search for something...

search for something you might like...

Sudan Archives, This Changes Everything Sudan Archives new EP Sink is unique, uniquely experimental and accessible

Sudan Archives, This Changes Everything

Sudan Archives new EP Sink is unique, uniquely experimental and accessible

by Ancient Champion, Columnist
first published: June, 2018

approximate reading time: minutes

Originally she would just sing straight into the iPad

Sudan Archives
Sink
(Stones Throw Records)

Sometimes, when I hear a new band that I instantly love, it's like finding a new girl in the old days, when I did that, You know that feeling. I wanted to tell everyone and I didn't want anyone to know anything at all. I just wanted to be with her by myself. To get under her skin before she got under my skin or whatever it is the all grown up Leon Bridges says about that sort of stuff. Eventually Miss CM had to be told. When I heard Sudan Archives for the first time, I just felt at first like I didn't want to share that, but it's all too, too great to resist the telling.

The music business, the business of music so risible, so desperately homogenous. There have been no outsiders in the music business ever, there are no outsiders in music or art. I know I've been told in no uncertain times that if you are on the outside, on the periphery then you don't exist.  There are the people in the business, and the people who are not. 

Happily then, there are distributors like Routenote, for small time operators who do not charge to list your music in all of the large online music archives in the world. It's still not great if no one is going to listen to it, but it's a start. Then there's Bandcamp. In the past year I've found more great music for me, on Bandcamp than anywhere else. And dipping back into Bandcamp the other day I chanced upon the new recording from Sudan Archives, relentlessly refreshing, original and exciting. I was drawn instantly by the iconographic graphic design for sure. And the lovely backstory and then the music lived up to all that. Wow!

Sudan Archives writes, plays, and produces her own music. Hers is the voice and the fiddle. Drawing inspiration from Sudanese fiddlers, she is self-taught on the violin, and her unique songs incorporate elements of R&B, and experimental electronic music. 

She was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. When she discovered the violin playing style of Northeast Africa, her eyes opened to the possibilities of the instrument. "The way they played it was different from classical music. I resonated with the style, and I was like, 'Maybe I can use this style with electronic music,'" she says. 

I love all the low-fi origination. No excuses. Originally she would just sing straight into the iPad. She moved to Los Angeles to study music and it took a chance meeting which led to her signing with Stones Throw records. Her first EP drew rich critical acclaim and now her latest EP sink, is just well, breathtakingly audacious and beautiful blend of beats and voices and strings. I't super accessible despite it's experimental antecedents and thats what make it all sound so new. One of the great records of the year for sure.


Hear Sudan Archives on Bandcamp

Ancient Champion
Columnist

Ancient Champion writes for OUTSIDELEFT while relentlessly recording and releasing instrumental easy listening music for difficult people. The Champ is working on Public Transport, a new short story collection that takes up where 2021's Six Stories About Motoring Nowhere (Disco City Books) left off. It should be ready in time for the summer holidays. More info at AncientChampion.com


about Ancient Champion »»

Book week web banner

RECENT STORIES

RANDOM READS

All About and Contributors

HELP OUTSIDELEFT

Outsideleft exists on a precarious no budget budget. We are interested in hearing from deep and deeper pocket types willing to underwrite our cultural vulture activity. We're not so interested in plastering your product all over our stories, but something more subtle and dignified for all parties concerned. Contact us and let's talk. [HELP OUTSIDELEFT]

WRITE FOR OUTSIDELEFT

If Outsideleft had arms they would always be wide open and welcoming to new writers and new ideas. If you've got something to say, something a small dank corner of the world needs to know about, a poem to publish, a book review, a short story, if you love music or the arts or anything else, write something about it and send it along. Of course we don't have anything as conformist as a budget here. But we'd love to see what you can do. Write for Outsideleft, do. [SUBMISSIONS FORM HERE]

OUTSIDELEFT UNIVERSE

Ooh Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha May 29th
OUTSIDELEFT Night Out
weekend

outsideleft content is not for everyone