Listen to Adrian Younge’s ‘Something About April’ NOW

While most music bloggers are hellbent on trying to keep up with every single damn new release, I have found solace in looking backwards. In other words, I think it’s just as important to listen to and write about projects that may have been overlooked or simply didn’t receive the shine they deserved. Enter musician/engineer Adrian Younge’s Something About April.

Chances are you have heard of Younge through his work with Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah or the samples used on Jay Z’s “Heaven” and “Picasso Baby” off last year’s Magna Carta… Holy Grail. For reference, the album contains bits of Younge’s “Reverie” and “Sirens”.

Well, back in the year 2000, Younge was stepping onto the scene with his take on soul music from the 1970s. He was particularly fond of the sounds heard on Blaxploitation film soundtracks, which is evident on Something About April.

The 14-track project is a thing of throwback beauty with rich organs, fantastic drums, fluttering woodwinds, and oh-so-perfect guest vocalists. It’s wild to think  that the guy made a majority of this project holed up in a bedroom studio, but he did. It’s also wild to think that he hasn’t received the recognition he deserves, but I believe that his time is coming. You can’t make music this good and not get recognized at some point. You just can’t.

You can buy Something About April here or listen to it below.

Soulection Brings Future-Forward Sounds On ‘100K’ Compilation

For those unfamiliar with the beyond-talented roster of producers, rappers, and DJs at Soulection, let me lay it out for you. The team includes the likes of AbJo, Evil Needle, Sango, and LAKIM, all of whom (and more!) have contributed material to the 100K compilation. This label release is a celebration of their reaching 100,000 followers on Soundcloud—get the name now?—and is everything you’d want from the collective.

That “everything you’d want” primarily refers to a deft blend of soul, R&B, hip-hop, and house music. Those four genres often can blended together in single outings from a few of these artists, though some stick to just mixing one or two. If you’re looking for a new crew to get into, you’d be wise to start here.

Samsung (Re-) Enters Streaming Music Foray With Milk Music

Just after another company extended its reach into the world of streaming music earlier this year, Samsung has (re)entered the battleground with its own service: Milk Music, which launched Friday, March 7.