Samarah

Samarah spent her formative years learning classical piano, singing alto in choir, playing oboe, and getting her kicks from all that magical 80's music. One year there was a Yamaha VSS-30 synthesizer under the Christmas tree...

In high school Samarah played in a few rock bands and started writing her own music inspired by Radiohead, Michael Jackson, Aphex Twin, Pink Floyd, Jazz and the burgeoning dance culture. In the late 90s Samarah became immersed in the midwest EDM scene; attending raves and hearing techno, garage, ambient and drum n' bass for the first time.

In 1999 she bough her first computer and installed as much music production software as she could get her hands on. A rotating collection of synthesizers, drum machines and samplers ensued. After a couple years of experimentation with meshing her musical backgrounds, a unique array of elegant, swirling compositions with minimal beat structures emerged that floated between trip hop, IDM, ambient, and techno. Hesitantly she started handing out demo tapes at raves and the feedback was always consistent; "I've never heard anything like this before, it's strange...I like it."

In 2000, Samarah began getting involved with the local EDM scene in Madison, WI promoting ambient events and playing shows when time allowed in between pursuing a graphic design degree, working and raising her daughter. In 2003 she released her first ep "So Lovely". The title track was picked up by Minneapolis Ltd Records for a compilation and the EP made its way to many online play lists and local radio stations. In 2004 she followed up with a downtempo ep, "What is Beautiful", and in 2005 released her most experimental ep "These Things" which showcased a more solidified style and refined production skills. The disc was carried by multiple netlabels and generated a good buzz, local media interest, more bookings and a demand for a full-length album from her listeners.

In 2006, Samarah proudly released her first full-length album "Falling Away" as a co-release with her own label Belladonna Records and Milwaukee based label Zod Records, whose roster included emerging artists like Venetian Snares, Doormouse and Emotional Joystic. The album also won a Madison Area Music Award. She has since performed alongside artists such as Andreas Tilliander, Cepia, Landau, Pressboard, Tiki Obmar and The Flashbulb. After the five year whirlwind, Samarah took a break to concentrate on her graphic design career and family and has hit the studio once again working on her sophomore album, "Matters of the Heart".

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