Under the artist name SAUL, author and composer Fabian Saul creates musical works that resonate with his literary practice, such as his novel Die Trauer der Tangente (The Sorrow of the Tangent, Berlin: Matthes & Seitz, 2024). His work – both in his writing and as editor-in-chief of the acclaimed magazine Flaneur – is shaped by a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach, which he now brings to the stage of Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.) with There, years after.

In There, years after, SAUL’s solo album Homecoming and his debut novel Die Trauer der Tangente merge into a composition that interweaves music and language. Together with spoken word artist and author Tanasgol Sabbagh (parallelgesellschaft), drummer Jonas Petry (Welten), and bassist Franzi Aller (Conic Rose), the performance unfolds as an interplay of narrative and sound, voice and atmosphere.

Fabian Saul’s work moves at the boundaries of sound and language, with the voice playing a central role – as both a rhythmic foundation and a poetic invocation. In this sonic world, connections emerge between personal and societal themes, between intimacy and political urgency. His works often take a critical stance, questioning established narratives and power structures while exploring the transformative potential of artistic expression.

Contributors

Fabian Saul is an author, composer and musician. His compositions span multiple formats, including the audio series Schlechte Wörter and Stoff aus Luft. He is also the editor-in-chief of Flaneur, a magazine that dedicates each issue to a single street somewhere in the world. His work has received numerous accolades, including the Alfred Döblin Medal, the Roger Willemsen Foundation Fellowship, and the Harald Gerlach Fellowship.

Tanasgol Sabbagh writes performance literature and poetry, and has been performing spoken word for over a decade at venues such as the Volksbühne Berlin, the Deutsches Schauspielhaus, and the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. Her literary work spans performances, audio pieces, video installations, and musical collaborations. She is a co-founder of the artist collective parallelgesellschaft and its eponymous event series, which engages with political art beyond the German cultural mainstream. Together with poet Josefine Berkholz, she founded and edits the audio literary magazine Stoff aus Luft, which foregrounds spoken and sound-based literature. She is committed to supporting young literary talent and leads writing workshops for teenagers and university students.

Franziska Aller studied electric bass at the Hochschule für Musik Mainz, where she was strongly influenced by composer Jesse Milliner. She now focuses increasingly on double bass. As a bassist, she performs in a range of formations, from jazz quartets with Tony Lakatos to the experimental indie-jazz-rock band Conic Rose and orchestral ensembles. Her current projects include blue lion, Minority, and Conic Rose.

Jonas Petry is a musician and curator for experimental music and sound art in Berlin and Leipzig. In addition to his solo project Nime, he is part of the electroacoustic duo Nadelør with burgund t brandt and has collaborated with artists such as Khaled Kurbeh. From 2016 to 2023, he played in the jazz band Welten. His work also includes sound installations, audio walks, and compositions for exhibitions and theater.

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