Energies in the Room: S.O.L.L. Interview

Oli Savill and Leon Stenning of London underground jazz outfit S.O.L.L. talk about their meditative and minimal debut album Mind Reader

Earlier this year, a Sounds of the Universe email landed in my inbox declaring that the shop had super limited copies of a white label by unknown group S.O.L.L. Not only did the email hint at connections with London label/collective CNM LDN via mention of improvisers Ill Considered, but it also employed evocative phrasing, calling the record a “psychedelic, minimal and ritual-jazz masterpiece.” Snippets of two tracks seemed to confirm what the words were getting at. I was intrigued, but rather too slow translating that into buying the record (it sold out in about twenty minutes). It was the same story over on their Bandcamp page.

I made contact with the band, which allowed me to hear the Mind Reader album in full and subsequently arrange an interview. There was a second limited pressing and you’ll be glad to hear I was able to buy a copy. A full release is in the works, but for now you can give the digital a go.

S.O.L.L.’s analogue sound world is built out of congas (Satin Singh and Oli Savill), electric bass (Leon Britchard) and guitars/loops (Leon Stenning), and Mind Reader makes for a decidedly meditative experience. The trance-like percussion and concentric rhythms create a series of almost locked grooves, with the sound gradually escaping towards enlightenment like Theseus finding his way out of the labyrinth. Think Steve Reid, Miles Davis’s In a Silent Way and echoes of The Beatles’ studio manipulations.

I caught up with Oli Savill and Leon Stenning so that they might shed some light on this mysterious project.

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I was going to ask if you could let me in on the secret of what the acronym stands for, but then I realised it’s the initials of your first names. So, does this suggest that the group functions absolutely democratically, with each member having an equal creative voice? 

Oli: Yeah, we all threw in ideas that led to the final result.

Leon: Even though I came late to the project and my playing was done after the initial session, I feel that each creative voice is uninhibited and integral to the music on the record. So, yes.

I found out about Mind Reader via a Sounds of the Universe mailout when you did the first white label pressing that sold out in what seemed like moments. You’ve now sold out two limited runs. Were you surprised by the enthusiastic reaction to the album?

Leon: Yes, I was expecting nothing but make some good noises with good people.

Oli: Always happy to see people supporting new music that doesn’t necessarily fit into a specific genre.

SOTU described your sound as “psychedelic, minimal, ritual-jazz” and I was delighted to discover that the album lives up to that. Do you feel SOTU captured what you’re about with these words? How would you describe your music? 

Oli: I’m generally OK with how people want to label it. It’s about what the music invokes in them.

Leon: For sure – bang on. I couldn’t describe it any better than that.

Do you have any music-making rituals? 

Oli: I personally try to make sure the energies in the room are flowing together before making music.

Leon: Practise and meditation both come into it for me but I wouldn’t say I have a particular ritual. Changing the approach to practise and process is just as important as knowing your stuff. Setting the right atmosphere for the music is important though. It’s all about diligence, respect and gratitude for me.

What’s your approach to improvisation vs studio manipulation? 

Oli: There’s room for both. It’s all creativity.

Leon: With this project it’s one and the same to me. Know your stuff, trust your intuition, press record and go!

Your music certainly has meditative qualities. Is this something you consider when making it? 

Oli: Absolutely

Leon: Meditation of some form or another has always been part of my life so it’s always there in the music. The tracks already had an established key and feel when they came to me, so my approach was very meditational.

Mind Reader is a really immersive experience. Where do you imagine your music ideally being listened to and what do you hope listeners take away from hearing it? 

Leon: Firstly – thank you! I hear this music being played in chill out rooms and outdoor venues. I could hear it in a film context too. In terms of what people take away from it – peace, calm etc. Those are the vibes that are in it to me, but other people may hear something else.

Oli: I’d like us to play in art spaces to people who are willing to go on the journey with us.

Could you tell me about being part of the CNM LDN family? Hearing about CNM LDN brings to mind Emma Warren’s Make Some Space book about Total Refreshment Centre.

Leon: Very happy to be part of the CNM LDN vibe.

Oli: CNM LDN has put out the freshest music in recent years so it’s an honour.

How important are DIY collectives in 2022? 

Oli: Vital.

Leon: I guess it’s the only way forward. If you want to make your music that is.

Who do you view as your contemporaries? I’m assuming at least some of the new jazz London practitioners, but also perhaps Chicago’s IARC? 

Leon: I live in a bubble so I’m not sure, but every time I turn around there is more music to discover. That can only be good.

Oli: Anyone who believes in the power of music.

Your influences? Do I detect the spirit of Steve Reid and Miles Davis in there somewhere? 

Oli: All that and more… personally. Wayne Shorter is one of my biggest inspirations.

Leon: Miles has always been a big influence and the approach his groups took to improvisatory process in the 60s and 70s are always prevalent in my thinking and approach.

What’s next for S.O.L.L.? Do you have any live shows on the horizon?  

Leon: Who knows – yes please!

Oli: Just building for now!

S.O.L.L. Bandcamp