AFFECT caught up with Sampagne and dropped in on one of his studio sessions. Between empty cups, layered vocals, and beats still warm from the speakers, the rising artist opened up about music as identity, pressureand why he isn’t one to fit into boxes.
First discovered as a finalist on The Voice Kids, the real story began after the cameras stopped rolling. Since then, the German artist has been steadily carving out his own space in the industry, somewhere between pop, rap, and something entirely his own. With collaborations like Shirin David, Cro, and Ski Aggu, Sampagne proves that genre lines are there to be blurred and that the only thing that really counts is the music. We met him in the studio to talk about what makes a track a “banger” and how to stay grounded in a fast-moving industry. Sampagne isn’t following a formula : He’s writing his own.

AFFECT: Who are you and what do you do?
Sampagne: I'm Sampagne and I make music.

A: Did you always want to become a musician, or what was your childhood dream?

S: I think I always kinda wanted to be a musician, as far as I can remember. Not in a super planned-out way, but I always wanted to do something with music. I used to play drums, piano, guitar, and I also got into making beats. So anything music-related was always super dope to me, and that’s probably why I always wanted to do something in that world.

A: How has making music changed with new platforms and listening habits?

S: Well, with platforms like TikTok everything’s a bit compressed, especially when it comes to how songs are presented. So if you’ve got a track that’s like three minutes long, and the highlights are maybe in the verses or the bridge, it’s hard to showcase all of that. ‘Cause at the end of the day, for the TikTok part you gotta pick like 30 second, sometimes it’s only 20 and try to present the track with that one bit, and drill it into people’s heads over time. (...)I do kinda feel bad about it sometimes, ‘cause on one hand, the song is actually really dope, (...) but you can’t show everything at once. So you just try to convince people with that one part.

A: Your songs often hit right from the start. Is that pure instinct or do you already think about how fast a track has to work today while writing?

S: I’d be lying if I said I never think about whether a track will work on social media while I’m in the studio. Just being honest.
The initial spark definitely doesn’t come from that though, that’s not my main motivation.
I still go by feeling when I pick beats and lay down the first melodies, that has nothing to do with social media. But once I get into the writing and arranging, when it gets serious, I do start to think: Okay, how can this make sense for social media? Like, how often should the hook come, where’s the bridge, all that stuff.

A: When you create a new track, do you think more about your own taste or what your fans might like?

S: I definitely think about what my fans might think. (...) I always try to find that sweet spot between what I personally think is fire and what I believe the fans and listeners will vibe with too.‘Cause if I just made stuff I think is dope, I’d probably drop some full-on trap-rage album, ‘cause that’s what I’m listening to right now. But that’s just a personal phase. That’s got nothing to do with Sampagne. So it’s kinda like Apple, right? You gotta remind yourself who you are sometimes. Apple’s not gonna drop some random Android phone just ‘cause they’re into it right now. They gotta stick to their brand and there’s nothing wrong with that.On the contrary, if you even have a brand, that’s something to be proud of.

A: What does a typical Sampagne day in the studio look like? Any rituals?

S: I definitely need snacks, don’t know why, but I need something to munch on to distract myself in between. What else? A half-decent mic, for sure. I’ve picked up some technical skills by now, and when the quality isn’t right, I feel it ruins the vibe. (…) It’s only fun when the demo already sounds pretty dope. Other than that, I don’t have any special rituals. I just like starting before 4pm these days. 2pm is kinda the perfect start time, and with being a bit late and all, it usually ends up being 3pm. Then it feels like a real workday and I’m usually more productive than I would be at night. If I’ve got energy left, I might do something at night again. But honestly, a solid session from 3 to 9pm? That’s ideal. I’m telling you, if nothing happens in those 6 hours, then nothing will. Usually the spark hits in 2–3 hours, then you just need a few more to record and polish.

A: Studio work today is faster and more efficient. Does that sometimes kill the creative chaos where music just happens?

S: Yeah, everything’s definitely faster and more efficient and honestly, I think that’s dope.
Back in the day people had to rent studios for thousands of euros, use analog mixing boards and all that. Now it’s all super smooth and easy. Everyone can just open a laptop and get started. If you need a female voice, you don’t have to fly in a choir anymore there’s AI tools for that now. So if you’re not afraid of these new tools and methods, and you keep up with the times, then I’m telling you, you can save a ton of time and use it smartly for your project.

A: Have there been features or collabs where you instantly felt: this just works or doesn’t work at all?

S: That’s a really good question actually, a sick question. No one’s ever asked me that before. With “Tempo”, it’s maybe a bit cliché to say ‘cause it became such a big track, but I remember that exact moment in the studio with Maxi: Badchief, two homies and I were chilling on the couch, Maxi on the laptop. I went into the booth the recording room with the glass wall where you can see into the studio he hit play, we adjusted the mic real quick, didn’t even start recording yet. I just started singing the hook and saw the guys’ shocked faces through the glass. I knew right away: this is something special.
Even that first test take sounded super sick. The tone, the vocal range it just fit my voice perfectly. Total symbiosis. I knew instantly: this is gonna hit.
But of course, there are sessions where nothing works. I notice that pretty quickly now.
Sometimes I freestyle an idea, sounds cool in the room but once it’s recorded, you’re like: nah, doesn’t hit. Over time my ears got really good at picking that out. Sometimes I’ll record a take and say right after: “Sorry guys, not it. We need a new hook.”
That’s part of the process. Trial and error. Try things, fail, get back up, keep going. Totally normal.

A: How many of your songs stay in the vault and never get released?

S: That’s definitely a big struggle I deal with every day. I’ve got a ton of tracks lying around, ‘cause there were phases where I was super productive like being in the studio every day for a week and knocking out two or three songs a day.
So honestly, I’ve probably got around 70 tracks just sitting there.
And that’s actually the biggest question and the biggest discussion in our team: Which track is next? Which one’s stronger than the others? That makes things really hard.
Sometimes it’s obvious everyone loves the same track immediately, no debate. That was the case with “Keine Liebe im Club”. That track came together just two months ago and we instantly knew: this one’s gotta drop. So we moved fast. But then there are also tracks that sit for a while and get rediscovered later. Or songs where the team isn’t really convinced, but I am and I’ll push it through anyway. That’s just how it is.
Lots of opinions, lots of tastes. And that’s totally fine totally normal.But what makes it really hard is when you’ve got a bunch of songs that are all at a certain quality level.
Not to gas myself up too much, but if you’ve been doing music for five, six years, at some point you just reach a level where there aren’t really any bad songs anymore.
Once a track’s exported from the laptop, it’s usually good it just becomes a question of which one might be even better. And for me, that’s super hard to judge objectively ‘cause I have a personal connection to each track. So staying neutral? Almost impossible.

A: Are you a fast writer or do you sometimes need weeks for one song?

S: No way I could take weeks for a song. No chance. I’m definitely someone who writes in the moment, straight from instinct.Honestly, I barely write anything beforehand. I might have a few keywords or topic ideas, but the actual writing happens in the session.
And I couldn’t stand writing a song over weeks just not my thing.
Sometimes I’ll go back and tweak some lines that’s normal but never more than a day.
It all needs to happen right then and there. And if a line’s off, you can always change it after.

A: German rap keeps evolving. Where do you see yourself in this new wave?

S: I think I see myself as a bridge between rap and pop, ‘cause I kinda merge both worlds pretty well.You can see that in the features I’ve done too. On one side, I’ve got a rap track with Nizzy. On the other, a pop radio hit with Cro.And I vibe with both worlds, personally and musically.I just love music so I could never say I’m only doing rap or only melodic stuff. Drake’s a good example too. He doesn’t stick to one genre he’s just a good musician overall. Whether he’s rapping or singing, it’s just quality music.(…) That’s how I see myself too. A fusion. Cause my hooks are often super melodic, while my verses are more rappy. Sometimes it’s the other way around verses sung, hook rapped.
It’s the best of both worlds.

A: What old German rap song had the biggest impact on you back then?

S: Good question. Might be a bit random, ‘cause it doesn’t really match my music now.
But stuff like early Bushido, Son Bang Flavor, and “Chabos wissen, wer der Babo ist” by Haftbefehl. Also that old Kay1–Shindy era.That was the first time I felt cool as a kid listening to German rap. (…) It was a sick era. A wild time in my youth. Just dope.

A: Who from the older rap generation would you still love to collab with today?

S: From the old-school? Let me think…I was a huge Ratar fan back then. My first German rap concert was Ratar. I always thought he was insanely dope. And of course, it would’ve been an honor to work with him.Even though it’s not possible anymore.
Rest in peace. Legend.

A: Are there topics that come across differently when working with a female artist versus a male one?

S: Nah, I think everything’s pretty equal by now. Girls are spitting their dirty talk too and I think that’s awesome. It’s really balanced out over time.There’s a female wave now where they just don’t give a damn and speak their mind just like the guys.I think that’s cool.

A: You worked with Shirin David. Was that different from working with someone like Ski Aggu?
S: Yeah of course. Shirin David has different topics and a totally different brand.
What’s exciting about her is that she’s super polarizing, and I think she gives her fans a lot of strength.Girls really identify with her and her lifestyle.So the goal is to translate that lifestyle into lyrics.Lines like “Ice matcha latte, late for pilates” or “I’m wearing something spicy in the Rangy” those are just fire visuals.That’s what makes Shirin David such a strong character. And I think a lot of people listening want to feel that too.
And yeah, everyone needs to do that in their own way, but I think she does it really well.

A: What would it take to make more female rappers visible in the scene? What's your take on the dynamic between male and female artists?

S: Good question. I actually talk about this a lot. I think we’re nowhere near the peak of female German rap yet. There’s definitely room to grow.I recently discovered a female artist, Charliez, I thought she was super dope.
But what I’m missing right now is someone like a German Ice Spice or a German PinkPantheress. Someone with that US-style vibe. Or even someone like Karibou, if you know her, she’s signed by Spaylal Yadi.We don’t really have those kinds of characters here yet.Right now, everything still sounds very German a bit too German sometimes. Lots of techno beats and Atzen-Style stuff. I’m not trying to diss anyone, that sound has its place and can be cool too, but to really hit the next level, we need those standout personalities like an Ice Spice.I think more girls just need to go for it. The timing’s right.
And I really believe people would vibe with something that’s not just sex and drugs over techno beats.There’s so much more to say.
So yeah, go for it girls, show yourselves, do your thing.And if you know cool new female artists, send me their stuff.I’m always down to listen and help push and support them.

A: If you had to choose: only live shows from now on or only studio work?

S: I’d definitely say: only live shows. Just look at legendary careers like Udo Lindenberg or Herbert Grönemeyer. They’re barely in the studio anymore, but they’ve built such a legacy through their earlier studio work that they can just keep touring forever. And live shows are the best. Being on the road, that class-trip vibe, real energy - those are moments money can’t buy.
So yeah, I’d 100% pick live.

A: What’s been your best live moment so far?

S: Honestly, my own tours were incredible. But since this just happened recently: I played a festival in Darmstadt less than a month ago, and I had no idea what to expect. I had to play 90 minutes ‘cause I was booked as the headliner and I’d never played a 90-minute set at a festival before. Usually it’s more like 45 minutes. And it turned out to be an insanely sick show. Darmstadt was crazy, it was called Schlossgrabenfest. The energy was unreal. They knew every song, because I had to play so many, thanks to the long playtime. It was straight-up goosebumps. Plus, a ton of my boys were there that day and you always want it to be a sick show when your whole crew’s around. And that one was next level. We’ll all remember it forever. People were opening moshpits on their own, singing everything word for word… I love crowds that give back like that. It just pushes you to go even harder. So yeah, Darmstadt, Schlossgrabenfestival, that was my personal highlight.

A: Is there a song you’d love to redo completely today?

S: Yeah, now that I’m more into the technical side of production and finishing a song, there are definitely tracks where I think:"Man, the kick could’ve been better, or that clap should’ve hit harder."There are a couple where, when I hear them in the club, I think:
"Okay, this mix could’ve been way fatter."But I won’t say which songs, or you’ll all start listening too closely. At the end of the day though, I always say:Each song came out exactly how it was supposed to.It took the path it was meant to or didn’t.
And every song deserves its place.

A: Thanks! That’s it!

S: Sick questions, guys. And sick visuals. Peace!

Interview by Noémi Zak

Talent: Sampagne
Editor-in-Chief: Noémi Zak
Creative Producer: Sophie Schiller
Photography: Jannis Wetzel

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