text: This week it was revealed that Sampha has come fourth in the BBC's Sound of 2014 poll. Here's all you need to know about the young London singer-songwriter.
  Who is he?
  Sampha Sisay’s glitchy, futuristic grooves and devastating soul vocals make him one of the most distinctive talents shortlisted for the BBC Sound of 2014 award. The 25-year-old was handpicked by Canadian rap star Drake to appear on his album earlier this year, and a future collaboration with Beyonce’s little sister Solange is hotly anticipated.
  How did he get here?
  Sisay was born in Morden, south London, the youngest of five brothers to Sierra Leonean parents. He discovered music through his father’s eclectic record collection and his older siblings’ Zero 7 and Air albums, which he admits he unearthed by “rummaging through their rooms and being a nosy little brother”. He wrote songs on the piano from a young age, and later began producing his friends’ rap songs. But Sisay’s breakthrough came in 2011 when he co-wrote and sang on half of producer SBTRKT’s acclaimed debut album, and collaborated with Jessie Ware. This year Sisay released Dual, his debut solo EP. “Naturally there is pressure in terms of stepping out on your own,” he says, “but with that comes a fulfilment that you couldn’t really get otherwise.”
  Who are his influences?
  Stevie Wonder and Outkast’s Andre 3000 are who Sisay would most like to emulate. “They’re who I look up to in terms of their exploration in sound and in song – [they use] really interesting production, drawing from a wide range of music, and try to step into new territory with their sound.”
  What does he sound like?
  Sisay’s tracks with SBTRKT veered between euphoric dubstep and shadowy, austere electronic soul. The songs on Dual are piano-led sketches, with melancholic gospel harmonies bolted onto spectral clicks, whirrs and found sounds. The warmth in Sisay’s gorgeous voice brings melodic cohesion, pitching the sound somewhere between James Blake and Al Green. His latest singles Too Much and Happens, meanwhile, are more traditional soulful ballads. “I like trying to make sounds that are interesting and are a bit weird,” he says. “I try to make music that captures people’s imaginations.” Lyrically, he can be painfully direct, simmering with troubles of the heart (as on Can’t Get Close) and mind (Beneath the Tree).
  Does he have a favourite Christmas song?
  “It’s the Snowman song, Walking in the Air,” he says. “That’s probably the first song I fell in love with. I remember listening to that and thinking 'wow’.”
  Too Much / Happens single is released on January 6 via Young Turks.