Pedro Samp – Hypnotic (2021)
Influenced by the likes of Mark Knopfler, Foals, Mac Miller, The Weeknd and Red Hot Chili Peppers, singer-songwriter Pedro Samp is breaking boundaries when it comes to music. Combining elements of pop, R&B, electronica and bossa nova, Samp is truly not to be pigeon-holed. A movie songwriter from the age of 19, the UK-based artist opts for a kaleidoscopic and all-encompassing approach when creating songs with some of his work seen (or rather heard) in The Anti-Pros. Featured on Indie Dock Music, Sinusoidal Music and the A&R Factory, Pedro Samp is gaining recognition as a solo artist. The latest addition to his critically acclaimed repertoire is ‘Hypnotic’.
Described by A&R Factory as being able to fuse genres into “…one delicious music pie for us to nibble on lovingly”, Samp is a bold face in the UK music scene. Following his husky, blues-infused single ‘Silver’, ‘Hypnotic’ adopts a more toe-tapping quality within the dark melody. Recorded in his home studio and mixed and mastered by renowned engineer Daniel Alcoforado, ‘Hypnotic’ has an interesting arrangement where each instrument has dominance but still comes together as a united whole single. I guess Aristotle was onto something there, wasn’t he? Samp just put it into play with his music.
Touching on the topic of vanity and seduction within modern-day society, Samp turns to omnipresent social media and how people behave on these “socials”. Samp shares that “…how they choose to portray themselves through specific angles/filters sometimes detaching themselves from reality…hypnotic I dare to say.” I find this intriguing as the genre-defying ‘Hypnotic’ appears to incorporate the message into its mish-mash melody tipping you into an ethereal, otherworldly sonic world. Moreover, Samp’s husky vocals enhance the haunting quality of the song.
An avid guitarist Samp fills ‘Hypnotic’ with powerful guitar riffs flowing into infectious melodies. It is clear that the multi-instrumentalist is influenced by Eric Clapton with tinges of Clapton’s iconic blues woven into Samp’s signature sound. This is my first taste of Pedro Samp with his gruff voice and whimsical ambience, and I cannot wait to hear more!
For more from Pedro Samp check out his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
