IFG RECORDS RELEASES NEW SINGLE “LONDON TOWN” BY ZED BIAS FEATURING SHUMBA YOUTH

IFG Records, the independent label founded last year by British bass music pioneer and UKG originator Zed Bias, today announces its third release, “London Town” by Zed Bias featuring Shumba Youth.

Artist : Zed Bias feat Shumba Youth

Title : London Town

CAT : IFGGG 003

Label : IFG Records

Format : 7” vinyl + digital platforms

Order: ZED BIAS feat SHUMBA YOUTH - London Town Vinyl at Juno Records

“London Town” is distributed by Juno Records and comes in both digital and special limited-edition 7-inch vinyl formats.

A darkly compelling roots reggae depiction of Britain’s capital city, “London Town” came about after Zed and singer Shumba Youth met while performing at Shy FX’s Digital Soundboy stage at Notting Hill Carnival.

Zed Bias, aka Manchester-based Dave Jones, says: “We exchanged numbers after a great but brief music chat. About a month after that, I got a call from Shumba, checking in. Immediately after the call, I wrote a dub/roots reggae track inspired by him and our encounter at Carnival. About an hour, no more, after sending him the track, he sent me a freestyle recorded over what I’d sent. An hour later, it was arranged, mixed and mastered!”

Conscious lyricist Shumba Youth is a stalwart of the UK reggae scene. He has recorded with artists like DJ Vadim, Daddy Freddy and Sleepy Town Ghost and has shared the stage with legends such as Dawn Penn, Mad Professor & Mungo's Hi Fi at gigs and festivals across Europe and beyond.

Shumba says: “The song is an ode to the various sounds you get in London from the various sound systems and events. Me and Zed first met at Notting Carnival on the Shy FX Digital Soundboy stage, and if you check that stage and the vibes around the Carnival it really kinda goes off of that energy and also of the capital in general.

“London is a unique place musically; people come from all over the world. Musicians and big stars all come here to take in the vibes. So, yeah, I hope the song gives people that vibe. It really is an ode and a big up to the music scene in London across the board. And if you're from London, or anywhere, you can relate.”

“London Town” comes in limited edition 7-inch vinyl format in tribute to the format that once dominated reggae (Jamaica was the main producer of 7-inch singles in the until around 2008). True to this tradition, Shumba and Zed have also included an acapella version of the song on the B side. A package of UKG remixes is scheduled for release by IFG Records on March 4.

The single is also accompanied by a new video that was made by Zed Bias as part of a new initiative in which he is exploring the use of AI using tools like Kaiber, Mindjourney and Power Director Pro.

Zed says: "As an independent artist and music producer, having the ability to express my creativity not only through music, but also through visuals, I've found to be a truly liberating experience. The recent advent of online AI image and video generators has meant it is now possible to create mind boggling visuals using one's imagination, and a little tenacity, without having to hand over your creation to a third party. For me this is 100% creative independence.”

Zed Bias is currently on the first leg of his 25 Years Deep world tour which celebrates a quarter century of mixing and making tunes. Having just played two dates in New Zealand, he heads off to Australia next week for six dates, followed by gigs in Thailand and Vietnam (full details below).

Closer to home, forthcoming UK dates include FabricLive on May 10 as part of the London club’s own 25 year celebrations, Manchester’s Parklife on June 9, Glastonbury, and a four night residency at London’s XOYO on August 2,9,16 and 23.

Shumba Youth and Zed Bias at Notting Hill Carnival

IFG Press Team