Google+ Beathearts: Samiyam - Sam Baker's album

10.15.2011

Samiyam - Sam Baker's album

Sam Baker, a.k.a. Samiyam, is a fly beat maker/producer/DJ out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Best known for his work with experimental producer, Flying Lotus (Steven Ellison), and his 8-bit Video Game inspired beats. His agency profile reads:

"With a wide sweep of inspiration from video games to Italian horror movies to Michael Jackson, Samiyam unravels sounds then shoves them back together in clever new ways. His music mutates and then takes shape into a hard and sloppy sonic experience, textured by wet beats that drip with soul."

Sam says:

“I never did any performances when I was living at home in Michigan. I was just in the bedroom making a bunch of music. I let some of my friends hear it and one of them convinced me to open a MySpace. That was pretty much [how it got started].”

After a trip to Los Angeles that resulted in Sam joining Flying Lotus for a show in Amsterdam. This was Sam’s first ever live performance after which he decided to take the founder of Brainfeeder up on his offer to become roommates in Los Angeles.  In 2008, Samiyam released his debut album, Rap Beats Vol. 1 on Flying Lotus Brainfeeder label. And after a few more common productions under the FlyamSam moniker (together with his new roommate) came the release of the stunning Sam Baker’s Album earlier this year.

The album got our heads nodding all the way through but the stand-out track for us is lo-fi organ groove Lifesized stuffed animal.
Samiyam - Lifesized stuffed animal

Lifesized stuffed animal has been on repeat since we discovered it the other day. Maybe one reason is that it reminds us of another dope organ groove, Cry from Money Mark's classic album Mark's keyboard repair.

Money Mark - Cry

Samiyam was also Hyperdub’s first US signing and he has a bunch of other releases on lables such as  Warp Records, Ninja Tune, Poo-Bah, and Brainfeeder. For more info on Samiyam check this fine interview over at Beatnik.

Samiyam - Sam Baker's album is available now in all formats via Boomkat or via Spotify.

0 reactions: