Adrian Younge talks Souls Of Mischief + Goes Vintage Shopping on 'A Day Out' w/ OKP TV
In an age of off-the-rack beats, Adrian Younge is a master tailor of sonic cloth. The rare 21st century producer who eschews not only sampling technology but pre-sets, pro-tools and plug-ins of all kinds, Younge has carved himself a niche of one with his organic, cinematic approach to soul and hip-hop on projects like Black Dynamite, Venice Dawn and 12 Reasons To Die with Ghostface Killah, not to mention his modern doo-wop project with William Hart of the Delfonics. In the process, he has established himself as the living authority on vintage sounds and the quality demanded by doing things the old-fashioned way. In short, if you ever find yourself in need of being 100% certain that your '60s spy movie soundtrack is built strictly from dirty and dangerous drums and synth patches that are true to the time period--and recorded on reel to reel with analog compressors that don't fake the funk--Adrian Younge is the gentleman you need to call.
So when OKP TV got the chance to spend "A Day Out" with Younge while on a brief junket to New York to promote his new concept album with Souls Of Mischief(Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Snoop Dogg are both in there too! The project drops on August 26th via Younge's Linear Labs imprint) it seemed only right we should spend the day vintage shop-hopping in search of some throwback wears that meet Younge's exacting sartorial standards. Remind us to tell you about the first time Adrian came through the Okayplayer office in his tweed Sporting Life jacket with leather patches and matching Sherlock Holmes hat. After the meeting his personal vintage watch dealer stopped by with a selection of antique rolexes for Younge's approval, the lesson being that he is as particular about the pimp pedigree of his timepieces as he is about the precision quartz movement of his rhythm tracks. Along the way on our Day Out we got a preview of the new album, some insight into Younge's philosophy of "artisinal, handcrafted" music and picked up some fashion tips (including the impact and cultural significance of Ralph Lauren; Lo-lifes, take note). Press play below and come spend a day out with OKP TV and Adrian Younge:
