Belgian-Egyptian artist Tamino and Mitski's bond started with their admiration for each other's work, evolving into friendship, tour collaborations, and now a musical partnership. Their latest single, "Sanctuary," from Tamino's upcoming album Every Dawn's a Mountain, features Mitski's vocals and beautifully captures themes of hope and heartache.
Tamino initially envisioned a song that he believed could be a duet with Mitski. He shared a demo, collaborated on the lyrics through text, and scheduled a studio date for her. However, the track "Sanctuary" was yet to come.
"Two weeks before our scheduled studio session, I had doubts about whether the current song was suitable enough for a duet,“ Tamino shared. “I teamed up with my friend Alessandro Buccellati (SZA, Arlo Parks) at my place in New York City, where, in the wake of my doubts, we wrote the music of 'Sanctuary' in a few hours. The next morning I wrote the lyrics, recorded a small demo, and sent it to Mitski, who loved it and, like me, preferred it to the other song. I asked her if she thought changes in the lyrics were necessary, but she liked it as it was. Two weeks later she came to the studio, where she wrote beautiful harmonies and recorded her part in half a day.”
