Where do you start with Leeds-born Ibiza based producer George Evelyn, the man from N.O.W that pioneered British electronic music? Well for those already hip to his world the following will serve as a timely reminder. For new arrivals it’ll provide a crucial guide to a musical ride that ends with ‘Shout Out! To Freedom’.

As Warp Records longest serving signing N.O.W opened doors to new sonic landscapes for countless producers and musicians. Via his father and juxtaposed with soca from the islands, young George’s imagination was captured by the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Sarah Vaughan and Quincy Jones. In his early teens, inner city bass heavy reggae sound systems would also make their mark. But it was the arrival of hip-hop in the UK, complete with its loop, sample, cut ‘n’ paste aesthetic that would provide the icing on the cake and a way forward. George alongside then writing partner Kevin Harper made his first contribution to the sonic continuum with two defining singles of the emerging rave scene, 1989’s ‘Dexterous’ and 1990’s ‘Aftermath’. This was closely followed by N.O.W’s 1991 debut album ‘A Word of Science: The First and Final Chapter’ for which George parked his techno sensibilities and mixed in more hip hop with a down tempo vibe. Its combination of loops and sample driven dubbed out funk, soul and hip hop would really establish the sound of N.O.W. 1995’s ‘Smokers Delight’ saw this downtempo vibe taken to a whole other level. Essentially designed to kick back and relax it pioneered what would become known as ‘chill’. To bookend the nineties came 1999’s ‘Carboot Soul’, the third chapter in a series of albums that for those of a certain persuasion perfectly captured the spirit of the decade – and you don’t stop…

N.O.W entered the 21st century with a whole new spin on things, 2002’s ‘Mind Elevation’ arrived with a combination of melody, beats and vocals that would see some serious success across radio airwaves with cuts like ‘Know My Name’ and ‘70’s 80’s. ‘In A Space Outta Sound’ released in 2006 was a veritable culture clash of musical influences, urban and international, informed by the travels of George’s alter ego DJ E.A.S.E. Recorded in transition between Leeds and Ibiza 2008’s ‘Thought So’ stayed true to his now distinctive style and seemed to mirror ‘95’s ‘Smokers Delight’ with raw yet typically well produced cuts featuring a splash of guest vocalists and his trademark dubbed out techniques. Whilst others chased the new 2013’s ‘Feeling Good’ pinned N.O.W’s colours firmly to the mast with another musical journey that continued to move forward without straying too far from the very path he’d paved. It somehow managed to tap into your emotions with a mesmerising laid back selection that earned George the reputation of being able to ‘bottle sunshine’. 2018’s ‘Shape The Future’ contained all the original ingredients, soul, dub, rap n’ reggae underpinned with some serious food for thought and George’s magical talent for creating something new whilst echoing so much our musical past. All these albums are an integral part of George’s musical journey and as such are essential but back to the matter at hand…

There’s no two ways about it, ‘Shout Out! To Freedom’ firmly establishes N.O.W as one of the most important and influential black British producers of his generation. This soundtrack for your soul feels like hooking up with a long lost friend. It’s immediately recognisable and wraps itself around you creating a world that’s unmistakably N.O.W. I’ve been a fan since way back when, yet I still find it almost impossible to vocalise my love for his sound ‘cause what George does can’t really be put into words, that’s why he does it on ‘wax’. But it was the advent of three unlikely and surprising events that would really set this particular record apart: personal trauma, time a by-product of the Covid pandemic and Black Lives Matter. It was a period during which the world stopped but in a way time also sped up for George against a backdrop of constant negative global noise.