Song Exploder Sampha - Spirit 2.0
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Nov 15, 2023 Sampha, singer, songwriter, and producer, talks about his song 'Spirit 2.0' on this episode. He discusses collaborating with other artists, the creative process, and the meaning behind the song's lyrics and themes of self-protection, fearlessness, healing, and self-reflection.
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Finding The Song Through Gear Play
- Sampha bought an OB-6 and Moog semi-modular synths and experimented until he found a plucked sound that felt like West African string rhythms.
- He looped tuned oscillators a fifth apart, fell in love with the resulting chords, and used them as the song's emotional foundation.
Mood As Structural Foundation
- He treated the synth chords as an architectural foundation that supports complex rhythmic layers inspired by West African music.
- The mood-driven chord loop became a calming personal anchor he returned to repeatedly while composing.
Drummer Turned The Groove
- Sampha sketched drums but then brought drummer Usif Days Down into Rec studio to get a woody, acoustic half-time feel.
- Usif expanded the rough kick pattern into a performance that exceeded Sampha's expectations and shaped the song's groove.