Produced by Sampha and resident XL super-producer Rodaidh McDonald, Sampha’s highly-anticipated and equally as highly acclaimed debut album Process, was released in February via Young Turks. The independent album which featured singles "Blood on Me," "Timmy's Prayer" and "(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano" was an extraordinarily soulful, meditative body of work flooded with emotion, as he tackled the reclusive process of dealing with grief and reformation of self. As one of the UK’s most remarkable and yet private artists, Sampha has nonetheless lent his vocal, production and songwriting talents to a whole range of standout releases, from homegrown UK contemporaries such as SBTRKT, FKA twigs, and Jessie Ware to world-renowned icons like Beyonce, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Solange and, most recently, on Drake’s More Life. However it’s time for Sampha to visually tell his own story about the album.
Sampha has collaborated with acclaimed London-based designer Grace Wales Bonner, Dazed art director Jamie Andrew Reid and LA-based photographic duo Durimel to create a brand new zine. Titled 'Shy Light', the zine is a visual exploration of Sampha's album Process, formed as a collage of experiences. The publication encompasses abstracted lyrics, photographs from the artist's personal archive and studio, and commissioned reflections of Freetown, Sierra Leone by Durimel. The 32 page, 175x190mm, full colour zine, which will be available in June, features saddle stitch binding with white staples plus a 380x350mm poster. 'Shy Light' also further explores Sampha's personal and creative roots within Freetown and Morden. Both places hold deep personal significance for Sampha, Freetown being his parent's hometown (and the city where many of the Sisay family still reside), while Morden is the outer London suburb that Sampha grew up in after his parents relocated to the UK. Offering an intimate insight into how Sampha sees the world, 'Shy Light' is set to build on the themes and global impact of 'Process', Sampha's recent acclaimed film collaboration with Kahlil Joseph, which can be streamed on apple music here.
Today, WeTransfer Studios presents an exclusive digital preview of the zine, available to download here for free: https://we.tl/d321ng0x8r
Alongside the extract, an exclusive Sampha interview by DJ, Producer and WeTransfer's Creative Director Gilles Peterson is available on WeTransfer's blog ThisWorks: https://wetransfer.com/thiswor ks/studios/sampha-shy-light/
Sampha says, "I want to thank Grace and Jamie for all the work and love they've put into creating Shy Light. It's been a pleasure collaborating and inspiring to work with such driven and visionary individuals. We also had the the great fortune of shooting in Sierra Leone with the Durimel brothers"
Shy Light credits:
Creative direction: Sampha + Grace Wales Bonner
Photography: Jalan + Jibril Durimel
Art Direction: Jamie Andrew Reid
Additional collage images: The Sisay Family
Sampha Live in 2017
5/19 – New York, NY – Forest Hills Stadium **
5/20 – New York, NY – Forest Hills Stadium **
5/24 – Auckland, New Zealand – Studio
5/25 – Brisbane, Australia – Triffid
5/27 – Sydney, Australia – Sydney Opera House (SOLD OUT)
5/28- Sydney, Australia – Sydney Opera House (SOLD OUT)
5/29 – Melbourne, Australia – Forum Theatre
5/30 – Melbourne, Australia – Forum Theatre (SOLD OUT)
6/2 – Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound
6/10- Porto, Portugal – NOS Primavera
6/11 – Parklife, Manchester, UK
6/ 21-25 – Glastonbury Festival, UK
7/5 – Manchester International Festival, UK
7/8 – North Sea Jazz Festival, UK
7/11 – Montreux Jazz Festival, France
7/14 – Lovebox Festival, UK
7/15 – Melt! Festival, Germany
7/17 – Night + Day, Skogar, Iceland
7/25- Singapore, Singapore Indoor Stadium
7/28 – Fuji Rock 2017, Nigata, Japan
7/30 – Holiday Land, Seoul, South Korea
8/4 – Osheaga Music & Arts 2017, Montreal, Canada
8/6 – Lollapalooza, Chicago, USA
8/10 – Oya Festival, Norway
8/11- Way Out West Festival, Finland
8/12 – Flow Festival, Finland
8/19 – Pukklepop 2017, Belgium
8/20 – Lowlands Festival, Netherlands
8/ 26-27 – Afropunk Festival 2017, New York, US
9/ 2-3- Made In Africa Festival, Philadelphia, US
** supporting The xx