Sault

Cleo Sol

Vocals

Inflo

Producer

Formed: 2019
Location: London, England
Genre: Soul, Neo-Soul
Years Active: 2019 -
Meaning of the Name:
Way of Working: Collaborative
Associated: Michael Kiwanuka, Little Simz, Kid Sister

Essential Releases

5 (2019)

Debut album. Genre-fluid journey through a variety of styles including soul, R&B, and funk.

7 (2019)

Released only four months after '5'. More psychedelic and experimental.

Untitled (Black Is) (2020)

Powerful anthems released in the fires of the Black Lives Matter protests.

In an era defined by algorithmic visibility, the British collective Sault achieved something unprecedented, becoming critically acclaimed and culturally significant without showing their faces. This anonymity was less a principled stance and more a calculated strategy: a deliberate challenge to the truism that, in contemporary music, image dominates sound. By intentionally forgoing interviews, photoshoots, and music videos, Sault engineered a vacuum of information to ensure that their intense level of intrigue became a viral promotional tool in itself.

However, their success wasn't amateur luck. It's an open secret that the group is anchored by producer Inflo and vocalist Cleo Sol, industry heavyweights with deep ties to Michael Kiwanuka and Little Simz. The pair leveraged the insider buzz generated by their connections to bypass traditional marketing and save a fortune in advertising spend. More importantly, keeping expenses low allowed them to self release their music and retain creative control.

This marketing strategy is also visible in the titling of their albums. For instance, 5, their 2019 debut was followed a few months later by 7, creating a disorienting feeling of missing information that compelled journalists and fans to learn more.

The subsequent year, fuelled by the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, Sault paradoxically released two "Untitled" albums that carried explicit subtitles: Untitled (Black Is) and Untitled (Rise). Whilst "Untitled" projects typically invite the listener to free interpretation, here, the subtitles contradict this freedom by fixing the works as statements about black identity and triumph over adversity. Feeling the weight of the cultural moment, Sault responded to the social upheaval that saw police officers symbolically bowing before protesters—an act of cultural fealty given the British history of feudalism.

The dark, claustrophobic Untitled (Black Is) was specifically released less than a month after the murder of George Floyd, on Juneteenth, the day marking the end of slavery in the US, alongside the following message:

"We present our first 'Untitled' album to mark a moment in time where we as Black People, and of Black Origin are fighting for our lives."

The album’s profits were donated to charity, reinforcing that this was protest music, not a commercial product. Tracks like "Don't Shoot Guns Down" utilised the chants of American street protests, setting them against urgent, distorted basslines that sound like marching.

Whereas on 'Wildfires', Cleo Sol’s haunting vocals deliver a devastating line about the death of Breonna Taylor: "We all know it was murder." While some critics suggested it would be more pertinent for a British singer to focus on domestic police brutality, the high-profile cases of Taylor and Floyd crossed national boundaries to become representative of similar problems on a global scale.

This internationalist outlook is also represented in the sheer breadth of Sault's musical influences. With tones as diverse as punk, afrobeat, modern classical, and gospel, the group proved that the black British experience is not separate from the rest of the world. As faceless musicians, they were uniquely positioned to voice the collective struggles of black people everywhere.

Skills

*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.

Emotional Impact

i Does it connect with the heart? What does it make you feel and how much of it?

75

Mental Impact

i Does it connect with the head? Social issues, interesting observations, clever lyrics, similies etc.

70

Originality

i Are they unique? Did they break new ground, use new techniques or create new genres.

85

Artistry

i Using creativity and imagination to present themselves in a unique way. Example, Wu-Tang Clan as Shaolin and Marvel characters etc.

80

Authenticity

i Do they really mean what they say? Is it autobiographical, personal?

65

Live

i Stage presence, working the crowd, performance. Miming, forgetting lyrics reduce this.

70

Production

i Studio techniques. More important for electronic music including hip hop.

95

Musicianship

i Their ability to play individually and as a group. Technical skills. DJing. Freestyling for hip hop.

65

Singing

i Technical attributes.

85

Songwriting

i Storytelling. Cohesive themes. Is the song about something? Stan by Eminem is an example of excellent songwriting.

85

Danceability

i Does it make you move? Do you tap your foot, nod your head or move your whole body?

65

Fun

i Is listening to it a good time? Are the lyrics funny? Depressing themes lowers value.

55

Consistency

i Have they put out good music across their careers. Two good albums and 5 band ones will reduce this value. Reduced for Pixies due to their post-reunion albums.

65

Range

i Fast, slow, ballads, party jams. Do they go beyond their own genre?

95

Cool

i Laid-back, icy detachment, unflustered.

65

Charisma

i Factors include appearance, force of personality. Elvis making people faint etc.

20

Commercial & Critical Success

Awards

Certifications

Charts

Critics >>>

• BBC 6 Music - Untitled (Black Is) - Best Albums of 2020: 1st
• Bandcamp - 5 - Best Albums of 2019: 2nd
• NPR - Untitled (Black Is) - Best Albums of 2020: 1st
• Rough Trade Records - Untitled (Rise) - Best Albums of 2020: 1st
• The Guardian - Untitled (Black Is) - Best Albums of 2020: 5th
• The Guardian - 9 - Best Albums of 2021: 6th
• Uncut - 9 - Best Albums of 2021: 5th

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