NEW EXPRESSION
SUDAN ARCHIVES ON STAGE
I first interviewed Brittney aka Sudan Archives in 2022. She was sitting the studio in the basement of her house, where, when I asked how many she has, she counted 6 violins (I’m rounding down here, more were on their way). She was wearing what can only be described as the cutest fluffy beanie with ear flaps I have ever seen, and she was as excited a music nerd as I have ever spoken to. Sudan Archive’s album Natural Brown Prom Queen came out in September last year, and I had been left with nearly a year to see what she could do with a stage.
Now, if you are not a traditional classical or folk musician, you may never have pictured a sensual, fiery, daughter of Marimba-esque goddess holding a violin before. Sudan Archives brings flesh to this holy vision. While not the first violin to break into popular music’s collective consciousness, think Warren Ellis, Jethro Tull, even the Bond Quartet, her use of electronic violin, loops, self made samples and distortion pedals with the addition of her own vocals is distinctly unique in a solo act on a pop(ish) stage. You can loosely tie her to genre’s in the R&B realm, and to 80’s Hip Hop sample culture, but in the same breath you’d have to also tie her to violin culture from Irish folk freestyle to Sudanese funk fiddle. In fact in the middle of her high energy set she really did ask the audience if we’d like to hear the first song she ever learnt on violin, and to a resounding yes played an entire traditional Irish folk tune.
This was in between a roaring violin solo in her song NBPQ (Topless) in front of a big screen that kept flashing “titties out” in bright red font, and a jam with herself and her pedal board that can only be described as chaotically inspired. The violin was not only played in a traditional bow to string way either. As an extension of her body it was plucked, spun, choreographed, plugged in and out, and moved around the stage with blinding speed. Largely revered as a high brow crazy expensive instrument these violins swerved into a fun dimension of modern reverence. A multifaceted, mobile, and yes, very, very sexy violin handled with rough love and morphed into a human body. Who was the centrepiece, Sudan or her violins? I couldn’t tell you.
While wielding her anthropomorphised counterpart Sudan also managed to stunningly sing, yell, rap and jump across the stage. Backed only by the great and experimental Ghalani (look up a vocoder and what he can do with it), Sudan never ended her connection with the audience. Reminiscent of an MC in front of decks mixed with an early Janet Jackson show she commanded every piece of a performance that would usually involve at least a whole band or back up dancers. Some instrumental tracking did seem to take over in longer sections, but that was only because as soon as she started singing, moving and playing the stage didn’t stand a chance.
Even if you weren’t acquainted with her work, the show gave such a unique take on what live can be in the new age, without the aid of too much visually distracting flashy 3D artwork or an overbearing light show, the use of the instruments and herself were enough. I’m not saying I don’t want to see that soon though. Give this woman a stadium, it’s in her future.
Words by Alex Officer / Images by Ally Green
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