Beat-zealot King Britt and his lady and vocal-tronic counterpart Rucyl came together earlier in the summer to create an enigmatic dedication to Sun Ra titled “Saturn Never Sleeps”. Using tripped-out visuals and atmospheric rhythms and effects, it evolved from a dedication to a regular party to promote ground-breaking sound and dynamic visual and audible euphoria all at once. In order to get the most engaging and pure perspective of the event, we took some time to chat with King Britt and Rucyl.

URB: How did the idea of Saturn Never Sleeps come about?

King: We were asked to curate a night coinciding with the Sun Ra exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philly.. So we did a night that took microedits of his music and created a whole new interpretation of his sound….and vision!

Rucyl:  While we were brainstorming for a name for the Sun Ra event at ICA, we came up with “Saturn Never Sleeps”. We wanted to create a live experience that showcases the merge between digital and organic/analog instrumentation, and thought naming it after the inspiration of Sun Ra’s favorite planet Saturn would do it justice.

K: The goal is to show ‘how’ we do what we do, but with an audience.  The process, the pushing of sound and vision…engulfing you in it!

R: With many artists using DAWs to record their own masterpieces in the home studio, we wanted to find a way to bring this process into a live environment. When you put a bunch of exceptionally creative artists together who may usually create in a solo setting, it allows us to keep jazz alive through improvisation. The visuals are very important, for vjs are artists I have an incredible amount of respect for, and visuals allow the audience to relax into the vibes of the sounds. 

Elaborate if you can the influence of Sun-Ra on Saturn Never Sleeps.

K: For me it started with the thought process of what we could do for the exhibit that hasnt been done.  From there the natural progression of sonic bliss followed.  Sun Ra has always influenced me as a kid, visually and personally…it took years to understand the music, but its part of the path….we are just laying new ground in the path !

R: Sun Ra understood the challenges of being an alternative artist, and I admire most his grasp of the importance of creating your own media.. whether visual or sonic.. in order to ensure your perspective is reflected properly. Basically, he never waited for anybody to understand him, he just went for it.  Mainstream media rarely reflects anything that I can say represents me.. so Sun Ra’s works have really inspired me as an example of how to express your own identity through music and film.

You’ve been getting more and more artists featured in the events (FlyLo, Ras G, Tokimonsta upcoming), how important is it to include breaking new artists into a project that you’ve handled with such care and consideration? What do you feel they provide to the events?

K: We are trying to bring the old with the new, putting everyone in an out-of-context situation to create art.  The musicians we choose have the tools to really create spontaneously and freely…..wait ’til January and March.

R: Artists who want to collaborate with us in a live situation have our utmost respect. It’s difficult to break out of your normal routine, and be willing to perform not knowing what to expect. We choose artists we like, which is mostly based on vibe, not genre.

K:  We live in the NOW and it is beautiful…dont sleep!

R: SNS has turned into its own machine, and King and I are just riding the wave.. we’re going international soon, and will go wherever Saturn takes us.

For more info on the Brooklyn show on Friday, look below…

It’s definitely worth the trip, the scrilla and the experience. Also, if you’re interested in the sound that encompasses SNS, check out their sampler pack.

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