The Brit’s electronic soundscapes sound more liberated than before.
“I’ve been lifted by her love / I felt lifted from above,” sings Sampha on “Suspended” between soul and spoken vocals. On PROCESS (2017) he dealt with his mother’s death; a lot has happened in his life since then. After the release of his debut and subsequent tour, he retired and became a father. Instead of processing personal experiences again, this time he takes refuge in a fantasy world. Abstract texts repeatedly deal with the concept of time, dreams, the ability to fly and time machines. Perhaps these themes are inspired by the bedtime stories he reads to his daughter.
The content may sound cumbersome, but the sound of the concept works. The piano is still a central element of his work; in “Suspended” and “Dancing Circles” it takes on a much more effervescent role, almost atonal in interaction with the polyphonic singing. The shimmering synth and drum beats are used discreetly again and combined with analog sound snippets.
Technically they are more sophisticated and complex than their predecessor. Sampha’s voice dances above the fiddly piano and electronic soundscape. It sounds less fragile and breathy and more light and confident. This may be due to the fact that this time he sings less in his typical falsetto in the main voice, but rather switches more and more often to the chest voice. How much you would love to let him sing you to sleep.
Author: Louisa Zimmer