Sabrina Starke

“Outside the Box” (June 2012) is the third album from two-time Edison winner Sabrina Starke. It is the first album released by the singer-songwriter under the wing of 8Ball Music, the label that has been supporting Sabrina Starke in this new phase of her career since the end of 2011.

Quite a few years have now passed since Sabrina Starke of Rotterdam traded in a steady job as a youth worker for the uncertain life of a pop artist. Armed with a guitar and unique voice, she decided to step forward out of the background choir of a reggae band. She was launched head-first into the heart of singer-songwriting: writing and performing songs in their purest form. Folk, Soul and Fazz were her musical points of departure. The likes of Billy Holiday, Ray Charles and Tracy Chapman were sources of inspiration. But success did not come easy. Before Sabrina had her breakthrough with the general public, her path was a long one. In the meantime, after many years of painstaking work, her biography reads like an impressive list of high points.

Winning Talent Night in 2006 led to a performance in the Apollo Theater in New York. That same year, she came in second in the “Grote Prijs van Nederland” and her first serious studio recording dates back to 2007, with her participation in the MCN-initiated “Unsigned” project called “The Mighty 8”. This resulted in a hit in her native country of Suriname. A little while later, after winning the Music Matters Award, she used the prize money to finance her first album. This album was recorded partly in the Netherlands and partly in Los Angeles.

With the release of her self-produced “Yellow Brick Road” in 2008 and the single “Do For Love”, the singer established herself among top Dutch performers in one fell swoop. The album was picked up by Blue Note/EMI and the single “A Woman’s Gonna Try” further cultivated a strong musical career. The album was on the charts for 52 weeks straight and was certified with platinum. Sabrina Starke also received an Edison Pop Award (Best Newcomer of 2008) as well as the Edison Jazzism Public Award.

Two years after the release of “Yellow Brick Road”, her second album, "Bags & Suitcases” (2010) was released. The album was recorded in Miami, Florida, under the watchful eye of producer Pete Wallace, who has worked in the past with such super stars as P!nk, Michael Bolton, Herbie Hancock and Alejandro Sanz. The same Pete Wallace also stood at the helm of the album “Outside the Box”, released on 1 June 2012.

The new album symbolises a new phase in the career and life of Sabrina Starke: “Since the first album, I’ve spent all my time growing and developing myself. To me, an album reflects the period or phase of my life at that time. My personal experiences, emotions, visions, opinions and viewpoints can be heard on each album."

For Sabrina, a new album means a complete self-renewal. As a songwriter and performer, Starke is always looking to expand her horizons, to make the most of her own qualities. With this at the back of her mind, the process of creating the new album was the perfect way for Sabrina to arrive at a musical creative 'flow' and discover new qualities in herself. And to once again share her passion with an audience.

It was already clear beforehand that the singer would perform uptempo songs on her “Outside the Box” album, but a piano ballad also needed to be included. In her own words: “We set to work with drum loops, samples and sound. This was the basis for each track, to which we then added the other instruments. The synthesizer was also given an important role during the song-writing process. We hadn't used it on the other albums, but it's one of the key instruments on this one. And sounds! I’ve listened to all kinds of sound effects.”

Another goal was to create a danceable record. To Starke, this symbolises movement, progress and growth: “With the exception of one mellow tune, I want you to feel an irresistible urge to move when listening to this album. It should give you a feeling of being free. Positive, open, different.”

It turned out to be a mix of several styles that she loves: Hip Hop, Soul, Jazz, Pop, Reggae. Every song is different. She also has two songs with features on the album. These tracks feature Ziggi Recado and B.A.N.G., both artists with unique qualities and who lent a specific colour to the songs through their contribution.

Sabrina Starke says the following about the tracks on “Outside the Box”:

“Back Seatdriver” (with Ziggy Recado): It’s about know-it-alls. “All In Line”: About underestimating uniqueness, especially in the entertainment business. And the tendency to replace or write off people without giving it much thought. “Simplest Way”: Definitely a love song. “Say Watcha Wanna”: About expressing yourself. Being free, letting yourself go. “Settle Down” (with B.A.N.G.): Interpret it as you will… “Toss Me A Dream”: Believing in yourself. You can achieve anything you want to. Movement and