Adrian Younge is a rare force in the music world, a self-taught multi-instrumentalist and Emmy Award-winning composer whose artistry transcends boundaries and defies the digital tide. A modern-day polymath, Adrian’s profound connection to sound finds its home at Linear Labs, a full analog studio nestled in Los Angeles. This sanctuary is not just a recording space but a living testament to his commitment to preserving the humanity of analog in a digital age.

Younge’s music has left an indelible mark on the hip-hop landscape. His seminal album, Something About April, became a treasure trove for artists like Jay-Z, whose sampling of Younge’s work helped solidify his role as a transformative voice in contemporary music. Yet, Adrian’s impact isn’t confined to the studio; it thrives on the stage through Jazz Is Dead (JID), a revolutionary multimedia platform he co-founded with Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Together, they’ve reimagined the essence of collaboration, producing albums with legends like Roy Ayers, Lonnie Liston Smith, Tony Allen, and Brazilian icons such as João Donato, Hyldon, Marcos Valle, and Azymuth. Adrian’s latest release, São Paulo, illuminates the profound influence of Brazilian music on his work, paving the way for his awaited conclusion to the Something About April trilogy (Something About April III), composed entirely in Portuguese.

From his debut as the editor and composer for the cult hit Black Dynamite, a blaxploitation masterpiece lauded by the LA Times as "one of the year’s best soundtracks", Adrian Younge has continually expanded his creative reach. His Emmy Award-winning scoring work alongside Ali Shaheed Muhammad, encompassing hit shows like Marvel's Luke Cage (Netflix), Sugar (AppleTV), Reasonable Doubt (Hulu), Raising Kanan (Starz), and Cross (Amazon Prime), reveals a master composer who seamlessly bridges the worlds of soul, funk, and cinematic jazz.

Younge’s journey is also defined by his bespoke approach to every facet of creation. At Linear Labs, he not only composes, orchestrates, and conducts but also delves into visual storytelling, capturing the essence of his projects through analog photography and film. Armed with a full range of analog photography cameras that go from Polaroids to large format, he develops and prints his work in his own Linear Labs darkroom, rendering vivid color and striking black-and-white imagery to his musical world. His artistry also extends to hand cutting his own records on a customized RCA 73B vinyl lathe from the '40's, ensuring every detail aligns with his analog vision—a rare discipline in today’s music landscape.

Adrian Younge is not merely a musician but a preservationist of analog humanity. In an era defined by convenience and speed, he stands as a visionary unafraid to swim against the current, crafting a legacy that echoes the soul of a bygone era while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in contemporary music. At the helm of Linear Labs and Jazz Is Dead, Adrian continues to chart an unparalleled artistic course, redefining what it means to create with a human touch, depth, and authenticity.