An Album Review of Sampha’s Debut Album: Process
The first time I heard Process was on the side of a mountain during a hike with my Dad in early 2017. It was so misty and foggy that I could barely see in front of me and so cold that sleet and snow started to fall as we climbed higher. The atmosphere of this hike heavily influenced my choice of soundtrack for my expedition.
The hike was projected to take about 4 hours round trip, so I’d downloaded a few albums to keep myself motivated: Frank Ocean’s Endless and Blonde had both just dropped a few months prior (so best believe they we’re in the queue), James Blake’s The Colour in Anything (which I also hadn’t heard before this trip) and the recently released debut album of an artist named Sampha: Process.
Prior to Process, Sampha had been featured on a multitude of high profile tracks: Solange’s Don’t Touch My Hair, Frank Ocean’s Alabama, Kanye West’s Saint Pablo and (most prominent) Drake’s Too Much. As a result, many people at the time had most likely heard of Sampha but hadn’t (and maybe still haven’t) heard much of his solo music.
As for me, after hearing Sampha on the radio through Drake’s Too Much in 2013, I went out and listened to everything I could from him: his EP’s Sundanza and Dual, the single release of Too Much / Happens Happens, his features on SBTRKT’s self titled album and even his 2014 Boiler Room set. This was pretty much the only other music that was out from him at the time.
Listening through his discography at the time blew me away. I was amazed at the way he was able to combine his talents of playing the piano, singing and electronic production. I’d never heard of anything like his music before (I wasn’t aware of James Blake until Kanye shouted him out as an influence in a Yeezus interview). It was shortly after this that I decided that I seriously wanted to learn how to play piano myself. I had a cheap Yamaha YPT-230 MIDI keyboard that I got a year prior for Christmas and I started slowly teaching myself how to play songs I liked from video games.
It wasn’t until 2016 that Sampha would release more of his own solo work again. That year he released a few covers and two singles (followed by a music video and BBC Radio performances): Blood on Me and Timmy’s Prayer (The former being co-written by Kanye West). This was the year we’d finally get more solo Sampha music.
Fast forward back to the hike in 2017; I’d been slowly listening to Sampha solely through his EP’s, YouTube uploads and features throughout the years leading up to this moment. I’m in the middle of this Silent Hill-ass hike and I press play on the first track of Process: Plastic 100°C.
I’m immediately immersed into the world of this album. I felt solace. I’m completely blown away.
The frantic dreamlike tone of Blood On Me, the freefall throughout Reverse Faults, the triumphant buildup and explosion of sound & emotion throughout Timmy’s Prayer. The album seemed to progress at the same pace as my hike. I vividly remember tearing up once (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano played. I felt lost once What Shouldn’t I Be? ended the album. The album has very few answers, just a lot of questions and pleas.
Once the album finished I immediately started back at the beginning.
As with any album, listening to it again with an understanding of the lyrics and context of the artist’s situation made me appreciate the album and its message a lot more. I wasn’t aware that Sampha had lost both of his parents prior to creating this album. While I didn’t fully relate to the themes of this album as a 16-year old listening for the first time, the feeling was definitely conveyed strongly enough to drive me to tears on that mountain. These themes only become more relevant and stronger to me as a grow older and I find myself appreciating this album more and more as time passes.
Thank you, Sampha.
Favorite Track: Incomplete Kisses
“Don’t let your mind hide your story”. — Sampha, Incomplete Kisses
This article is a part of a series where I write about my favorite experiences with music. View the full series here! :)
