Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld, Islington Assembly Hall

Those who’ve only encountered Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld through their periodic membership of indie superstars Arcade Fire are in for something of a shock. ‘The Sun Roars Into View,’ the first track released from their upcoming debut album Never Were The Way She Was, begins with a keening loop not dissimilar to the classical minimalism of Steve Reich and Philip Glass, adorned with fluttering notes that veer through everything from bucolic beauty to machinated terror. Stetson’s saxophone and Neufeld’s violin sound so alien that it can be difficult to tell them apart. When Neufeld’s wordless vocals appear at around the five-minute mark, one is already entranced.
Stetson and Neufeld are both pivotal figures in the post-millennial Montreal avant-garde. Co-current to her spell as a permanent member of Arcade Fire, Neufeld released two albums with post-rock outfit Bell Orchestre, whose ghostly compositions owed more to contemporary chamber music than indie-rock. Since 2013, she has released an acclaimed album and EP of solo violin work. And Stetson, beginning with New History Warfare Vol. 1 in 2008 and continuing with two universally celebrated follow-ups, has created a unique new type of jazz, morphing his instrument with a range of experimental techniques and drawing on the sounds of electronic, noise, metal and ambient music.
Although the pair have collaborated before, notably for the soundtrack of 2013 film Blue Caprice, Never Were The Way She Was marks their first true collaborative record. Across eight tracks, it follows the narrative of a girl who ages not alongside humans but with the landscape. If ‘The Sun Roars Into View’ is any indication, it will be an extraordinary collection indeed.
A week and a half before their record is released, Stetson and Neufeld are playing the Islington Assembly Hall. Their previous live appearances in 2014 showcased something very special indeed; here, with a commitment to their material, they look to be even more dazzling.