Sixteen years after its recording, George Evelyn aka Nightmares On Wax responded to Rapper's Delight by the Sugarhill Gang with the well-named Smokers Delight. And this second album by the DJ and producer from Leeds shows that he has plenty more in his pipe. He did well to proclaim his distaste for the name trip hop: here the Brit delivers a most effective fusion of dub, soul, jazz, funk, downtempo, ambient and 90s rap, the most stunning and chill collage of everything that makes up what we call trip hop... With his samples (Bob James, Quincy Jones, The Dells, Barry White, Positive Force, Lonnie Smith, etc.) and his vintage keyboard licks over funky shamanic or tribal rhythms, NOW accompanies the smoker's trip with unprecedented languor and sophistication. We are carried away on the swirling tendrils of this magnificent instrumental patchwork. For the 25th anniversary of this ultra-chill 1995 masterpiece, Evelyn unpacks a deluxe edition with the original album and four bonus tracks, including the previously unreleased Aquaself and Let's Ascend, as well as a long Chicago live version of Nights Introlude, a hit anthem centred around a sample of Lovin' Spoonful's Summer in the City performed by Quincy Jones. Essential. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz