{"title":"Will Samson","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"paralanguage","title":"Paralanguage","description":"\u003cp\u003eWill Samson still remembers his first – and only – experiments with psilocybin. For some time, following the death of his father in 2012, the British musician had suffered from mild PTSD, unable to process the grief provoked by the sudden nature of his passing. It took him several years, however, before he felt confident enough to explore the possibilities this popular compound was said to offer. Finally, he and his girlfriend retreated to the countryside for a day. Samson’s fifth album, \u003ci\u003eParalanguage\u003c\/i\u003e – his first for Wichita Recordings – was in many ways inspired by his subsequent experiences, and seeks to emulate them too. Indeed, vocals for two tracks, \u003ci\u003eOchre Alps\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eFlowerbed,\u003c\/i\u003e which he’d been struggling to finish for a number of months, were written and recorded over two subsequent afternoons spent micro-dosing. Perhaps not surprisingly, \u003ci\u003eParalanguage\u003c\/i\u003e – the title chosen because the album’s central themes address the way “our bodies, not just our minds, hold memories and emotions” – is Samson’s most cohesive album to date. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecorded largely in his home studio in Brussels – the first time he’s had a space exclusively devoted to his music –\u003ci\u003e Paralanguage\u003c\/i\u003e finds Samson reunited with regular collaborator Beatrijs De Klerck, a violinist who also plays with A Winged Victory For The Sullen and Christina Vantzou. Ben Lester, who’s worked with S. Carey and Sufjan Stevens, added pedal steel to \u003ci\u003eBeyond The Dust\u003c\/i\u003e, and Jeremy Boettcher (who also performs with S. Carey) added double bass to \u003ci\u003eThe Human Mosaic\u003c\/i\u003e, while Canadian songwriter Michael Feuerstack added backing vocals to \u003ci\u003eThe Smallest Sliver. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOtherwise, the album is all Samson’s own work, a testament to his desire to seek peace not just on record but in his life. A tribute to his inquisitive nature, \u003ci\u003eParalanguage\u003c\/i\u003e is also, ultimately, a memorial to his father, whose life shaped Samson’s own, and whose tragic passing has now inadvertently yielded a source of magical consolation for us all. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wichita Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Clear | LP","offer_id":50437652316491,"sku":"1080157","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/7c789534-7c67-49c6-88d8-eb2845e1cfeb_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726933407"},{"product_id":"active-imagination","title":"Active Imagination","description":"\u003cp\u003eElectronic\/folk artist \u003cstrong\u003eWill Samson\u003c\/strong\u003e releases his brand-new album \u003cem\u003eActive Imagination\u003c\/em\u003e, the follow-up to 2019’s \u003cem\u003eParalanguage\u003c\/em\u003e, released via Wichita Recordings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWorked on across the span of one entire year – from January of 2020 through to December – it’s comprised of nine beautiful new pieces and sits as a richly layered meditation on the idea of belonging, identity, and the search for home in the most unstable of worlds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMarking ten years since the release of \u003cem\u003eBalance\u003c\/em\u003e, his 2012 debut, Will Samson’s new album feels almost like the product of his learning and growth over the past decade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor the first time, he allowed himself a dedicated studio space outside of his home, a blessing for both his mental health and workflow, while he also upgraded his tools, finally purchasing a good vocal microphone of his own, and a new laptop that didn’t constantly overheat and crash, allowing him to upgrade his recording software for the first time in years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile these somewhat mundane details may seem superfluous, for someone who’s spent so much time in flux, they brought about a stability that Samson’s work has so often been unable to find.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMusically it bends subtly between folk and electronica, where little pulses of experimental flourishes sit next to Samson’s evocative vocals, and the record pulls many of its reference points from a number of the artists he’s shared a stage with over the years: from Bon Iver’s S. Carey, through to The Album Leaf, Olafur Arnalds, and Do Make Say Think.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"No Label","offers":[{"title":"Red | LP","offer_id":50459144880459,"sku":"1151081","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50459145503051,"sku":"1151073","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/dc5f81bb-2c1b-41c8-8fe9-ae7fd8532ca9_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727217801"},{"product_id":"welcom-oxygen","title":"Welcom Oxygen","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter seven years of consistent touring and new releases, Brussels-based \u003cstrong\u003eWill Samson\u003c\/strong\u003e steps away from his familiar use of electronics and ambient soundscapes, to present his fourth solo album, \u003cem\u003eWelcome Oxygen\u003c\/em\u003e. Consisting largely of guitar, voice \u0026amp; violin recorded onto tape - this is his most raw and direct work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn Spring 2016, Samson left his native England and relocated to Portugal when an accident resulted in two broken teeth, unexplained blackouts and two days in Lisbon hospital. After a few months, Will booked a flight to return to England. With two weeks left in the city \u0026amp; with the limited equipment at hand (1x nylon string guitar, 1x valve guitar amp, 1x microphone, 1x keyboard, 1x laptop \u0026amp; 3 simple tape machines) he began writing some new music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn an unexpected flood of creativity, a new song was written \u0026amp; recorded during the first day. This came as a great surprise to the typically slow working Samson, who had spent two years working on the previous album, \u003cem\u003eGround Luminosity\u003c\/em\u003e. However, by the following night, another new song had appeared...and then again...and again. Seven new songs emerged within a period of just 10 days.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Talitres","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50471439892811,"sku":"1018493","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50471439958347,"sku":"1018492","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/84965d07-7aca-4007-b3a8-6dddb63d6dad_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727403215"},{"product_id":"sings-again-1","title":"Sings Again","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSings Again\u003c\/em\u003e is the fifth album from British electronic musician Will Samson. After a starting the decade with a pair of largely instrumental albums, Samson… sings again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe familiar collection of old tape machines that have characterised much of Samson’s sound remain (with a 1971 Seinnheiser microphone for the vocals), firmly rooting \u003cem\u003eSings Again \u003c\/em\u003ein an organic sonic landscape of electronic and acoustic influences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaking inspiration from the early works of Bjork, Four Tet and Efterklang, much of the album was built upon recording and then sampling organic sounds such as twigs, rocks and paintbrushes to create percussion. An empty glass bottle was transformed into the otherworldly organ on raw opener ‘0333AM, and his own voice became the moody synth sound on the sparse electronica of ‘Darabuka.’ Elsewhere, the hypnotic, emotionally resonant ‘Time Used To Feel Like’ and grandiose album finale ‘Julian’s Rocks’ offer a raw and direct insight into the most vulnerable parts of himself – a long-established artist beginning again.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Human Chorus","offers":[{"title":"LP - Transparent Clear","offer_id":56457634611531,"sku":"R9723-5130","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/FACp3Eh8.jpg?v=1770140315"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/will-samson.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}