Spirit 2.0
Sampha is a singer, songwriter and producer from London. His first album, Process, gained the Mercury Prize in 2017. He’s collaborated with artists like the XX, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Solange. If you noticed the Song Exploder Netflix present, Sampha was within the Alicia Keys episode, for the tune they did collectively as a duet. This 12 months, in October 2023, Sampha put out his second album, Lahai. And for this episode, I talked to Sampha concerning the tune “Spirit 2.0.” Coming up, you’ll hear the unique demo, and a few early voice memos.
Sampha recruited some collaborators for the tune, like producer Pablo Díaz-Reixa, aka El Guincho, who gained a Grammy for his work on Rosalia’s first album; plus Yaeji; and Lisa Kaindé, from Ibeyi. But the tune “Spirit 2.0” first took form when Sampha was by himself, at residence.
You should purchase or stream “Spirit 2.0” right here.
Illustration by Carlos Lerma.
For a transcript of this episode, click on right here.
El Guincho – Co-writer, co-producer, programmer
Owen Pallett – Arranger, conductor
Yussef Dayes – Drums
Yaeji – Additional vocals
Lisa Kaindé, from Ibeyi – Additional vocals
Oberheim OB-6
Moog Mother-32
Ngoni and Kora – West African devices
Wassoulou music
“Sabu” by Oumou Sangaré, from her album Worotan
Kodwo Eshun – Writer on Ghanaian percussion taking architectural type
RAK Studios
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
In Conflict – Owen Pallett album that includes “The Passions”