Friday 21st May 2021 sees the release of ‘Jetlag’ – the debut album from SENU.
Over the past year producer and multi-instrumentalist Sam Killeen has been releasing his original music under the moniker SENU, a vehicle for his unique blend of electronic beats, jazz and hip-hop. This Friday 21st May, he will release ‘Jetlag’ – the debut album from SENU.
A sprawling electronic soundscape documenting a journey from Ireland to New York and back again, this is an album borne out of experimentation in more ways than one. Frustrated by insomnia, Sam challenged himself to write and record an album in one day. ‘Jetlag’ is the result of this experiment.
“’Jetlag’, as a whole, is about an experience meeting one of my musical idols, Evan Marien. I ended up staying in New York with him for a week and on return to Ireland I was overwhelmed with sleep deprivation, so I decided to challenge myself by attempting to write a full album in one night. This album is the result,” says SENU of the album’s origins.
As Nialler9 wrote in 2018: “If you’re well versed in the Irish music scene, you’ve probably tripped across Sam Killeen before.” Sam is well known for his work as a professional guitarist and musical director, having worked with the likes of James Vincent McMorrow, The Divine Comedy, Lisa Hannigan, Villagers, Loah, Bantum and more. Recently, he conducted strings for The Scratch’s album anniversary show. With his original music, he has supported acts such as Mark Guiliana, Cory Wong and the aforementioned Evan Marien.
Sam says: “As a session musician, my job usually involves writing and performing parts to music that specifically suits someone else’s style, whatever the genre may be. SENU became a place where I could push my boundaries creatively using the styles I love the most: electronic, jazz & hip hop music.”
While SENU is a vehicle for Sam to express his individual style, he is quick to credit the guest vocalists on the album with adding a new dimension to it. “Having Jamel Franklin [of Shy Mascot] and Caoi De Barra [of Wyvern Lingo] write on the album really lifted the music from its prior instrumental state,” he says. “Lyrics have been a great input to the music by the additional dialogue creating a space and image to the song. Both Caoi and Jamel have a unique energy and it was a real joy creating music with them.”
‘Jetlag’ will be released independently on digital and vinyl.
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