Sbtrkt has released a new song featuring one of his earliest collaborators, Sampha. The single “L.F.O.,” also features George Riley and serves as the latest preview of the producer’s next album, The Rat Road. Listen to the new song below.

The Rat Road is out May 5. Along with “L.F.O.,” the album will include “Forward,” “Waiting,” and “Days Go By.” In a press release, Sbtrkt shared the following statement about his new song:

“L.F.O” began with me messing around with an analog synth about six years ago—the track title stuck (“L.F.O. – Low Frequency Oscillator Demo 1”).

The opening chords became my breakthrough moment, which captured that feeling when chords and melodies feel like they float.

Sampha dropped by my studio around 2018—was excited by the sonic palette of it and so we laid down some vocal ideas.
Over the time since, I have probably past 70 different versions of this song!

Late 2022, I got in touch with George Riley after following her music and the rest started to drop into place! Sometimes songs take five minutes and some five years to find the right components!

Much love to Sampha for getting involved and being a constant through all my albums—over more than a decade on from our first work together—and to George Riley for being up for experimenting and creating music that doesn’t have to fit any rules. Sometimes the pieces find their way together and make sense texturally without forcing a concept on it.

As Sbtrkt referenced in his statement, the producer’s work with Sampha stretches back to the early 2010s when they did songs like “Nervous,” “Break Off,” and “Evening Glow” together. Sampha was also an important presence on Sbtrkt’s 2011 self-titled debut, and he featured on 2014’s Wonder Where We Land and 2016’s Save Yourself, too.