I don’t really remember how I found this album, but I’m very glad I found it. Most people already knew who SBTRKT was because of his debut self-titled album. That album has Wildfire on it, and I really don’t like that song. Especially the Drake remix ew. I’ll never forgive him for that song or the remix he did to Lemon by N.E.R.D, both just really bad remixes. I say all of this to say that this is the first time I’d heard of SBTRKT. This album is a great blend of sounds and it brings in a bunch of artists known for a particular sound and puts them over new beats and it works very well. This was one of the first CD’s I bought with my own money and I played the fuck out of it.  This came out in 2014 and has Trap Lord-era Ferg, Prime Raury, Caroline Polachek, Jessie Ware, Boogie, & fucking Sampha all on the same album. As I would keep listening to it I would find out about the artists I wasn’t familiar with and then fall in love with their music while still enjoying the hell out of this album.

I had never heard anything like it when I popped the CD in. I knew electronic music, but that was mainly dubstep and french house. So when I heard this album and it had a lot of hip-hop elements added within the electronic sounds it immediately caught my attention. I was really into Raury at the time and hearing him rap over those hi-hats and that bass that rise and lowered in an infectious groove on Higher it was great. Sampha absolutely murders the tracks he’s on, but of course he does. Temporary View, Wonder Where We Land, Gon Stay, If It Happens and Maybe are all fire in their own right, but Sampha’s vocals over the production is just audio crack. Gon Stay has to be my favorite of the five though. The song starts out with the sound of metal clanging together , but it’s rhythmic (I’m sure it’s an instrument, but I don’t know which one it is.) Then that slap bass comes in and vibrates your entire body oh, it’s so great. Sampha starts harmonizing with himself, then a piano breakdown comes in and the shakers start!! Fuck! Such a good song. Towards the end Sampha catches the holy ghost and start losing his mind singing gibberish, but you know what? It works. I could on for hours about this album if I could. It really is that good all the way through. Side Note: If you want to hear an amazing vocal performance listen to If It Happens. When he says “Would I lie?” and hits that high note I fucking melt.

When you look back on who was on this album you see a lot of people who are really famous now in their (for lack of a better word) beginning stages of their careers. To me, this album is a perfect snapshot of 2014 and foreshadows a lot of careers. Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend just dropped Father of the Bride, Boogie just signed to Shady Records (ew Eminem) and released Everything’s For Sale, A$AP Ferg is dropping music that doesn’t live up to the Trap Lord album but it’s good to see him still out here, We are all eagerly waiting Sampha’s newest project. Listen, I don’t ask for much but a new Sampha release would be amazing. Nevertheless, this album is absolutely amazing. Go Listen!

Listen to Wonder Where We Land Here

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