Session 2

Back in 2000, West London's funky, forward-thinking, experimental hip-hop collective The Herbaliser released their acclaimed album 'Session 1'. Recorded in raw and organic studio jams, these expansive instrumentals marked the group's evolution from studio boffins to full big-band line-up. The Guardian called the album "sterling proof that this kind of music invariably sounds better played by musicians than by a sampler" while Yahoo described it as an "effortlessly cool, super smooth journey around the set of an unmade Blaxploitation movie."

Almost a decade later, The Herbaliser are in the middle of another new musical evolution. On their 2008 album 'Same As It Never Was', founder members Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba concentrated more than ever on classic soul-pop songwriting, with greater collaborative input from long-time horn players Ralph Lamb and Andy Ross, plus new vocalist Jessica Darling. Understandably, they now want to capture this latest live chapter on record.

'Session 2' spans more than a decade of Herbaliser live favourites, from the underground beats and breaks of their '97 album 'Blow Your Headphones' to the more lush, soulful grooves of 'Same As It Never Was'. "It's interesting that some of these songs are 12 years old, and some just one year old, yet it still feels coherent as an album," says Jake. 'Session 2' is another Herbaliser classic, the sound of an ever-evolving band at the peak of their powers. Forget the old Hollywood rule: sometimes a sequel can be just as good as the original.