“So finally, my eyes gaze inward
I think I can see the light”
It’s 2025: All the best love albums are about self-love, right?
The Look of Adoration is the gorgeous latest album by Samplelov, featuring a dozen pieces of dubbed out samples and finely sung soul all woven together by brief verses meditating on the nature of storytelling, darkness, light, and sight. It is a sonically and semantically cohesive work, and one could imagine denizens of enchanting Tokyo cafes and cozy Parisian wine bars hearing this in its entirety, and wondering: Who is this? It’s the Oakland underground, simultaneously nourishing and intoxicating, served up through vintage crackling beats and charming harmonies.
Featured on two separate tracks are local artists Kahj and Versâam, who were joined by Samplelov for their elevated performance for SMARTBOMB at SFJAZZ earlier this year. Versâam also mastered The Look of Adoration. Which is all to say: We look forward to more collaborations from this crew.
