In conversation: Roho talks new album, Vesper, track-by-track

At the heart of Roho’s candid sophomore release is the pursuit of one’s higher self. On Vesper, the singer-songwriter guides us on a foray into his innermost emotions, with unapologetic lyricism and nuanced symbolism acting as his anchors.

Themes like romance, spirituality and astrology are threaded throughout the album, with particular emphasis on rituals performed after dark. “The title simply means “things relating to night-time”, Roho tells Apple Music. “A lot of this tape happened at night and was inspired by the evening and night culture.”

Whether reflecting on after-hours partying, lovemaking or prayer, Roho navigates growing into his own skin through electronic soul, amapiano and funk-infused R&B.

“There’s a lot that comes through in the sound,” he says. “Lyrically, there’s a lot of shadow work. I’m tapping into the darker side you don’t want to confront!” With its candour, Vesper is a sonic diary tracking Roho’s growth between his debut album, 2020’s Ephemeral and where he is currently. “I hold so much inside and I feel like the music is an outlet,” he says.

“I was living in the city for the past two years and wanted to capture what it felt like living in contrast to how I normally do. I did a lot of extroverted things and was in such a vulnerable state. I wanted to be honest about the vulnerability of the evenings.” Here, he talks us through key tracks of the album.

SAMAEL

Samael is actually the archangel of death. I’m a Scorpio, and the whole thing with Scorpios is death and rebirth. I feel like it was essential for me to start out the tape with some kind of death and then end with rebirth. In the lyrics, I’m chanting for Samael and almost calling for some kind of internal death.

I wanted to start with a slow ego death, just to clear my conscience before I get into it. A lot of this album was inspired by my relationship at the time. I felt like when I encountered this person, I had made an oath to always stay loyal and grounded to the soil of our relationship. There was a lot of conflict in the relationship, so a big part of my death process was also giving up a relationship that didn’t serve me any good.

LIGHTS OUT

Lights Out is very much when I was getting outside. I was starting to internally accept that something had ended and I can just switch everything off. It’s a break-up song and, lyrically, I wanted to be honest about where my head has been. It’s me accepting that we gotta switch on the lights and just let shit go. It’s got a sense of “I’m leaving you and I’m just gonna do whatever I want!” I’m reclaiming my self-confidence.”

LEGION

“I wanted this to feel like a short film. It’s me having a conversation with my ancestors. I feel like I was hearing too many voices in my head and this happened to be the one voice that told me, “Yo, I’m gonna give you your higher self because I see you’ve been begging for a release. Here he is.” It’s me reaching into myself through my elders.”

POP SEX FASHION

I wanted to make a cool pop song I could vogue to! The city is so far from what I’m used to back home in Pretoria, which is very chill. [The lyric] “I’m in the city to sell my soul” means I’m here to be vulnerable and showcase who I truly am. Every show that I did these past few years was a ritual for who I want to become. My ancestors have given me my highest self, so I’m here to do something with it.

VOODOOBOI

MICELLAR WATER (feat. Tyson Sybateli)

The fun part about making music is being cryptic. It was so important that I put signs and symbols in this project. Micellar Water is more of a sassy song. I was crossed by a makeup artist and it was just me being angry and resentful, so the title ties to makeup removal. It’s a very personal song and I didn’t give a f**k about who felt what ... I just really wanted to vent. The honesty and vulnerability of this album mean I’m not going to lie about how certain situations made me feel.

“I really wanted to tap into pop culture and test how far I can go creatively with my interpretation of it. I wanted to challenge myself sonically. I felt the amapiano influence being in the city, going out and hearing these songs at parties. It felt like this was such a perfect way to capture what that felt like to me — just how dangerous it felt to be outside ...in a good way! It doesn’t matter how lit I get or what happens, I just want to dance. It’s influenced by dance culture and also Brenda Fassie and Lebo Mathosa, and how dangerous they sounded.”

HOME SAFE

This is, like, the burning of everything. Micellar Water was confronting truths and Home Safe is me driving away from that whole wreckage. I’m gonna be outside, be in my bag and recover very well from all of my misfortunes! It has what I feel like night-time in Pretoria sounds like, because it’s me realising that, no matter what, I’m always gonna come back home to my family, my brother, my mother.

OSHUN’S SON

Oshun’s Son is an ode to my mama. It’s a playful song and you can hear my inner child in it. Oshun is a Yoruba orisha or river goddess, who I think resembles my mum in so many ways. It’s significant to my ties to water, because she’s a river goddess and I’m her water baby. Me coming out to her a year ago and her accepting me as her son — the vulnerability of that whole experience, for the both of us, means she’ll always echo somewhere in the back of my mind.

GREENWAY RD (feat. NKLY)

NKLY happens to be a really good friend of mine. We’ve been sharing stories for a while and seeing each other grow and progress. It’s like going out to a hangout spot and then having a conversation with a really good friend. It’s so funk and electro, and at the end of the groove session, your most truthful self comes out in the debriefing.

ACCRA (feat. UNCOOL)

I had the most beautiful love affair with a Ghanaian person but it also came to a time when I had to let it go. Because it had always been so sweet and precious, I can never forget what that felt like. It feels like falling in love in a city you’re visiting. [This is] having to go back home because you don’t belong to that city. Accra is me having my last dance.

SAY SOME

I think there’s a dangerous and dirty side to Scorpios. All the Scorpios I’ve ever encountered are just so nasty! Say Some is just a dirty-ass song, like, “Let me know now so that we can get to it.” I’m just having fun lyrically, being naughty and sharing my dirty thoughts on a track. It’s the essence of who I am.

SAINTS (with Earldridge & Iam6teen)

When I got this song it already had Earl’s verse on it. I wanted to put him on the album because he’s someone I admire. I’ve grown to be very fond of him and his sound. His musical language, cadence and lyrical approach feels so similar to how I hear music. It’s titled Saints because we can be saints at what we do — keep it pure, truthful and keep growing as artists. I’m really proud of Earl and, for me, this was more about him than it was about me.

REVIVAL

Revival is the rebirth or refining of self after Samael’s visit. I wanted to capture what it felt like to come out of a very dark place. You’ve had to burn so much but you’ve had brothers, sisters, parents, family and saints around you. Revival is for the people who love you, ground you, revive you and restore life to you.