Sampha Sisay has been in high demand over the last few years, imparting his whisper-like vocals to some of the US’ superstars such as Kanye West, Solange and Drake. Yet he has remained a somewhat obscure figure within the realms of music. However, if there is one thing to be recognised and cherished after attending one of his shows, is that his live performance transcends any perception you may have of him.

The South London singer-songwriter set London’s Roundhouse ablaze with his band that fuelled a vibrant energy into the audience. With his recent release of his debut album ‘Process’, Sampha did not hold back, and gave his fans a night of hypnotic experimental sounds gelled with a softly-spoken piano. His performance of ‘Reverse Faults’ was a display of charged synths and an encouraging attitude seen in Sampha’s awkward but confident dance moves. Shifting between crafting sounds with his band and performing solos on the piano, the show mirrored a relationship between tension and release. As he transitioned from beautifully playing ‘Too Much’ to ‘Beneath the Tree’, the atmosphere within the crowd was incredibly intense. It was here you could feel Sampha’s profound relationship with his piano, as he sung “don’t fail me now I need your wishes” with chords that differed to how we usually knew the song.

As Sampha quietly came back to the stage after saying thanks to the crowd and leaving, he began to give us a compelling psychedelic version of ‘Take Me Inside’. ‘Kora Sings’ was like an explosion of contrasting melodies and drums that sped up and slowed down, commanding the audience to stay in tune and focused. Moving right on with the albums lead single ‘Blood on Me’, Sampha continued to exhibit an array of entrancing sounds paired with his falsetto vocals.