Please note: this concert takes place at the Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg, a 10 minute walk from AB (KVS-BOL, Lakensestraat 146, 1000 Brussels).

Honestly? Basically, we don’t know where to start explaining this “contemporary Quincy Jones” – thanks for the quote, RZA – due to his impressive track record. Producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge (US) describes himself on Facebook as “the next generation of soul music”.

So his music sounds particularly authentic and seems to have been plucked from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Let’s just say: the heyday of funk and soul. Think: soundtracks to blaxploitation films, Marvin Gaye and funkateers on the one along with the playing pleasure of the J.B.’s and The Meters.

His music has been sampled by both Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z. As a producer, Younge sat behind the dials for hip-hop icons like – there he is again – Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Wu-Tang Clan and for afrobeat grandmasters like Tony Allen and Ebo Taylor.

Together with former A Tribe Called Quest member Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Younge also runs the über cool Jazz is Dead label – “A rebellion against the sterile and the overproduced” – with a clear mission: “We embrace analog because it captures something real. Human. Messy. Alive.”

Something About April Tour

Younge’s discography has now surged toward 50(!) releases, but his magnum opus is, in his own words, his trilogy Something About April. Volume I (2011) was a treasure trove of samples for many hip-hop artists, balancing between “raw, analog soul” and “the primal sonic edge of psychedelic rock”. Volume II (2016) tended more toward “dark American soul meets classic European cinema”. Then Something About April III (2025) was bathed in Brazilian vibes.

For Adrian Younge, this tour is a dream to come true: “The Something About April Tour is the show I've always dreamed of bringing to life. Fifteen years in the making, the Something About April trilogy is my magnum opus; a body of work designed for the most cinematic and live experience.” Younge will perform his psychedelic soul trilogy with a 10-piece ensemble. Can we add the hashtags #unique and #nottobemissed here?

For those who want to read up some more, there is Adrian Younge On 'Something About April III,' Jazz is Dead. For those who want to know more about his labels Jazz Is Dead, Linear Labs or his sources of inspiration, there is We Just Got To Do This: Adrian Younge talks uplifting legends with Jazz Is Dead - THE DROP. Check out the Spotify playlist This Is Adrian Younge | Spotify Playlist in 50 essential tracks too.

Line-up:
Adrian Younge: lead and bass
Loren Oden: vocals
Bryan Velasco: keyboards
Jack Waterson: guitar
Leo Costas: drums
Tylana Renga: violin
Tba: viola
Tatiana Tate: trumpet
Tba: saxophone
Tba: local musician