fika, Bambie – Love Like Mine (Spotify)

“Love Like Mine” is the latest single from Sam Hutton and Al Wreaves AKA South-London soul duo fika, collaborating with songwriter, vocalist and artist Bambie, taken from their upcoming “Coffee & Clouds” EP. Co-produced by Berlin-based producer Fabich, “Love Like Mine” (out 30th September) is an elevated groove as slick as the Isaac Hayes sample at its heart. fika’s previous singles and EPs have seen the duo garner support from the likes of Jamz Supernova (BBC Radio 1Xtra), Jess Iszatt (BBC London Introducing) and from Spotify’s New Music Friday UK, Chill Vibes and R&B UK playlists.

“Love Like Mine” muses on the idea of a toxic crush; the feeling of really liking someone despite knowing they’re no good and undeserving of the love. Laced with the self-affirming hook from which it takes its name, the track centres around a section of spoken word from Bambie, offering a modern spin on Corinthians infamous “Love is patient / Love is kind” extract. “It’s a beautiful poem that almost feels iconic. Simply couldn’t believe what we were hearing when Bambie wrote and performed that section to us”, fika add.

The release follows single “How Can I Love? (When I Can’t Get Away From You)” taken from the “Coffee & Clouds” EP (out 4th November) from fika and Bambie, co-produced by Fabich. “He’s a bit like the Godfather of fika”, the duo explain, speaking of their relationship with the producer. “He’s been a massive inspiration and taught us a lot. He was one of our very first collaborators and we’ve never looked back since. We met Bambie through Fabich They’re long-term collaborators and we always wanted to work with them. The EP was created in the first couple of sessions we all did together”.

With a sample of Isaac Hayes’ “The Later It Gets” (sample cleared through Tracklib) at it’s core, the added key changes, beat kicks and a lazy bassline of “Love Like Mine” come together to form an old-school Hip Hop sound. “We built the foundations of the beat together with Chris (Fabich) on the day he arrived.” fika recall, “the following day when Bambie came we fleshed it out as they wrote and recorded all the verses and chorus’ in 30 minutes, which was absolutely insane to witness”.

Stemming from a two-day session between fika, Bambie and Berlin-based producer Fabich, the “Coffee & Clouds” EP explores “the peaks and troughs of toxic feelings”, looking at the beauty and ugliness of love, stemming from a cathartic emotional outpouring for Bambie. The EP expertly balances nuanced musicality with generously open song writing. Speaking of the pleasure of the collaborative element of the project and the admiration they have for Bambie’s songwriting, fika muse: “by the time we made a beat, Bambie would have written most of the song and performed it back to us. We’d get this one magical moment of listening back to our song, for the very first time, in real time”.

fika’s ever-growing community of collaborators and irresistible releases has seen them perform at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s and garner support from BBC presenters Phil Taggart (BBC Radio 1), Jess Iszatt and Abbie Mac (BBC Radio Kent) and from the wider radio community including Jyoty (Rinse FM) and El Train (Soho Radio). The duo have also seen press and online support from the likes of TRENCH, Indie Shuffle, Notion, Acid Stag, Beautiful Buzz, Somewhere Soul and Discobelle. A project born out of collaborative joy and mutual admiration; the “Coffee & Clouds” EP is set to further cement fika’s place as a one-to-watch in the realms of Neo-Soul, Hip Hop and Contemporary RnB.

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