Saxit! - Systeme Diabolique (2018)

Systeme Diabolique - is the latest offering by South African saxophone quartet SAXIT. This album is a collaborative venture with the band working and creating music with a variety of artist from singers, poets, actors and other instrumentalists. The album runs through a wide array of musical styles with improvisation being the core of the musical output. This album promises to be a musical journey like no other for the listener.
Since 2012, SAXIT! has been developing their vibrant and diverse sound and pushing the boundaries of the saxophone ensemble, performing a multitude of musical styles without a rhythm section. The band has performed at notable festivals such as the Infecting the City Public Arts Festival, Tulbagh Spring Arts Festival, National Arts Festival (NAF), the Oude Libertas Summer Concert Series (Stellenbosch) and the Joy of Jazz festival (Johannesburg). Following their NAF performance, Cue Magazine wrote: "The repertoire ranges from upbeat to melancholy to celebratory. This easy-going band of musicians does themselves proud!"
The band is formed by Joel Benjamin (Alto/Soprano sax), Jade de Waal (Alto sax), Simon Bates (Tenor sax), and Gareth Harvey (Baritone sax). Asked about the role of live performance, Gareth says: "Music to most people runs close to their hearts and one of the main things SAXIT! would like people to feel is, firstly, being present in the experience and not distracted by the material world. Secondly, to simply enjoy themselves.