Mark William Lewis / Samba Jean-Baptise
Mark William Lewis
Image courtesy of the artist
Samba Jean-Baptise
Image courtesy of the artist
“A figure emerging suddenly from the mist, carrying wisdom deeper than even he knows.”
—Pitchfork
“A bracing gust of the avant-garde to the stuffy, crowded field of dream pop.”
—The Fader
Mark William Lewis is an artist who exists between the cracks. He eschews easy genre categorization, plays with the traditional conventions of a songwriter, and creates music that is poetically sharp, visually vivid, yet texturally opaque. Writing songs that explore the intersection of intimacy and alienation, connection and disconnection, he is a singular and bold voice operating in a distinctly unique—yet blurry—space.
His recent track, “Tomorrow is Perfect,” is the first release via A24 Music. It is a song that feels like the purest embodiment of him as a complete artist to date, blurring the boundaries of imagery, music, and language brought to the forefront.
Lewis has received praise from Pitchfork and the Fader for his previous releases, Sparkles 22–24 and Living, as well as for his feature on NYC rap figurehead MIKE’s “Let’s Have a Ball” and collaboration with Bar Italia’s Nina Cristante on the song “Thinner.”
Over the past few years, Lewis has become a fixture in the more innovative corners of London’s live music scene, with his performances and music gaining traction through word of mouth. This led to sold-out US debut shows at Elsewhere and Public Records (NYC) and the Echo (Los Angeles, California) last year, followed by a full headline show at a sold-out Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston earlier this year. He has previously released music via Scenic Route, with the vinyl edition of his joint EP God Complex / Pleasure Is Everything selling out in under 24 hours.
Samba Jean-Baptiste is a songwriter and musician whose foundation in classical cello has evolved through the lens of the contemporary electronic music landscape. Through self-taught guitar and peripheral production elements, Jean-Baptiste's music presents unguarded storytelling alongside discerningly simple compositions.