In the four years, since the release of Adrian Younge's Something About April, he has been coined America's black genius: the evocation of analog vestige in a digital era. His majestic music has garnered him reverence, likened to Ennio Morricone's best work and the Beatles' tenacity to create new sounds. Fortuitously, Something About April has made an indelible impression on modern vinyl heads and producers alike, being sampled by DJ Premier, Jay-Z, Common, 50 Cent and more. The Something About April brand is an axiom to the modern "Breakbeat" and Linear Labs is happy to announce its successor: Something About April II.
Recorded with Younge's collection of rare instruments, Something About April II advances his musical paradigm with enterprising concepts and grander compositions - it synthesizes the boundaries between dark American soul and classic European cinema. With effervescent conviction,Younge executes with an array of entrancing vocalists: Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab) and Bilal perform duets on "Step Beyond" and "La Ballade," reminiscent of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin; Raphael Saadiq blends "Black Jazz" vocals with psychedelic soul on "Magic Music;" Israeli star, Karolina, delivers haunting chants over concertos like "Hear my Love" and "Winter is Here;" Loren Oden croons as if the apparent ghost of Donnie Hathaway created one last love song, "Sandrine."
Younge is the experimental spirit of the modernist vanguard, looking at the past to create the future. What this album extrapolates, from vinyl culture, will become further magnified by its sampling down the line. Something About April II will replace the former as a holy grail for producers and collectors alike.A1 Sittin' By The Radio A2 Winter Is Here A3 Sandrine A4 Step Beyond A5 Sea Motet A6 Memories Of War A7 Psalms B1 Magic Music B2 Ready To Love B3 La Ballade B4 April Sonata B5 Hands Of God B6 Hear My Love
