As the east coast became a blanket of up to 12 inches of snow, many people flocked indoors to shield themselves from the icy temperatures but I was not one of them. Instead of enjoying the snow day, I battled the elements and trekked into the city to see a talent worth nearly getting frostbite on my soaked feet. This man was Sampha. 

A 28-year-old experimental singer, Sampha comes from Morden, South London. He is an elegant, humble man who for years shied away from the limelight, touching souls with his voice that had often been lent to other renowned performers. These include UK heavy hitters like SBTRKT and Jessie Ware, as well as acclaimed American and Canadian artists such as Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, and Drake. His most recent guest appearances are from Solange’s 

 singles. His tender, emotional soprano and incredible ability to create elusive electronic beats have gone unnoticed, until now, but make him an underrated star.

), Sampha has been reluctant to release solo material, but this luckily changed on February 3rd. Announcing his debut album, the bashful soul who once found comfort in the background finally took centre stage with 

. An electro-soul record that captivates a spiritual journey that laments his own personal loss and grapples with the complex navigation of artistic purpose, 

 is humbling and powerful in his delivery of self-doubt, guilt and fear of moving forward. The confessional lyrics are a testament to Sampha grieving the loss of his mother, who died of cancer in the fall of 2015, a disease that had also taken his father victim, a decade earlier. The record demonstrates an artist tackling his own demons of family commitment and personal responsibility and is an impressive indication of what the artist is capable of.

Playing his first ever sold-out show in New York, Sampha’s choice of venue was Terminal 5, a hip 3000 cap venue in Hell’s Kitchen, a neighborhood of Manhattan. Though Sampha had been relatively under the radar despite working with a steady stream of artists, the turnout that evening proved that his fan base has been growing quickly. They were clearly as excited as ever to see him, an extensive line weaved around the block, and the anticipation began to build. Inside, the atmosphere was electric. Terminal 5 was heaving with people with a sea of fans taking up the entire mezzanine and the floor pit an endless swarm of swaying bodies.

Opening the show with the first track of the album, “

”, Sampha set the tone for the rest of the evening with striking visuals balancing the fragile tracks. “Plastic” had the stage washed in a bright pink glow with Sampha posed in the middle, exhibiting his evident talent and twinkling away at the keyboard. His performance featured playing with beats and singing away at the mic with a voice that was as true to the record, if not, better. Following up with “Timmy’s Prayer”, the crowd began to move as Sampha crooned about how his organs were beating through, “my ribcage opened, my heart ballooned / I…I’ve lost another one”. Presenting his vulnerability in such a bleak, personal manner, the connection between the sea of strangers to the man on stage was quickly formed as fans from all over shouted back lyrics and swayed to the beat.

Briefly stopping to address the crowd, Sampha was as humble as I expected him to be. Floored by the love and energy of the crowd, he was coy to talk about his album and the work he was happy to finally release and share with us that night. Even when he spoke, he commanded the room with his soft frequency that was soothing and encompassing but his music spoke volumes for him.

“Reverse Faults” continued the sonic soundscape of disorienting beats and a delicate texture that was unlike anything else, accented by wavering, colourful lights. “Under” turned up the tempo with a sleek, trap underscore punctuating the air with its fierce, pulsing beats. The stage, now a startling wash of blue with cascading colours appearing to drip down the walls, continued the audience’s entranced fixation of Sampha’s hypnotic journey. But as quickly as he could draw us in and get the audience dancing, Sampha also had the ability to pull us back and remind us of his introverted, soulful persona too. “

”, two older singles from 2013 made an appearance with Sampha bent over the piano, couching us in a vulnerability that felt sad but simultaneously comforting. His delicate falsetto gave off an intimacy, whether in an upbeat or somber track and this built up during his two hour set. “Take Me Inside”, “Incomplete Kisses” and “Kora Sings” were also in the line up and each got considerable reactions from the crowd, which had concert goers shouting their praises during and between songs.

One song that united the crowd of committed, loyal supporters to newer fans was “

”. A frantic song, which had Sampha singing through heavy breaths, dramatically covered in a red hue. This performance had the audience enraptured in a haunting nightmare of Sampha chasing his own insecurities, set to a catchy beat and him banging away at his keyboard and was incredible to see live. He at times, grabbed his mic and sang to various sections of the crowd, improvising over instrumentals of the track which had fans as passionate as his performance. Transitioning to his beautiful stand out ballad, 

”, Sampha was somehow able to bring a highly energetic crowd shift to a meditative, quiet state of mind. Universally loved, this song was given true justice with Sampha’s ode to the ivory keys, showcasing the true intimacy and beating heart of 

Taking a bow from the stage for the first of two times, Sampha was genuine in his delivery, endlessly stating his gratitude to the dedicated fans that had braved the snow to showcase their support for his artistry. He was humble, unmistakably talented, and his hard work was rewarded by the reciprocated love that permeated the walls of Terminal 5, the walls aglow in vibrant colours but the atmosphere full of adoration of fans that were happy to be present with him at that moment.

Ending his fantastic show with “Without”, my personal favourite, this warm, soulful track, had fans grooving out, and smiles all-round. Proudly expressing his Sierra Leone roots, this performance like many before, had him ad-libbing sections of the song bringing out his band members to perform a vibrant, lively percussion set with drums with a definitive African flair. Leaving us on an intoxicating high, he left briefly fooling the newer fans unaware of his repertoire of work, with members of the audience addressing – “he can’t leave, he’s got like ten more in him.” And that was indeed correct. Though he was unable to commit to that many, he closed the second and last encore with “Indecision”, another track from his famed 2013 “

 EP. Reminding us that “it will all work out” over the chorus of the intricate digital production, Sampha oozed his soul and being into the stillness and simplicity of this performance and brought the audience to a standstill.

 may have been his recovery but he was our salvage, providing fans the warmth and comfort that no blanket or central heating could give us during this bitter winter evening. His breadth of artistic expressions was given justice that evening and there’s no doubt that his role as a leading independent artist will not be stopping anytime soon.

Sampha makes NY debut @ Terminal 5

Comprised of two members, James Cullen and Dan Cobb, 

 has been growing in strength since their debut in 2015. The duo has had their share of steady releases, which have been consistent throughout with their R&B-electro sound. With two EPs to date, 

which came out earlier this year, the band’s discography is limited but strong. On November 4th, fans were graced with the arrival of their newest EP, simply entitled 

which is comprised of five singles, three of which had been released independently. Tender are the masters of dark pop, which despite not being an official musical genre, surprisingly works. Take a listen to any of their tracks and you will immediately notice an R&B inflection with electro grooves that is striking and introspective.

The album opens with “Oracle”, the most recent track released. It has a polished edge, opening with a sample that cries “so dark” which is an apt introduction to the rest of what’s to come on this record. Transporting the listener into a broody, mysterious wonderland, the track includes steady beats and a looping vocal that creates a sense of hypnosis.

“Violence” follows, easily my favourite track off of this EP. It exudes the same ambience of a late night drive, with cars speeding across the highway and the flickering yellow glow of a street lamp. It’s smooth and striking, with the two lamenting on riddling anxiety – “we’ve all got damage done / I’ll pretend to be someone / but I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Design” mixes modern R&B with funky synths and up tempo beats, an unusually optimistic offering by the band. The infectiously upbeat mood created serves as a distraction from the obsessive lyrics that, as Cullen and Cobb explained to 

, are about a controlling, destructive relationship that can be both indulgent and trapping.

“Smoke,” compared to the rest of the EP, seems a little out of place, with electronic guitar licks that bob and weave over the 3-minute track. A down-tempo song with their usual flair of tickling beats and vibrant instrumentation, “Smoke” comes with fewer words to accompany the sound and offers a musical sway that is difficult to describe, but fun to experience.

finishes with “Outside”, a particularly well known single in the UK music market with BBC Radio 1 DJs giving the track a regular spin. A textural song that warps synths and uses syncopated drums, it encompasses the band’s 

 to create “dark grooves with room to breathe”. The guitar lines are soul searing and the harmonies are evocative. It’s raw and vulnerable like the band’s name.

Similar to how their artwork features obscure, moody textures, 

offers the same sonic experience for Tender fans and newcomers to the band. Integrating steady, hypnotic beats with smooth vocals and synthesised sounding guitars, Tender is broody and passionate. Their songs create a sultry soundscape that fuses R&B, pop, and electronica, and transports you somewhere else, each and every time. Adding to their solid discography, 

is a dark record with warm undertones that will have you pressing repeat a few more times.

Tender Releases “EP III”

Goldroom and Autograf with Eau Claire
October 5th, 2016 at The Royale Nightclub
By: Anita Wu

On a crisp autumn evening, I swung by the Royale to check out Autograf and Goldroom, two electronic artists who had recently been appearing on my radar, without many expectations but an open ear.

The show, which featured three acts on the bill, had a smaller turn out that I had anticipated. Eau Claire, a young producer I was unfamiliar from Washington, DC, started the night. She played a lively set which included upbeat, catchy tunes in a nu-disco style but was met with little reception. Though people started moving towards the front, her appearance seemed more like a background DJ rather than an act that had opened for Flight Facilities last year. The lighting was rather substandard and the noise level was slightly meagre, but I assumed the AV techs were saving the better effects for the main acts.

Half an hour later, Autograf, a trio from Chicago, came on stage. With two keyboards, a drum set, a guitar keyboard and pan drums – Jake Carpenter, Mikul Wing and Louis Kha got the crowd amped up with their mixture of EDM and future house. Starting with their recent single, “Future Sauce,” fans started dancing as the atmospheric scores filled the room. Loud crashing drums helped add to the ambience with the switching green, magenta, pink, and blue backdrop lighting. Dressed in all black with leather jackets and hats, the boys appeared to be laidback but were evidently enthusiastic about playing their first gig in Boston. Transitions between each song were smooth, and a remix of Odesza’s “All We Need” got a significant uproar from the late 20’s crowd. Cutting up the vocals and changing the tempo of the distinct tune, people swayed with their hands up in the air while the group moved from one remix to the next. Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious” got the same treatment with Jake thrashing away on four steel pan drums. Marvin Gaye’s “Heard it Through the Grapevine” and their original song “Don’t Worry” was met with clapping hands but their biggest club banger “Metaphysical”, which features an infectious drop, helped continue their high energy set. Autograf even introduced their new track “Nobody Knows”, a moodier composition with chord progressions that were different to their usual tracks and featured a slower build-up. Finishing off with “Dream”, their most popular song, the crowd got rowdier – prepared for the main act to come.

Not long after, the second main act, Goldroom came on. The four piece is based in Los Angeles, but the night was a homecoming for the main producer, Josh Legg. There was a slight delay at the start of the set, with the lighting forming a blue haze which put Josh’s band members, Nick Sandler, Mereki Beach and Chela in a slight vignette but as the set went on, the effects and songs came together well. “Silhouette”, “Back to You” and ”Retrograde” from their debut album 

 kicked off the show and the crowd filled up fast. Vocalist Chela sang impressively, happy to work the crowd, moving from one side to the next and shouting out to friends of hers who had relocated to Boston and had come to the show to provide support.

Similar to Autograf, Goldroom also played an unreleased song called “Spread Love”. This had the stage flooded in rainbow colours and consisted of lyrics that mentioned sticking together despite the rough times around us now – a cute but slightly soppy sentiment.

Personally, I had come to the show to hear their songs “Till Sunrise” and “Fifteen”, both of which I had only encountered heavily remixed versions of each. They were fun to hear in person and Goldroom did a good job finishing with “Fifteen” which was as emotive when stripped down from the production I was familiar with. Goldroom’s set included a lot of synth-based electro pop that reminded listeners of the sunny haze of LA. Together with Autograf and Eau Claire, Goldroom’s set was an enjoyable experience, though lacking in depth.

Goldroom & Autograf @ The Royale

At the end of last month, Solange Knowles, Béyonce’s incredibly underrated younger sister, released her third studio album 

 which has become my record of the week. A beautiful album that has been unanimously well received by the music and pop culture community, the 21 tracks involve a number of provoking interludes and exciting neo-soul pop music from the graceful, 30 year old star.

 is a part personal memoir and part cultural analysis, offering insights into Solange’s past, present, and future. Opening with “Rise” and finishing with “Closing: The Chosen Ones”, the album chronicles her artistic surge of pain, anger, sadness and cynicism that she has experienced since her 2012 EP 

 which was co-produced by Blood Orange’s Devonté Hynes.

The album examines what being a black artist means culturally and historically, with her mother proudly proclaiming why black culture is necessary in one of the seven interludes called “Interlude: Tina Taught Me”. Touching upon the politically and socially charged conversations that are also mirrored in her sister’s 2016 record

 tackles black empowerment and independence with frank discussions, particularly within the tracks “Where Do We Go” and “Interlude: This Moment”. Taking inspiration from Claudine Rankine’s 2014 book 

Solange uses a combination of directness and ambiguity from the Jamaican-American poet to express her changing identities as an artist, mother, and woman. This is a critical conversation considering the current epidemic where inherent racial prejudice prevails.

Honourable collaborators on this album include Dev, The Dream, BJ the Chicago Kid, Q-Tip, Kelly Rowland and Kelala but the two-standout tracks are with Sampha and Lil Wayne. “Mad” and “

” touch upon how black women are devalued and mourns how people try to compromise the vision and remove the “crown” that these ladies wear.

Alongside the aforementioned tracks, “Cranes in the Sky” – a song that encapsulates much of the album’s mood – is one of my favourites. It is tender and fragile while simultaneously soulful and empowering. It is an airy track offering a melodic insight into the mind of Solange, mentioning how she tries to cope by utilizing the escape mechanisms of drinking and avoidance. The 

 is a beautiful reflection of this and continues the conceptual act of “pulling up a chair” to continue this on-going discussion of identity, injustice and refuge.

Altogether, this album is an eloquent narrative that it is as rich and intense as it is cohesive. 

 continues a frank discussion regarding black empowerment and female identity, furthering Solange’s status in the music industry as a perceptive artist whose delivery is candid yet articulate. 4/5.