Andrew Stephen, a native of Ballwin, was staying at a friend鈥檚 house after graduating from high school when he figured he鈥檇 assemble his bits and pieces of audio gear into a makeshift recording space.
About a day later, he learned that a family friend had died and bequeathed Stephen his sizable collection of recording equipment. The mixing console moved into the bedroom and Stephens鈥� mattress moved out, to an attic crawlspace 鈥� at least when other musicians swung by to check out his bedroom-cum-recording-studio.
, a vocalist and keyboardist from Cape Girardeau, was among them. He produced her debut EP, 鈥�,鈥� in 2012. It鈥檚 a sometimes-sultry, sometimes-funky affair, informed by the sounds of contemporary R&B and neo soul.
鈥淚t was a very life-changing conversation and a turning point for me,鈥� Renick said of her first meeting with Stephen. Their conversation encouraged her to move to St. Louis a few months later and pursue life as a professional musician.
They became a couple. Renick performed around town as a solo artist and with other bands, and Stephen built a business as a . But after years of pursuing separate musical ventures, in August they released their first album as a duo: Sample Kulture.
鈥溾�� explores similar territory as 鈥淎 Thousand Shades,鈥� with deeper drinks of jazz fusion, electronic elements and ear-friendly pop poured into the style. The pair describe it as 鈥渇uture soul.鈥�
鈥淟et鈥檚 dig more into the pop. Let鈥檚 give into the gods of pop music here,鈥� Stephen said of Sample Kulture鈥檚 approach. 鈥淎nd still be able to get that jazz, harmonic language in there 鈥� some improvisation, some sophistication that listeners will appreciate.鈥�
In this episode of Cut & Paste, Stephen and Renick talk about how they found their way to each other, and to the birth of Sample Kulture.
