ADRIAN YOUNGE Vinyl & CDs

Review: Adrian Younge's new album is undoubtedly his most powerful yet. He says it "dissects the chemistry behind blind racism, using music as the medium to restore dignity and self-worth to my people." It is an unapologetic critique of the current systems that suppress people of colour and the malevolent psychology that taps into that. Musically, this is a deeply soulful record with elaborate orchestration and some top level guests. Next to the album, Younge has also made a short film (TAN) and 4-part podcast (invisible Blackness) on the same subject that make for vital listening.

Review: Over the last 12 months, Adrian Younge and A Tribe Called Quest member Ali Shaheed Muhammad have been inviting some legendary musicians to swing by the former's Los Angeles studio to make fresh tracks with vintage equipment. The results are detailed on "Jazz Is Dead", a superb album that combines elements of dusty soundtrack jazz, soul, jazz-funk, Latin jazz and head-nodding live beats influenced by the duo's hip-hop roots. Highlights include the atmospheric, slow-motion warmth of Roy Ayers collaboration "Hey Lover", the floor-rocking fusion heaviness of epic Azymuth hook-up "Apocaliptico", the languid sweetness of 'Down Deep" (featuring Doug Carn) and the samba-soaked sunshine that is Marcos Valle composition "Nao Saia Da Praca".