Soulful Twins: James Blake vs. Sampha
James Blake. Age? 25. Origin? London, England. Active years? 2009 to the present
Sampha. Age? 24. Origin? London, England. Active years? 2009 to the present
The general biographies of the English vocalists James Blake and Sampha are eerily similar. They are extremely close in age, they rep the same city and they have been active for just about the same length of time. Coincidence? Probably so, but is it also a coincidence that the two sound almost identical to each other?
Not only do they sound the same, but the music they produce is also very similar in composition and genre. Both use hypnotic, electronic beats to complement their soulful vocals, making for a trance-like listening experience.
James Blake has flourished as a solo artist, releasing two studio albums along with a slew of EPs, solidifying his name in the electronic music niche. Sampha, on the other hand, has only two solo EPs to his name. However, he does have several collaboration albums with the London DJ SBTRKT and a couple of features on Drake’s new chart-topping album, Nothing Was The Same.
Expect a lot more great music from these two, even if you keep on mistaking one for the other.
BU Central 
Heard Hold On on Pandora and thought it was James Blake.. haha took me some googling to unfuck my mind.
……I just said to myself…..does James Blake record under the moniker Sampha for certain projects???
Listened to Treasure by Sampha unknowingly and I was like ‘Hold on, how did I miss this gem from James Blake?!’ It’s amazing how similar they are in sound and style!