Review: VA - Root Down 30: Compiled By Rainer Trüby (Daybreakers)

Rainer Trüby is a big name in house, soul and jazz as founder of the famous Root Down club and compiler of countless compilations - but can't miss out on a 30th anniversary with this monster!

Rainer Trüby, he of Compost Records' Glücklich VI (see review HERE) and many a compilation more, a huge record collection (particularly MPS label; stay tuned for news of a new album on that label by - Ed Motta!), founder of the Root Down club and member of both A Forest Mighty Black and the Trüby Trio, it's fair to say, Mr Trüby knows his 'Root Down' stuff!

Now, depending on your point of view, there may be an element for mates rates for the inclusion of Da Lata's cover version of the absolute classic 'Jungle Kitten' (and if you've read this far, you deserve to get yourself an earful of the Manfredo Fest original which may still be available as the Bluebird 12" of 1979) but that apart/included, what a great 10 tracks we have to celebrate 30 years of Root Down.

Folks and tracks we know, Jazzanova with 'No Use' (the Crackazat remix and featuring Clara Hill - see 'Inbetween - Remixes' review HERE) and Felipe Gordon (see HERE) with 'Let's Get, Get Together' and Trüby own project with Carrado Bucci, Trüccy (did you see what they did there! - 'Closer' was the Hectic track of choice at the time:) with Laroye's Afro Balearic mix of 'Kenyatta'.

And it's not only Laroye who knows a remix, there's a DeejayKul meets Soultechnic Rework, 

and one of the many highlights on the album, The Soul Session's cover of 'A Horse With No Name' as remixed by Trüby and Marlow plus an Osunlade remix of a Colfo collab (as Rawb Boss) and Jimpster (he of Freerange Records - see their 30 year birthday series HERE).

I think that's enough name drops for you to get the idea that this is quality and more than worth a 'Root Down' over the past 30 years.

P.S. Think I'll have to dig out the 12" white label of 'Root Down' by Peter Kruder (2000)

P.P.S. Wonder if DJs Miche and Chris Wheatley picked up anything from their recent visit to Rainer's massive 22k strong collection? 

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER. Rainer TRUBY/VARIOUS - Root Down 30 Vinyl at Juno Records.

Artist : Various Artists

Title : Root Down 30: Compiled By Rainer Trüby

Release Date : 2nd October, 2026

Catalog Number : TBC

Label : Daybreakers

Format : 2xLP / CD / Digital

Review: Omar - Brighter The Days (Deluxe Edition) (BBE Music / IMPRESS!VE Collective)

Omar is always brilliant.. and here's a double CD to proove it and celebrate his birthday at the end of summer as 'Brighter The Days' lights up our lives!

This Deluxe Edition of 'Brighter The Days' with singles, instrumentals, dubs and remixes, has been a while in the offering as Omar is now in his 41st year as a recording artist!

Following on from singles 'Can We Go Out' single (see review HERE), 'Lovey Dovey' (see review HERE), 'Research' and the title track itself (see review HERE) with the original album having sold out, this expanded double CD pairs the album with a whole second disc of 'bonus tracks' that have never been available on CD before.

Here's the exclusive bits that you'll get on CD 2:

 
• 'Lovey Dovey' ft Eric Roberson & Raheem DeVaughn) (Kenny Dope Remix & Kenny Dope Remix Instrumental)

• The three Joe Claussell versions (hot from remix work with Emanuele Cisi - see review HERE - and BBE favourite, Audrey Powne - see review HERE) of 'There's Much Love In The World'; remix, radio edit and World Afriqua Dub 
• 'Brighter The Days' (DJ Spinna remix + instrumental)

• 'Love Is Like' ft India.Arie (Illa J remxi + instrumental)

• 'I've Been Waiting' Maestro & Supa D Remix
• 'Can We Go Out?' (Zed Bias Remix)
• 'Omar isn't just for Christmas but 'That Time Again' (featuring  Charlene Hamilton) is his first ever Christmas single, very much in the Stevie/Donny lineage (not Windwood or Osmond).

Not only is Omar 'The Man' he's been recognised as such as Omar Christopher Lye-Fook, MBE (2012) and has been a mainstay of UK soul/neo-soul and was such leader of Gilles Peterson's Talkin' Loud golden period; little wonder the all want to work with him.  On CD1 itself there's Uk Modfather Paul Weller, Giggs, India.Arie, Ledisi, Eric Roberson, Raheem DeVaughn, Jeru The Damaja, Ronnie Foster, Don-e, Scratch Professer, Tony Remy and Honey Larochelle along for the ride. 

Since the original ablum release, Omar has toured the UK, sold out two US tours and played everywhere from NPR's Tiny Desk to Later… With Jools Holland and New York's Summer Stage.

Always essential, always Omar.

PS. Great cover photo.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://orcd.co/omardeluxecd

Artist: Omar

Title: Brighter The Days (Deluxe Edition)

Release date: 2nd Ocotober, 2026

Label :  BBE Music / IMPRESS!VE Collective

Catalog Number  BBE801 

Format: CD (x2) / Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: VA - Thirty Years Of Freerange Vol.4 (Freerange Records)

30 years is a long-time and in Freerange Records timezone they're celebrating with 30 tracks from 30 artists on 5 EPs - and VOLUME FOUR is now here!

Quatro already and this is one for the drive home as we head to the conclusion of thirty years of Freerange and their celebration with the artists and musical values that have defined the label's journey. 

To recap, 30 Years Of Freerange brings together 30 exclusive tracks from 30 artists, released across five EPs before culminating in a beautifully curated box set; also check out Vol. 3 HERE, Vol. 2 HERE and Vol. 1 HERE. 

Volume 4 balances established label favourites with fresh collaborations and future classics, once again exploring the rich spectrum of house music that has become synonymous with the Freerange sound: timeless grooves, musical depth and soul in abundance.

Longtime friends of the label Dam Swindle (last seen on their 'House Of House' compilation, see review HERE) open the collection with ‘I Met Her Last Summer’, a beautifully understated slice of sun-drenched house that radiates warmth and effortless musicality. Euphoric chords, classic disco groove and tension-building arrangement combine to create one of those deceptively simple records that feels instantly familiar whilst revealing new details with every listen. 

Next up French house stalwart Rocco Rodamaal who teams up with the unmistakable voice of Oliver Night (not to be confused with Oliver Knight) for ‘Body & Soul’. Rooted in deep and soulful house traditions, the track blends Rocco’s trademark musicality with an irresistible vocal performance that celebrates the healing power of dance music. Timeless, heartfelt and impossible not to move to. Andy Ash steps up next with ‘Bailey’ delivering a masterclass in rolling, deep house. Built around a looping filtered vocal hook, souring synths and crunchy drums, it's the kind of track that quietly works its magic on the dancefloor, balancing emotional depth with subtle groove.

Flipping over, Black Loops brings the raw, stripped-back funk he's become renowned for on ‘Body Frequencies’. Swinging drums, creative sampling and rolling low-end pressure make this an irresistible club workout, perfectly capturing his distinctive blend of classic house influences and modern production finesse. 

Next comes a meeting of minds as Italian producer L.D.F. joins forces with Ron Trent protege Trinidadian Deep for ‘African Dream’. Combining percussion-heavy rhythms, rich synth textures and deep spiritual energy, the pair craft a mesmerizing journey that draws equally from Afro-house traditions and classic deep house sensibilities, unfolding patiently with a sense of purpose and emotion.

Closing the EP is something special. Trumpeter, producer and Jimpster collaborator Greg Paulus teams up with Parisian DJ and producer Krol on ‘Waitin’.  Impossible to pigeonhole and all the better for it, ‘Waitin’ transcends genres by melding raw house beats, live trumpet, Greg’s own vocals and a hooky piano part to form something totally fresh and unique.  A freaky, late-night meditation where live instrumentation, subtle electronics and rolling groove exist in perfect harmony, bringing Vol. 4 to a suitably maverick and satisfying close.

This series has to be the best of the year and in 5 volumes, Freerange has captured not only what is great about Freerange Records but what's good about music!  One Vol. to go so stay tuned.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Music | Freerange Records

Artist: Various Artists

Release: Thirty Years Of Freerange Vol.4
Release Date: 25th September, 2026
Label: Freerange Records
Catalog Number: FR319
Format:   Vinyl / Digital / BANDCAMP

Review: Gabriele Poso - Maraviglia Remixes (AG Records)

Gabriele Poso brings us a unique remixed view of the 'Mara Viglia' as the 3 wise monkies as "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" as a dancefloor promotion of moral integrity and avoidance of negativity.

You'll recall percussion masster Poso brought us the album 'Maraviglia' earlier this year (see review HERE) and after performing live at London's legendary Ronnie Scott's (September 3rd), here are the remixes you didn't know you needed by 3 wise monkeys that swing in different forests!

Even so, by extreme contrast to Dean St, the total outta space ship of 'AM' by Dodi Palese takes the track into a nuclear power late-night dancefloor "stretching its rhythms and cosmic textures into a driving c'lub cut - peak-time dancefloor moment".

Does the out do legend of the Yoruba Soul Mix?  Osunlade delivers a deep, soulful rework of 'Maraviglia' opening up the original groove with a sophisticated funk touch and a warm, cosmic feel reminiscent of the Leroy Burgess school of New York boogie. His version keeps the spirituat and percussive DNA of the original while giving it a timeless, late-night dancefloor pulse. 

To finish, it must be the sound of the drum with 'Drum Flow' as envisioned by Matt & Quincy as a Extended Vision as a hypnotic, funk-driven journey, built around an obsessive mantra-like synth that slowly builds tension before sending the groove soaring into a euphoric into a hypnotic, funk-driven journey, built around an obsessive mantra-like synth that slowly builds tension before detonating into a euphoric, percussion-heavy dancefloor bomb.

Together, the three remixes expand the 'Maraviglia' universe from deep, spiritual grooves to late-night club energy connecting Gabriele’s Mediterranean and Equatorial rhythmic language with the worlds of house, cosmic disco, New York boogie and global dance music.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://gabrieleposo.ffm.to/maraviglia-remixes

Artist: Gabriele Poso

Title:   Maraviglia 

Release date: 25th September, 2026

Label : AC Records

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: LP / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Audrey Powne - Bodies Of Water (BBE Music)

Those that know Audrey Powne will recognise that the Melbourne trumpeter, vocalist, keyboardist, composer and producer is special and her sophomore album out on BBE, 'Bodies Of Water' is further proof that she is a heavyweight in soul-jazz-funk ring with 'Bodies Of Water'.

Added to the We Out Here Festival (20-23 August) along with Thundercat, Peven Everett, James Alexander Bright (and loads more) like the very best of past trumpeters before her like Miles Davis and Roy Hargrove, she's got the abiltiy to fuse jazz, bop, hip-hop, soul, funk, bruk, pop and dance into a glorious whole of 8 tracks in a fluid 'Bodies Of Water'. 

Don't forget, back in 2024 there were remixes of Ms. Powne's 'From The Fire' (see review HERE).along with the Atjazz and Musclecars remix 12" (see review HERE) and.'Souled Out' remixed by Joe Claussell (see review HERE).

The title track itself is part gospel, part spirtual, part baptism of soul - it's beautiful and then there's a vocal and instrumental version of 'Swollen' that both show off her vocal talents and her trumpet 'Hargrove' expertise as the river bursts its musical banks with a Dilla-esque march into flood planes. 

Whilst you 'Stay Awake' reminds us of the power of Fela Kuti and Afrobeat horns to get us to move our feet as Powne leads the line.  And it's not just Powne that shines on the recording that took 2 days at Brooklyn's Electric Garden Studios as acclaimed New York-based rhythm section bassist David “DJ” Ginyard and drummer Jonathan Barber are a powerhouse; or could that be a Pownehouse (Ed. save that one for the remixes).

'Stay Awake' is the rally call for us all this summer as is 'Two Sides.  And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, 'Broken Record' is another track that absorbs all the elements, including some clever lyrics, that makes this album such a pleasure to listen to; especially when it slips into a bit of a Lonnie Liston Smith meets Chuck Mangione dub at the end (Ed. let's have more of this).

And what is it with ladies from Naarm/Melbourne (thinking Ella Thompson and Allysha Joy in particular) to get 'soul' like on 'Creeds' here and the spiritual 'Karma' and 'RYV'.

You'll recall Bruce Lee's famous quote, "Be like water" and it's often said that the human body is 90% water - here's the missing 10% to feel whole after the debut, 'From The Fire'; seen by many as 'Jazz Album Of The Year' in 2024, 'Bodies Of Water' will wash all competition away this year - don't miss out!

P.S. There's a BBE listening party in London with musclecars & Toribio tells your friends.

BBE Album Listening Party Listening Party September 22, 2026 at 9:00 PM GMT+1

BUY LINKk / PRE-ORDER: https://orcd.co/apbodiesofwater

Artist: Audrey Powne

Title:  Bodies Of Water

Release date: 25th September, 2026

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: Gatefold Vinyl LP / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: VA - Many Shades Of House (Selected By Lea Lisa) Vol.2 (Favorite Recordings)

After a long hot summer (of house), Lea Lisa has found the perfect antidote with 'Many Shades Of House' !

This is a long way from Favorite Recordings' Brooklyn Funk Essentials' album 'Black Butterfly' (see review HERE), Butter Funk Family (see HERE) or Jéroboam's self-titled ablum (see HERE); or is it?

Well it's not if you're into dance as this is exactly what it says on the tin, "Many Shades Of House".  Of course, we've all probably got a favourite Ian Pooley track or remix (say Fritz Wentink - see HERE or Session Victim - see HERE) but the way Lea Lisa has put these tracks together as mostley original mixes (6-8 minutes long) where the label has gone for a double 12" to showcase them is testament to the respect for the music that Lea have compiled/loved/tested/played for many years.

 

Kicking of with 'Sun Of A Gun' (by Korsakow) that hints are the blues of Chris Thomas King's 'Revelations' (Afro Art) and the dub of St. Germain's 'Rose Rouge' and it just gets more diverse with her choice of "uplifting, groove-led movements to deeper, more obscure and cerebral territories".

So who is Lea Lisa?  She's a DJ, producer (Wolf Music, Phonica Records, Smallville Records) and vinyl addict since 1995 (and probably earler than that).   Volume 1 came out a couple of years ago and no surprise that there's been the demand for a follow-up.

The new edition is so good, you can even party like it's '1974' (by Leonel Castillo), get high on  karma of 'For The Music' (Mandrax Dub) (by Colourful Karma featuring Terra Deva) and t'he out there "pocket calculator" of 'Only On The Condition You Call Me Esteban' by Fred Quest.

There's something for everyone but that's coherent throughtout - it's the best shade on the pallet for mixing and blending house.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://favoriterecordings.bandcamp.com/album/many-shades-of-house-selected-by-lea-lisa-vol-2

Artwork by Nahomi - Elisa D'inca

Artist: Various Artists

Title: Many Shades Of House (Selected By Lea Lisa) Vol.2

Release date: 25th September, 2026

Label : Favorite Recordings

Catalog Number : FVR206

Format: 2x LP Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: .multibeat - OOO (Sonar Kollektiv)

Dutch trio .multibeat have got their optics back on the hip-hop-beats-soul-nu-jazz prize with this 14 track album, 'OOO' - Sonar Kollectiv is a natural home for these guys as they focus on thier Robert Glasper/J. Dilla R&B roots!

Out of Utrecht, Boudewijn Pleij (keys), Thijs van Zutphen (bass) and Aron Smit (drums) draw on a rich musical heritage and diverse influences to create their unique amalgamation of hip hop and jazz, keeping the beat firmly at the centre of everything they do.

As we know from the double A single, 'Flyyy' (featuring Casiio) and 'Please Hold' (featuring Säm Wilder) - see review HERE - they do like a collaboration, particular on 'Monochrome' featuring vAn and the deep soul of TOS ('Hold Me Down') and Ethiopian-born Dutch R&B vocalist Neema Nekesa and producer Noflik ('Bloom').

The album reflects the trio’s strong independent spirit while staying true to their live sound.  The album sound quite UK-jazz boom, Berlin, Dutch, West Coast and all points east of "Golden Era hip hop, jazz and beat culture" - check out the longer tracks like 'Send It' and 'Nine/Three'.

The title rack and 'Nine/Three' both feature longtime collaborator Paul van de Calseijde, whose saxophone and synth work add further depth and atmosphere to the album’s sonic palette.

The album ends on 'Use Your Noggin' that reveals the group’s playful side. Inspired by late-night sessions and deep YouTube rabbit holes, the track combines frantic drums, warm basslines and glowing synth textures into one of the album’s most rhythmically direct moments.

They've been very balance by mixing up the vocal and instrumental tracks in a proportion so 'OOO' listens as an album which is what you'd expect from a group who call themselves .multibeat?

As ever, it's a shame some of the tracks are not longer but perhaps that'll be sorted next time - but don't miss 'em this time - OOO!.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://sonarkollektiv.lnk.to/ooo

Artist: .multibeat

Title: OOO

Release date: 25th September, 2026

Label : Sonar Kollektiv

Catalog Number: SK565LP

Format:  Vinyl LP / Streaming / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Ed Motta - Toc-Toc (MPS)

If you don't know Ed Motta, he's no English gentleman (see cover) but you should definitely get to know the Bazilian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer from Rio de Janeiro and all-round good egg - that just so happens to be the nephew of Tim Maia! 

After more than a decade dedicating his original work to an English-language repertoire, Ed Motta returns to recording in Portuguese language with a sound inspired by 1980s electro-funk.

Ed Motta has been one of Brazil’s most successful singers for three and a half decades. Throughout his long career, the “Colossus of Rio”—as he is affectionately known in his homeland—has absorbed a wide variety of styles, from bossa nova to hard rock, funk, soul, jazz, and fusion, as well as various forms of pop, repeatedly blending them into new combinations that coalesce into an unmistakable whole thanks to his voice, which is as gentle as it is powerful. With his latest opus, “Toc-Toc,” he is now embarking on a fresh start under the motto “Back to the Future.” Strictly speaking, it is a journey through time and space—or rather, through many eras and just as many places. On the one hand, there’s the echo of many great legends of Brazilian pop music from the 1960s to the present, but the songs also encompass elements of funk, synth-pop, and electronica. Motta distills all of this into a statement about the present, in which he simply swaps the traditional roles of the past and the future. Specifically, Ed Motta’s goal was to bring two completely different areas of contemporary music together into a cohesive whole. “Electronic music and traditional songwriting are usually mutually exclusive,” explains Motta. “I wanted to find a way to connect these two musical forms in unexpected ways. It’s not electronic music per se, because my songs follow a different dramatic structure, but everything is recorded using a drum machine and a bass synthesizer. With my songs, I want to reach a place that doesn’t yet exist.”

There is hardly any other voice in the universe that has such a soothing, empathetic effect on the human spirit as Ed Motta’s timbre. And yet he is a quiet rebel who defies all musical formulas and commercial rules. Nothing could be further from the Brazilian’s mind than treading well-worn Latin paths, of whatever variety. Deep in his heart, Motta remains a passionate songwriter; the electronic elements on his new album, however, are the garments in which he dresses his imagination. The vibe of his songs draws primarily on the tight funk of the late ’70s and early ’80s. Motta cites American ’70s icons like Cameo and the S.O.S. Band to illustrate the source of his inspiration. “As a teenager, I was incredibly impressed by this music, and today I’m searching for that energy again,” says Motta. “I look back in order to move forward. It’s a game with memory. Back then, this music was constantly playing on the radio. Before I started collecting records, the radio was my main influence. That’s long gone, but life goes on. I have to find new ways to bring that energy back.”

Mr. Motta is a master of his craft - 'Toc-Toc' old boy.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://mps.lnk.to/Toc-Toc

Artist: Ed Motta

Title: Toc-Toc

Release date: 25th Septemer, 2026 (vinyl 16th October)

Label: MPS, Musik Produktion Schwarzwald (Edel)

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: Vinyl / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: VA - Future Sounds of Jazz Vol. 16 (Compost Records)

'Future Sounds of Jazz', the highly influential compilation series on Compost Records, this time compiled by Michael Rütten (Soulpatrol / Soulsearching radio show) and label founder Michael Reinboth has set many a benchmark in future looking jazz/music reference points; no surprise then that Vol. 16 does just the same!

It's now just over 30 years since 'Future Sounds of Jazz' Vol. 1 (1995) was released and subtitled 'Ambientelectronicabstractdigitaljazz'!  Well you might think that by now, 1. we are in the future and 2. the 'Ambientelectronicabstractdigital' genre would be fully developed as “Future Sounds of Jazz” and chronicled in the previous 15 editions?

Of course, when your in so envolved with Compost Records there always the next best electronic music to discover - especially when music magazines such as Groove, Mixmag, Faze, and DJ Mag hold you out as pioneering in the establishment of the future jazz genre.

Indeed, little old 'YouAndTheMusic' are happy to play its small part as as this new compilation kicks off with two of our favourites, Emanative featuring Jessica Lauren (see review HERE) as remixed by Hector Plimmer, DJ Oil (with 'Yaka Di Bongo' from 'The Rise Of The Cosmic Dancer' - see review HERE), a Kaan Duzarat remix of Ilhan Erahin's Istanbul Sessions, Peter Gall (new album coming out soon), Charles Petersohn's 'Zu Zu Music' (see review HERE) and the leftfield of Felix Lanband (see review HERE). 

And with the 'Future' moniker, there's a strange 'world' undercurrent with folks like Brittany Davis, Nico Zam, Momoko Gill and Compost veteran Beanfield but particularly check out 'Nine Serpents' by Baba Sikander and 'Telluric' by Booker Stardrum.among many other others as this is "a wild and eclectic ride through hidden hinterlands where jazz and electronic music meet".

There's even a track by Michael Reinboth himself, 'As If By Magic' and Soul Patrol (Michael Rütten & Max Schneider) so there's much to explore in 20 track CD option or triple vinyl 15 track version!

PS. 'Future Sounds of Jazz' is Kerem Dubmission's favourite genre; and for good reason (#1378 - see HERE; WYEP Pittsburgh)

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://compostrecords.lnk.to/FSOJ16

x3 LP: 15 TRACKS, 3 EXCLUSIVE, 5 FIRST TIME ON VINYL.

x2 CD: 20 TRACKS, 4 EXCLUSIVE.

Artist: Various Artists

Title: Future Sounds of Jazz Vol. 16

Release date: 18th September, 2026

Label: Compost Records

Catalog Number : CPT 681

Format: 3xLP Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: David Lyn – Empathy (You Can Only Feel It) (Music Without Labels)

Music Without Labels' are ready to release the much anticipated follow up to David Lyn's 2024 album 'The World I Hear (Essence of Life)' with 'Empathy' and you can only feel it!

Not exactly hot on the heals of 'The World I Hear (Essence Of Life) (see review HERE), David Lyn now presents his new album 'Empathy (You Can Only Feel It)'. Comprising of David's poems and lyrics set to an innovative and diverse exploration of Jazz, House, Afro-House, Funk and Soul rhythms and melodies.

'Empathy' also features an array of contemporary Black music artists and is co-produced by the legendary Chris Bangs (he of the stunning DanThe Drum x Chris Bangs 'My Tune' EP - see review HERE) who with Dan The Drum released the summer dance anthem, the remixed version of 'Children Of The Sun' featuring JTheVoice.drum

The new album contains the original version of 'Children Of The Sun' along with 'We Rise' (manic Gil Scot-Heron poetry on a dnb bed!) and 'African Jazz Music' (exactly what it says on the tin) and these three epitomise the excellence that occurs when genuine music lovers and creative forces come together to record perfectly crafted songs with live instruments and guest musicians. 

The leader of Music Without Labels sets the tone for the album as music for the mind, the body and the dance floor as the respective vocals of Davoice on the Lyn and Bangs composition 'We Rise' and Shamrock Guitor on the David Lyn penned African Jazz Music blend and weave with spoken word, bass, percussion, saxophone and woodwind duduk.

David Lyn is a DJ, musician (who plays Sax, Percussion, Flute and Synths on Empathy), lyricist and poet and radio broadcaster on TWR Radio. As part of the renowned TWR Sundays schedule David's Music Without Labels show attracts a listenership from across the globe uniting Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe with its knowledgable and exciting tracklistings. David has been a champion of new music and new artists which is reflected in the artists that appear on Empathy (You Can Only Feel It) and as a DJ no one who was there will forget his Saturday Main stage set at the 2024 We Out here Festival warming up for Louis Vegas' Elements of Life.

Chris Bangs' music pedigree is unsurpassed as DJ, producer and songwriter. From coining the term 'Acid Jazz' to his production of and collaborations with Mick Talbot and Paul Weller, Galliano, Will Downing, Yada Yada, Linda Clifford, Courtney Pine, The Quiet Boys and others, Chris has been a massively influential component of the UK's world reaching Black music scene.

Empathy (You Can Only Feel It) is released on the 19th of September as a vinyl LP and a high resolution digital download. with an official launch at London's BBE Store with an all day party featuring David, Grumpy Brown, Elbert Phillips, Colin Curtis,Simon Fane and N'Dinga Gaba on the decks.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Music | Music Without Labels

1. Intro 2. Be You 3. Zwisisa Umoya 4. Barky 5. Stop and Think 6. Nothing Gets Within 7. We Rise 8. African Jazz Music 9. Watch The River Flow 10. Children of The Sun 11. Outro

Artist: David Lyn 

Title: Empathy (You Can Only Feel It)

Release date: 19th September, 2026

Label: MWL Productions

Catalog Number: MWL  

Format: Vinyl LP / Digital / Bandcamp