When it comes to seeking the perfectly imperfect rawness of analogue recording, Adrian Younge's pursuit is more of an obsession. If you've gathered anything about the Los Angeles-bred do-it-all, it's that sampling just won't cut it. Sure, he's well versed in MPC wizardry, but for Younge, there's just something about the crack and grit of analogue that breathes air into recordings, bringing them to life in ways that the ProTools school could never even touch. But that's precisely what's drawn the myriad top-shelf MCs and vocalists to his chamber. Not surprisingly, those that enter mirror Younge's sentiments of attaining the purity of vinyl with the feel of live instrumentation, which is then funneled through his keen sense for vintage soul composition, making for a wholly hypnotic and psychedelic pallet.
In case you're wondering why we're talking about all that today, it's because this Younge's perfectionism has been ably documented in a stunningly-shot, endlessly-insightful short film sculpted by film group TNEG, which comprises acclaimed director/cinematographers Malik Hassan Sayeed (Clockers, He Got Game, Belly) and Arthur Jafa (Crooklyn, Daughters Of The Dust) and producer Elissa Blount-Moorhead.
Capturing Younge in his element (the studio, naturally,)Sayeed, Jafa and Blount- Moorhead provide a gorgeous ode to the young impresario, recruiting Bilal, RZA, DJ Premier & Raphael Saadiq to divulge their personal reminiscences of working with the analogue king, which boils down to a very particular philosophy on sonic crafting. Though each of them told it in their own way, that ethos is a shared one. Bobby Digital, of course, took things to the mathematic end, while Bilal and Saadiq gushed over the richness and depth of the reel-to-reel method and Preemo connected to their shared heritage as Sons of Parliament. The quartet of audiophiles provide a series of testaments to Younge's timelessness as a producer and musical curator, honoring his obsession with the rugged and raw. You can dive deep into Adrian Younge's ways with the star-studded cast in the clip (premiered by NOWNESS) below, just be sure to keep on the lookout for more sounds and sights, as we get the hunch they'll be arriving imminently. Also, read a statement from TNEG on the the significance and sentiment of the piece.
"At TNEG™, we’re singularly committed to creating a cinema capable of matching the power, beauty and alienation of black music. We envision a Black Cinema as central to American Culture now as Black music was to the 20th century. The Adrian Younge piece, in both its aesthetic choices and philosophical vantage, is an embryonic example of what we think this cinema is gonna look like."
