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Photo Credit: Frayser Thorne
Today, Peckham-born alchemist Sam Akpro returns with a brand new single “Dusty”, available now on ANTI-. The single marks Akpro's first solo outing since his acclaimed debut album, ‘Evenfall’, a stunning document of his singular, prodigious talent, and follows his recent collab single with TYSON, “Wayside”.
“Dusty” opens with the sort of woozy, foreboding synths you could almost imagine soundtracking a ‘70s Giallo flick, before quickly morphing into a deceptively tropical, dub-laced burner. Atop it Akpro weaves dexterous vocal lines that lament wasted time and opportunities.
Of the track, he explains: “I wrote the instrumental a couple months back during a creative block. It took me a while to find the melody and lyrics but once it clicked, I finished the track in a few hours. It’s a reflection on where I was over a year ago before I stopped drinking.”
‘Dusty’ is accompanied by a beautifully shot video, directed by Dylan Coates, that perfectly evokes not just the bittersweet nature, but the sense of striving to move forward, that comes with breaking free of addiction. “The video shows how it felt to be so stuck in a loop of addiction and how the morning after feels,” Akpro offers. “Your emotions fluctuate throughout the day and that starts to latch on to those around you - you can get jaded and arguments over trivial things become the main focus. You start letting yourself and others down.”
Listen to ‘Dusty’ here: https://samakpro.ffm.to/dusty
Watch the video for ‘Dusty’ here: https://youtu.be/TPhWJYAKb3Y
‘Dusty’ single art - credit: Scarlett Budd
It follows on from March’s “Wayside” single, which featured a guest turn from London soul trailblazer TYSON. The single marked some of the richest production work yet from Akpro - an accolade that could equally apply to “Dusty” - finding a nocturnal hinterland between trip-hop and neo-soul. It fuses off-kilter beats, washes of woozy bass and flashes of brass to Akpro and TYSON's alternating vocals.
Revisit the video for “Wayside” here: https://youtu.be/noV8HNz4jZI
Since its release last year, Evenfall has earned praise and support across the press landscape from the likes of Dazed, NME, Clash, The Face, Rolling Stone UK, MOJO, DIY, The Line of Best Fit, Uncut, So Young, Dance Wax, Dork, DMY and many more, as well as radio support including 'Death By Entertainment' reaching the A-list at BBC 6 Music alongside further support on the album's singles from Mary-Anne Hobbs, Jamz Supernova, Chris Hawkins, Nemone Metaxas and Tom Ravenscroft & Deb Grant on 6 Music, Benji B on BBC Radio 1 and Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music 1.
“Evenfall” crafts an immersive sonic world, rich in mood and atmosphere - a flowing tapestry of South London noir that's serrated yet dream-like, psychedelic yet pounding with intent. Featuring a multi-faceted backing band - Cameron Jacobs (guitar), Joshua Lee (guitar), Luke Chin-Joseph (bass), Kyle Creaton (drums) and Taylor Devenny (sampler, keys) - and co-produced by Akpro and frequent collaborator Shrink, the album's ten tracks pull all genres into its orbit. From the post-punk-laced immediacy of “Death By Entertainment” to the woozy swagger and shout-along choruses of “Chicago Town”, from
the dub-infused stomp of “City Sleeps” to future pit-starter “Tunnel Vision”, this is music for a genre-less future where ambiance is king.
Praise for Sam Akpro and ‘Evenfall’:
"Moody, rich in atmosphere, it is both dream-like and grounded firmly in reality. Its inner-city soundscapes and languid lyrical observations evoke the hardships, loneliness, and stark realities that come with life in an unforgiving metropolis." - The Line of Best Fit
"An artist with intensity at his core" - NME
"Thoroughly modern and original." - Uncut, 8/10
"Evenfall dances within its meticulous construction... What elevates the record is its sustained brilliance across all ten tracks. Drop the needle anywhere and you'll land on something worth dissecting." - Dork, 4/5
"A vivid picture of modern metropolitan malaise." - DIY, 4/5
"‘Genre-less’ has become a somewhat overused catch-all term in recent times, but few embody it better than south London songwriter Sam Akpro. Evenfall marries punk, pop, psych, rap and more, all tied together by his distinctive voice and energy." - Rolling Stone UK
For More Info On Sam Akpro, Contact:
Kelly Kettering | ANTI- Records Publicity | kelly@epitaph.com
