Spirit 2.0
Sampha is a singer, songwriter and producer from London. His first album, Process, received 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 show, Sampha was within the Alicia Keys episode, for the track they did collectively as a duet. This yr, in October 2023, Sampha put out his second album, Lahai. And for this episode, I talked to Sampha concerning the track “Spirit 2.0.” Coming up, you’ll hear the unique demo, and a few early voice memos.
Sampha recruited some collaborators for the track, like producer Pablo Díaz-Reixa, aka El Guincho, who received a Grammy for his work on Rosalia’s first album; plus Yaeji; and Lisa Kaindé, from Ibeyi. But the track “Spirit 2.0” first took form when Sampha was by himself, at dwelling.
You should buy or stream “Spirit 2.0” here.
Illustration by Carlos Lerma.
For a transcript of this episode, click 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 kind
RAK Studios
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
In Conflict – Owen Pallett album that includes “The Passions”
