FEATURE Spotlight: Sudan Archives — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Sudan Archives

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ONE cannot glean much when it comes to Sudan Archives …

PHOTO CREDIT: Samuel Trotter for The New York Times

merely by looking at Wikipedia page! I guess it is never the most reliable source but, in the case of Sudan Archives, there is very little. Her real name is Brittney Parks and she is based out of Los Angeles. She is signed to the mighty Stones Throw Records and she started playing the violin in fourth grade; she, rather unbelievably, was kicked out of her family home as a teen because she told her mother she did not like her name – she preferred her nickname, ‘Sudan’. I guess the few lines that are on her page are pretty eye-opening and interesting! Even though her album, Athena, is her debut, it has been collecting some great reviews and is a natural progression from her E.P.s, Sudan Archives (2017) and Sink (2018). I realise I have featured quite a few female artists in this feature this year, but 2019 has been a very strong one for female artists! I intent to include more bands – some of which might be female-led -, but there are some terrific solo artists around that deserve a spotlight. I think 2019 has been an extremely varied year in terms of genres. More than any other time I can recall, we have seen so many fascinating and new sounds come to the fore. In terms of Sudan Archives’ music, it is hard to hone it to one genre. There is R&B and Electro mixing in with something spiritual and calming. It is a mighty blend and one that is bringing more and more to her world. I have included her social media links below, so make sure you give Sudan Archives a follow!

She is making music that goes deep into the soul and really does something wonderful. I think she has a very long and prosperous future, so I am interested to see where she heads next. I will bring in a couple of reviews for Athena but, before then, I want to quote from an interview she recently gave to The New York Times, where she talked about her music and upbringing:

“With a dozen songs on two EPs that she released in 2017 and 2018, “Sudan Archives” and “Sink,” Parks, 25, has already earned a place among boundary-defying R&B innovators like FKA twigs, Frank Ocean, Solange, SZA, Kelela, Sampha and H.E.R. They have been turning R&B into an elastic, futuristic realm where fantasy and self-revelation, otherworldly electronics and real-world musicianship are constantly recombining. With “Athena” she pushes even further, sonically and emotionally, allowing her songs to be more revealing. “I washed away my fears and trusted my own ears,” she sings in “Confessions,” the album’s first single.

Sudan Archives’ music was forged from instinct, happenstance, discipline and research. Parks grew up in a family that attended a small Church of God three times a week, for ecstatic services with harmony singing and speaking in tongues. The church’s clapping and stomping — survivals of gospel’s African heritage — echo in the music she grew up to make.

She was in elementary school when Barrage, a fiddle-centered Canadian band mixing Celtic and international influences, came to perform there and she decided she wanted to learn the violin. After-school programs got her started, but she learned the rest by ear. She improvised along with the singers in church, and she taught herself to hear musical architecture and to invent melodic lines.

“This discipline that I had at a young age to keep playing an instrument — that’s what separates me from a lot of artists,” she said. “The violin chose a path for me.”

She also opened up her lyrics. On her EPs, songs like “Nont for Sale” put a cheerful, empowered face on conflicted relationships. But on “Athena,” Parks also explores darker, angrier, more confused moments: succumbing to desire, pulling away from codependency, recognizing inner angels and demons.

Working with collaborators led her to be “wilder” in both music and lyrics, she said. “I had people around me, they knew what the song was about, so they were holding me accountable for my own feelings. I felt like I couldn’t hide”.

I always like seeing where a musician came from and how their early life affected their progression. We often digest albums and discover artists, but how often do we think about where they started out and how their music comes together? Maybe it is unfeasible to dedicate that much time to every single artist, yet there is something about Sudan Archives that compels study and curiosity. I would urge people to do some research and read interview she has provided. Whilst I am relatively new Sudan Archives and her majesty, I am making up for lost time and checking out her E.P.s. When the end-of-year lists come out that celebrate the best albums, I would expect Athena to be in the mix:.

The reviews for Athena have been pretty glowing. There is nobody out there like Sudan Archives, so many people are marvelling over this artist who is new and stunning. I want to highlight a review from Pitchfork, who were very positive when it came to Athena:

“Within her highly synthesized songs, Parks details sumptuous natural imagery in verdant metaphors (“Iceland Moss”), and in her parallels between a youthful relationship and the unorthodox grace of sea birds on “Pelicans in the Summer.” “Glorious” feels like a prime contender for crossover —a guest verse from rapper D-8 comes and goes without any serious impact, but the track builds a stronger case for her secret-weapon capabilities as a hip-hop collaborator.

It’s a rare thrill to be able to hear an artist making leaps and bounds in their work in such a short span of time, to follow along as their explorations get deeper and weirder. Having developed a sound so distinctly her own, Parks has liberated herself from any preset expectations of genre or style. She warns listeners as much on Athena opener “Did You Know,” where her reflections on childhood ambitions to rule the world are muddled by adult insecurities. Her resolution is promising within the context of the song as much as her whole catalog: “At the end of the day, I’mma get my way”.

There is no denying Athena contains music that is beyond breathtaking. I wonder whether this beauty and gorgeous sound emanates from her musical influences, or whether it was more inspired by her childhood and teenage years; where she faced some transition and was discovering who she was as an artist and creative person. In any case, you need to check out Athena - as it is a mighty debut indeed.

PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Black

I shall wrap up, but I want to bring in The Guardian’s take on one of 2019’s brightest diamonds:

“In actual fact, Parks’s debut contains some of the most electrifying and viscerally gorgeous music put to record this year. She may have been inspired by north African one-stringed fiddle-playing and ethnomusicology more generally, but Parks wears her erudition lightly. (The Archives portion of her name is a reference to her penchant for crate-digging, while Sudan is a long-standing nickname.) On Did You Know, a groovy neo-soul number with undertones of rumbling unease, the strings are subtle, doubling as pleasingly textured percussion. On the sultry, uncomplicated Down on Me, they provide warming echoes of the vocal melody. On the stunning Iceland Moss, a compellingly breezy combination of R&B, trip-hop and dreampop, they resemble an acoustic guitar.

That said, Athena is most successful when Parks wields her instrument with a certain brashness. Glorious, which features Ohioan rapper D-Eight, is knitted around a thumping beat and a folky, faintly Celtic fiddle figure. Confessions, the album’s standout, centres on a blissful, gospel-infused melody accented by sharp, tart bursts of violin. The resulting sweet and sour confection is tremendously moreish and, like the rest of this album, testament to its creator’s skill and superior sonic palate”.

Sudan Archives is actually playing in London next week, so make sure you go and see her play if you can. I can only imagine how immersive and wonderful her live sets are! To be in attendance will be a wonderful thing. I think Sudan Archives will be a festival fixture next year and will go on to play bigger and bigger venues. In a year stuffed with talent, Sudan Archives definitely stands out and has a glorious career ahead of her. If you need a new musical fix for this week, I suggest you stop at the feet…