Sobhhï says he feels that he’s lived his life in a dissociative haze.
When asked to describe his inspirations, the R&B singer, who for years has purposefully kept his identity foggy, said people inspire him less than “sensations” do. “There are so many moments I didn’t feel like I actually lived through,” he said. “It feels as though the physical experiences happened quickly, but realization occurred [long after], the way thunder does after lightning.”
The young lo-fi crooner curates music with a similar aesthetic. Shrouded in thick 808s and ethereal dream-pop samples, Sobhhï sounds as if he’s floating, drugged-out at a party he knows he should be present for and enjoy. His diaphanous sound creates the feeling of an endless night, which is probably why he calls his imprint NUIT SANS FIN.
<!– End Ezoic – incontent1 – mid_content –></p><p>Born in the States but based in Dubai, Sobhhï got into music at the age of seven at a piano recital. He was handed a songbook and was asked to choose from three to four songs. Everyone in the recital would play a variety of those songs. "I guess I felt an urge to be more original," Sobhhï said. He went home that day and instead wrote his own song. His teacher loved it and asked him to perform it for the recital. "Recital day came, and I got a chance to embrace my originality."</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-634"> </div>
<!– End Ezoic – incontent11 – mid_content –></p><p> Sobhhï dropped out of high school at 16, but music eventually hit the back burner when he decided to go to college. His undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley led to graduate studies at the University of Chicago; he was studying for a Ph.D. in applied mathematics when he decided he needed to pursue music. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-635"> </div>
<!– End Ezoic – incontent2 – long_content –></p><p>He entered the scene in 2017 with a collection of murky noir R&B tracks and has let his music do the talking ever since. "There was something I felt was absent in other music," Sobhhï said. "Collecting these parts and amalgamating them is what eventually resulted in 'my sound.'"</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQzMTEyMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDkyODk4Mn0.JW6ltkCPjhARBQ4Iuh1Q-3slUrdwixi2niz1F5FDSmk/img.jpg?width=980" id="bcd55" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="79ee0da5b5acb487c5a7cd206f65487a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt=" Sobhh/u00ef ">
</p><p>Over the years, Sobhhï's voice has slowly inched to the forefront of his songs as he's gained artistic confidence. His latest single, "use you," is refined and surprisingly lively. Sobhhï is less consumed by the darkness now; he instead seems to control it like a puppet master. "Trying to show me off, some kind of prize you won," he wails over quaking 808s and strums of an electric guitar.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-636"> </div>
<!– End Ezoic – incontent22 – long_content –></p><p> The song seemingly illustrates why Sobhhï would want to remain faceless. He doesn't want to be attached to a persona. Without a face to go with the name, his art can merely stand on its own. "Spielberg doesn't have to appear in his films for us to feel and recognize his work," he told me.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-637"> </div>
<!– End Ezoic – incontent3 – longer_content –></p><p></p><center><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><!– Popdust Mobile Banner 320×100 –><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:320px;height:100px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-4301469008561137" data-ad-slot="6952751205"></ins><script>
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</script></center><p></p><p>Despite encroaching fame, Sobhhï isn't quite ready to let us know his name or even his age, but as his career has exploded online, he understands that he has to pull back the curtain at least a little bit. But he assures me, there is no big secret. </p><p>"There is no secret identity or real identity," Sobhhï said. "It's my grandfather's name and part of my name too. It's been that way from the beginning." While these details may not seem like much, his candid honesty shows the singer is ready to embrace artistic transparency. He still wants to keep his biography slightly diluted for now, at least until he feels his art can speak for itself. But his art has never been closer to doing just that.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-638"> </div>
<!– End Ezoic – incontent33 – longer_content –></p><p> "I don't think anything has really changed. It's been a strange year, but I'm thankful for the chance to hit pause when everything felt to be moving so quickly. I had the chance to reflect on myself, focus on my priorities, and plan the next move. I feel like 2021 will be all blessings."<br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="51440f9ee23088728d63cb6341e0c60d"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0Jdk37Fx8v0?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption…">sobhhï – use you (ft. maxxcupid)</small>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jdk37Fx8v0" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
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</p><h2>Follow sobhhï on <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsobhhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sobhhi/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://soundcloud.com/sobhhi" target="_blank">Soundcloud</a>.</h2>
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