Still on sampler

When George Evelyn released Nightmares on Wax’s debut album A Word of Science; The First and Final chapter on Warp Records in 1991, he could not have envisaged that he’d still be signed to the label 30 years later. In between, he’s been a pioneering force on the downtempo scene, shaping, defining and blending elements of electronica, jazz, hip-hop, dub, funk, soul and techno on classic albums such as Smokers Delight, Carboot Soul and In a Space Outta Sound.

However, after decades of DJing and touring, the pandemic finally gave Evelyn space to pause and re-evaluate his history, while a health scare simultaneously forced him to seriously reflect on his next step. Questioning whether this might be his last album, Shout Out! To Freedom… was infused with an added sense of urgency. The result is clearly Nightmares on Wax’s most personal and expansive album to date, forged through collaboration and a renewed perception of his craft.

Beat / How do you feel about being officially Warp Record’s longest serving signing?

George / Being a fan of the label, it’s amazing to watch how it’s evolved and grown. At the beginning we were going around to clubs trying out test pressings and I often wonder how everything’s gone from that to this. We’ve grown up together and it’s been a bit of a fairytale. I don’t think any of us envisaged Nightmares on Wax still being on the label, but I definitely accept my importance to Warp and the label’s importance to me.

Beat / 30 years into your career, it was surprising to hear you say that you feel you’ve been set free and become who you really are. What provoked that realisation?

As you evolve as an artist you become a lot more observant about life. Along the way, you can become a little bit too analytical about what you’re doing and that can imprison you, especially coming from the angle of being a perfectionist. Part of being a creative and mastering your craft is having peaks and troughs and going down rabbit holes, but at some point you