won't exist anymore

It can be bought--so who cares if it's not streamable after 99 days? That hardly means it "won't exist"...

pretty sure Simon was being sarcastic there

Where can it be bought? Not seeing on bandcamp, Amazon etc

global page linked from bandcamp is not responsive to my clicks---o please sir!

it can probably be bought in 9 days when it's released i guess

That makes sense (too cool for my pre-order)

The little fleck on the cover of each album--it's a grain of sea salt?

99 problems but a stream ain’t one

new album is cool but kinda slight compared to the two from last year?

wow had no idea this was coming. tomorrow is kind of a huge release day, isn't it?

where are you hearing it??

i'm posting from the future (i'm from australia where it's already friday)

we need more globally-timed releases to take the ozzies down a peg

this is still a really solid album, just doesn't feel like a grand statement where they really stepped up their game like each of last year's were or anything, & it's short at only 8 songs.

i'm posting from the future (i'm from australia where it's already friday)

ah, yes of course. (almost) covid free and early Sault releases - Oztopia!

i guess i can hear it in about 90 minutes. i am big fan of short albums so psyched to get to know it.

"100 days left of nine"

the math checks out!

we need more globally-timed releases to take the ozzies down a peg

Jellia Jamb and H.M. Woggle-Bug have had it too good for too long

Welp I'm not seeing a link to buy on their or any other site, same for streaming.

Screw it, I'll ne here when and if they get here.

You can hear the whole thing right here

https://saultglobal.bandcamp.com/album/nine

And buy it of course.

Just got to the sample on “You from London”. IRL LOL.

Thanks Ned! I checked bandcamp again before my lastest whine, didn't see it---10 songs, not xpost 8.

"my converse look like they've had a hard life"

it's 10 tracks but two are just interludes

Grabbed the free download from sault.global. Listening now while I meet my nightly 1500-word quota. (I'm writing another book.)

i'd be surprised if i'll hear a better bassline this year than the one in "london gangs".

what's the "you from london" sample

I fucking love Sault so much. Almost certainly the best thing about the years 2019/2020/2021 is them doing what they do.

ufo - I meant the ‘you from London????’ bit, initially sampled, but then they labour/ruin the joke by revealing it’s part of something much longer - I think it’s the same woman who did “you know you ain’t”?

ah

i think it might just be kid sister on both of those but i'm far from certain

Really enjoying the strings on "Bitter Streets".

guess there's nowhere online to buy the LP without incurring exorbitant international shipping charges, so this one may be dl only for me

Unless I love it as much as three of their previous four, in which case I'll likely cave

It's a bit less expensive (if you're in the western hemisphere anyway) on Bandcamp than directly on Sault's website--think it was like £12 shipping versus £18 to me in New England...

Thanks! Yeah, Bandcamp is where I was looking. Can't justify spending almost $50 for a single LP right now unless this turns out to be The Greatest Album Ever

Really like the second half of this. Is it Nine or 9 ?
I may be completely crazy but now I'm trying to hear the Cardigans in Bitter Streets, which is lovely btw.

it's NINE

London Gangs is an instant classic. What an opener. What a bassline. Other standouts after my two back to back listens this morning are Fear and the title track, but I don’t think anything that follows London Gangs quite measures up to that track, which is, again, just explosive.

Bitter Streets is beautiful. I hear the Cardigans, too. But I find the lyrics on this one and Alcohol pretty inane, and I’ve never felt that way about Sault’s lyrics before. Little Simz track completely unnecessary and that sample is obnoxious as hell

Overall, though, a good album I’ll probably end up buying in a moment of weakness I may later regret

Just got to the sample on “You from London”. IRL LOL.

Ok maybe it should be obvious, but what's the sample?

As uneven as the rest of their albums. When it's hot ("London Gangs"), it's untouchable.

After one listen last night, yeah, "London Gangs" is fantastic, "Alcohol" is not great, "You From London" is actively annoying, and none of the rest really stuck except for the second interlude monologue.

i just bought the entire discography on cd from bandcamp. haven't listened to the new one yet.

had a dream a few nights back that they covered the family stand's "ghetto heaven" and it was a worldwide smash hit.

this album leans more into just having a bunch of cool sounds they're playing around with rather than having great songs too like the last one

quick listen to this and it did disappoint on first listen, expectations were/are high, retro chemical brothers / big beat vibes from a few productions, agree that the songwriting didn't feel as special as previous work, fully hope this grows on me more

Loving everything on this so far apart from Fear and especially You From London

I'd love to hear them cover Ghetto Heaven

i'm not the exact opposite of the consensus here, but i don't think i'm hearing this as the slight that most of you are. it's much shorter than the last two, sure, but the material is just as strong as anything else they've done. i think in "light's in your hands" and especially "bitter streets" it would rank as maybe the prettiest material they've done. super solid, but what's new.

after just a couple listens to nine, i'd rank their catalogue so far as:

1. rise
2. black is
3. 7
4. nine
5. 5

5. 5

Absolutely nuts.

Their albums are uneven, and this one's no different.

the title track is completely gorgeous

5. 5

Absolutely nuts.

― Heavy Messages (jed_), Sunday, June 27, 2021 3:09 PM

it should also be said that i wouldn't rate any of their albums thus far lower than four stars. consistency is the name of the game.

'Bitter Streets' is really nice too (those strings!)

If we're doing this

1. 7
2. 5
3. Rise
4. Black Is
5. Nine

#4 and #5 could switch as I get to know the new one a little better

7 and 5 get the most plays and are to me the most consistent

If we're doing this

1. 7
2. 5
3. Rise
4. Black Is
5. Nine

I'd probably go the same--though agree, 'Nine' could switch with 'Black Is'. That said, I love them all. I feel like I don't need every record they do to be as great as '7' or '5,' I'm just happy to see where they go, so glad they're going there.

am i the only one who thinks that (rise) is head and shoulders above their other, still very good albums?

I think at the moment mine is

1. 5
2. Rise
3. 7
4. Black Is
5. Nine

I need to give Nine some more time, I don't hate it, but it seems a bit slight compared to the rest.

1. 5
2. 7
3. Rise
4 TIE: Black Is / Nine

5 was my introduction to them and as evidenced in this thread, they blew my mind pretty early. It’s also the most consistently great imho. 7 and Rise continue the streak of what we could call their “celebratory” albums. Black Is has some great moments - including “Wildfires” which might be their best song yet - but I think both that one and NINE have a more politically aggressive, protest atmosphere which I also love but I see myself listening to the “celebratory” side of them more often.

That said I agree with Austin that I wouldn’t rate any album of them lower than 4 stars.

At least that’s how they register to me in intention. But we have no idea what’s the artist intent. We still don’t know what does the S.A.U.L.T. acronym even stands for. Is NINE also an acronym? What’s the meaning behind the numeration in the albums?

moka, i've also wondered quite a bit about that myself. i find it interesting that all of the number albums thus far have been odds* and the others, despite having parenthetical titles, are officially "untitled." does it have something to do with how/where they were recorded maybe? the two untitled albums definitely have a "bigger", more fleshed-out sound (generally speaking) than the number albums. idk. music jams, whatever the case may be, so i'm happy.

*(initially i thought maybe they were going for prime numbers only, but that's obviously not the case now that NINE exists.)

i don't really have an order of favourites but would probably be very similar to ✖✖✖ (Moka).

so far really love 50% of Nine, the other 50% not so much. may change my mind over time.

I suspected it was a sort of numeration for Inflo’s Forever Living Originals label. Maybe Little Simz, Kid Sister and Cleo Sol’s albums and eps were 01, 02, 03, 04 then Sault 5 is 05, Cleo Sol is 06, Sault 7 is 07, the Untitled Sault counts as a single 08 release and Nine is 09 but it’s a stretch and doesn’t quite square up…

I need to account for the first 4 releases: Little Simz - grey, Kid Sister - long way back, Cleo sol - winter songs EP were all released before 5 iirc and could be 1, 2 and 3 but I’m missing another one. There’s an Inflo single from 2018 that could be the one…

So maybe the meaning behind the numbers is really just a catalogue #

But we would need to count both untitled as a single project and it doesn’t work since they weren’t released as a double album.

Maybe it’s the numeration for recording sessions, if both Untitled were recorded in the same sessions then that’s it. But again this is just a theory.

am i the only one who thinks that (rise) is head and shoulders above their other, still very good albums?

― the mai tai quinn (voodoo chili), Monday, June 28, 2021 11:59 AM (one hour ago)

I agree with this but with caveat that I'm much less of a fan than most others posting here.
Frankly, this new one coming out made me realize I haven't given them much of a thought in 2021

yeah i am a fan of these guys but probably don't have the same rapturous reaction to most of their stuff as many in this thread. maybe there's something to that? is (rise) the least sault-like sault record?

The “you from london” almost ruins the song which is pretty good.

I've listened to this once but my immediate reactions are "this is uniformly good throughout the whole thing" and "lmao at the pearl-clutching over 'You From London'"

Yeah, I don't get what's so annoying about it. Extended spoken part works well set to music!

I also like everything here, incl. "Alcohol" and esp. "Fear," though I often like this band most when they're repeating a lyric to the point of abstraction and/or inescapable truth.

am i the only one who thinks that (rise) is head and shoulders above their other, still very good albums?

― the mai tai quinn (voodoo chili), Monday, June 28, 2021 11:59 AM (one hour ago)

I agree with this but with caveat that I'm much less of a fan than most others posting here.
Frankly, this new one coming out made me realize I haven't given them much of a thought in 2021

― trap door to hell opens underneath (rob)

This is the same for me. Rise is the only album of theirs I've connected with for some reason. I like bits from their others, but as Alfred says, they're very uneven.

even rise is a little uneven with some of the interludes & instrumentals feeling a bit unnecessary but it doesn't really get in the way of itself too much, it's certainly their strongest

lmao at the pearl-clutching over 'You From London'"

― an eco-conscious Music Box (DJP), Monday, June 28, 2021 1:24 PM

are folks really pearl-clutching? like, really???? must have struck a nerve i guess.

i thought it was one of the standouts on the album and seriously dope to hear them do essentially a straight up hiphop track.

It’s one of my favorite tracks in here too. And it’s not even the “you from london?” sample which I found grating it’s the last minute with the full clip, it’s just unnecessary I keep skipping it.

yeah it's fine except for the outro lol

Didn't know what ppl were not liking on that track but now realized it's cause I skipped the outro every time. It's prob the only track in the album I'll feel a need to hear again. Liked parts of other tracks but they all were ruined by one thing or another (truly personal preference. Think the se tracks are good at what they were going for, just not my cup of tea)

Listening to it today again while stuck in traffic I think I ended up liking it even better. I don't think there's a single track in here I dislike except the spoken word bits and interludes - but I tend no to rate them when judging an album.

Curiously noone has mentioned 'Trap Life' yet and it might be one of my favorite ones in here, love that groove.

Ranking them I'd probably say:
Trap Life > Bitter Streets > You from London > 9 > London Gangs > Light's in Your Hands > Fear > Alcohol

Wait actually put Bitter Streets

Ranking them I'd probably say:
Trap Life > You from London > 9 > London Gangs > Bitter Streets > Fear > Light's in Your Hands > Alcohol

ugh copied and pasted all wrong there lol... anyway the second ranking is the correct one.

The fact that one could make an absolutely killer "greatest hits" double LP for Sault after only 2.25 years is pretty impressive to me.

That they're consistently the #1 seller on Bandcamp when they drop a new release despite the fsct that they've put the last three albums up to download ob their wevsite for free; that Pitchfork now has to pretend like they've been covering them all along; all based on zero promotion and sparse critical coverage, essentially from pure word-of-mouth, despite virtually no direct social media and despite their participants being nearly anonymous--it's just down to that people really respond to their music.

I've played them for many friends and acquaintances, including a lot of musiicans and producers, and all have become fans and most proselytes themselves.

A pretty remarkable phenomenon. Add in that Inflo has simultaneously produced two Little Simz albums (one of which was my favorite album of its year until I heard Sault's '7'), Cleo Sol, and Michael Kiwanuka--dude has been involved in a huge share of my favorite music these last years.

"You From London" coda is annoying because it feels like a joke that's already well played out and having to sit through it every time I listen to this (otherwise excellent) album is a frustrating prospect

My partner is a sucker for half-time R'n'B swing, so as soon as Alcohol came on she was sold

The fact that one could make an absolutely killer "greatest hits" double LP for Sault after only 2.25 years is pretty impressive to me.

Actually tried to do this in Spotify but realised that despite having listened to all these albums a few times I'm not 100% familiar with which cut is which. It ended up being about 40% cuts from Rise with stand outs from the others. I really need to listen to 5 a bit more.

I think of the "number" albums as being a bit more post-punky, stripped back, "EP-ish", whereas the Untitled ones are more neo-soul and "Albumy"

“alcohol” is pure d’angelo