Pulsing with synth sounds and romanticised serendipity, the track is Steven’s first release since his “Uncrowded” EP and subsequent Salami Rose Joe Louis (Brainfeeder) remix which saw support from KCRW, Fred Perry, and BBC Radio 4. Highlighting his introspective style of song writing and production styles rooted in curiosity and exploration, “Kaleidoscope” is a love song shimmering with humility; “It’s to my girlfriend Lucy,” Steven explains, “it’s me saying I know I haven’t been the most present and attentive person, but I want to try and be better.”
“Kaleidoscope” began with a Moog Matriarch synth; “the repeating, pulsing synth that starts the song off and continues throughout was a random thing I recorded with the synth which I knew I liked, but I didn’t know what to with do it,” Steven explains. Not long after, having sold the synth due to financial issues, he opened the recording and “the song just wrote itself over the course of a few days. It felt nice knowing I’d got something out of the synth.” Complementing the kaleidoscopic imagery of the track are vocals from Brighton-based Scarlett Fae, sitting in layered, swirling harmony with Steven’s own.
On the journey to finding his sound, Steven has developed into a meticulous producer and thoughtful songwriter. Born in Nigeria, Steven Bamidele spent his formative years in Suffolk, before moving to Brighton. Everything from his experiences in childhood, to his relationships with those close to him, fuel the openness and integrity of his lyrics, often exploring themes of racial identity, family, and self-reflection. With influences ranging from Marvin Gaye and Radiohead to Lianne La Havas and Solange, Steven crafts his own unique and intricate sound, combining synth textures, syncopated beats, and reverb-drenched falsetto to create psychedelic forward-thinking soul.
With fond memories of his early childhood, Steven’s move to the predominantly white county of Suffolk led him to experience paradoxical feelings around his mixed-race heritage. Steven adopted his mum’s unused acoustic guitar and began teaching himself Green Day and Fall Out Boy songs. Eventually, he found solace and comfort in music as a creative output, especially in his most introverted and lonely moments. As time went on, he joined various bands at school and played in the worship band at his church, all of which built his live performance skills and musical language. In 2011, after discovering James Blake and Modeselekor, he began to explore the creative potential of electronic music.
“I’m a big fan of people doing what they do, no matter what anyone says; going against the grain, being stubborn about it. I think the best results in art come out of that attitude.”
From synths to found sounds, he allowed ideas to come through organically, following impulses to tell stories and evoke feelings. At that point, music took over and Steven did whatever was necessary to make the music happen, taking on a variety of jobs and sometimes prioritising his creative instincts over the needs of those around him. “I chilled out in my early 20s,” he acknowledges, “but it was when my dad passed and then covid arrived a couple of months later that I really started to slow down and accept that other people and things demanded my attention and care.”
After self-releasing several singles, his debut EP “Uncrowded” and the Salami Rose Joe Louis remix, Steven went on to besampled by KayCyy for his “Get Used To It” mixtape. Under his former alias ‘Mirror Signal’, Steven was featured on the ‘Brownswood Bubblers 11’ compilation, performed a live session for Gilles Peterson and was selected by Jamie Cullum and PRS Foundation to perform at Montreal Jazz Festival in 2016. His stage presence and love of sharing his music live has continued to grow, playing extensively in London and Brighton, and recently supporting New York rapper Marlon Craft at Camden’s Jazz Café.
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