Another collaboration today, but whereas yesterday’s felt quite one-sided (sorry DJ Khaled, but why were you a credited artist on Cold?), today’s is a great balance and another fine example of an electronic artist seeking hyper-complimentary vocals.
SBTRKT is actually Aaron Jerome, a London based producer who has a fairly recognisable journey through music. Creating music and DJing (his first gig as SBTRKT was at Fabric), he released a number of singles and EPs on various labels, including LAIKA, Ramp Recordings, and Young Turks, the latter of which released his eponymous debut album. He can also count hip-hop behemoth Drake as a fan after he heard Wildfire, a single from that first album which boasted Little Dragon’s vocalist Yukumi Nagano. Drake went on to remix it, as good a sign as any that maybe you made the right decision going into music.
Temporary View comes from his sophomore album, Wonder Where We Land, that dropped in 2014. It feels grand in an other-worldly manner, with intergalactic synths balanced on top of an electronic orchestra of sounds. But it is Sampha that steals the show. A fellow graduate of the London streets, Sampha and SBTRKT are no strangers, frequently collaborating. This is the stand-out joint track for me though, with Sampha engaging his trademark, achingly emotional tones whilst also pandering the complexity of SBTRKT’s dance pedigree. Even the title feels heavily influenced by Sampha, and I imagine SBTRKT had no doubts as to who he wanted to bring in. For a man that has worked with the aforementioned Drake, Kanye West, FKA Twigs, Frank Ocean, Jessie Ware, and Solange, Sampha clearly enjoys the creativity that happens in a studio with SBTRKT.
Jerome adopted the moniker SBTRKT to dispell the idea of any one person being behind the music. He often performs in a mask, inspired by the tribes of Africa, and yet as his profile continues to rise and rise, it feels almost counterintuitive to his original mission in music. Whilst that may lead to some very interesting, introspective records in the future, this hark-back to 2014 is a brilliant introduction to Jerome’s production, Sampha’s voice, and their work together.
Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex
A Song A Day 