Masayoshi Fujita remixes Will Samson
Photo credit Gareth Jarvis: Hi-res available here
LISTEN TO THE REMIX HERE
LISTEN TO ACTIVE IMAGINATION HERE
Since the release of debut album ‘Balance’ in 2012, Bristol based Anglo-Indian artist Will Samson has steadily amassed a catalogue of haunting and immersive sounds that explore the spaces between ambient, electronic and folk music. Will Samson’s new album, ‘Active Imagination’, illustrates a striking new depth and expansiveness within his signature sound. Named after Carl Jung’s method of dream analysis, ‘Active Imagination’is largely inspired by the concept of lucid dreaming as a means of healthy escapism: “In order to help learn the technique, I wrote down my dreams in a notebook each morning – and took them to the studio to translate into songs.”
With maternal grandparents who were born in Chile & West Bengal (subsequently meeting in Kenya), it’s certainly true that Samson has often displayed a somewhat restless nature in both his artistic and personal life. Born in Oxford, he emigrated soon afterwards with his parents to Western Australia, where he lived for ten years before returning to the UK. A little over a decade later, he began shifting between Oxford and Berlin, then Brighton, Lisbon, Brussels and Bristol. It’s clear to see why much of Samson’s captivating work has often explored the nature of identity and belonging.
“My family tree spreads so far across the globe that I’ve often wondered if it is in my blood to be constantly moving, perhaps in a search to find a solid sense of belonging” says Samson. “With no real ancestral homeland (or rather, a multitude of them) it is easy to feel a conflicted sense of identity – even if just on a very subtle level. These feelings would sometimes appear as dreams, which then became songs.”
Dreamlike in the swirling, illusory nature of its unfolding, ‘Active Imagination’ is a testament to Samson’s continued exploration – both of the world around him and his own inner workings that continue to provide great mysteries to interpret. Patient but cryptic, Samson takes that voyage and creates a mesmerising landscape for listeners to explore, in the same way his work always has.
Will Samson Live Dates, 2022
15th July: Maus Habitos, Porto PT
23rd July: BOTA, Lisbon PT
29th July: Uebel & Gefährlich, Hamburg DE w/ Efterklang
31st July: Columbia Theater, Berlin DE w/ Efterklang
7th Sept: The Jam Jar, Bristol UK
10th Sept: Glad Cafe, Glasgow UK
