TRACKLIST
A1 Black Beacon
A2 Mare
A3 It's You
A4 Questions
A5 So Amazing
B1 Gate 54
B2 Do It Together
B3 Redneph In D-Minor
B4 Better Endeavor
B5 Smiling For Me
C1 Don't Keep Me Waiting
C2 Bitches Do Voodoo
C3 Possibilities
C4 Mission
C5 Dans Un Moment D'Errance
D1 Together Again
D2 Love Is Free
D3 Feel Alive
D4 There Is No Greater Love
D5 Ravens
DESCRIPTION
The Midnight Hour is Black excellence: an ode to the cultural sophistication that the Harlem Renaissance established for its people. The Midnight Hour is comprised of Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge, alongside a tight rhythm section and a full orchestra. The album has features from CeeLo Green, Raphael Saadiq, Masha Ambrosius, Bilal, Eryn Allen Kane, Karolina and more.
Adrian and Ali began working on this album back in 2013, but put the project aside as they would score the hit Netflix series Marvel’s Luke Cage (the two even perform in an episode of the upcoming second season). The Midnight Hour is a soul/jazz/hip hop album which continues the conversations started by yesterday’s jazz and funk pioneers; those that created the bedrock of samples for hip hop producers in the 80s/90s. The Midnight Hour is sophisticated hip hop that fans will enjoy, capturing their jazz rhythm section, and a full orchestra, to analog tape.
One of the seminal compositions, “Questions” originally began as an unfinished Midnight Hour demo with Cee-Lo Green. However, Kendrick Lamar heard the track and wanted to sample portions for his GRAMMY-winning album To Pimp a Butterfly (the song ultimately made it to Kendrick’s 2016 compilation Untitled Unmastered as "Untitled 06 | 06.30.2014."). The full, completed version of “Questions” is now the lead single on The Midnight Hour.
“So Amazing” is a reimagining of Luther Vandross’ 1986 single. Ali and Adrian took Luther's original vocal stems and composed new music, as if they were in the room with Luther originally. This transcendental recording is something that really makes The Midnight Hour special.