Neo Soul

Neo soul on vinyl: seventies soul, rethought

In short: Neo soul emerged in the mid-nineties when young musicians combined the warm soul of the seventies with hip-hop beats and jazz harmonies. D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott and India.Arie shaped the sound – hand-played, calm and personal. The Vinyl Room currently has 50 neo soul records.

What is neo soul?

Real instruments, a laid-back groove and voices that take their time: D’Angelo is represented with “Devil’s Pie”, Jill Scott with “Love Rain”, India.Arie with “Voyage To India”. The soundtrack to “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party” gathers many voices of the scene.

Today the style lives on in many directions – with Beyoncé on “Lemonade”, with Tyler, The Creator, Serpentwithfeet or the Canadian singer Mustafa.

What to look for

Neo soul albums of the nineties and 2000s exist as original editions and later repressings. Whether original or reissue is noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

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FAQ

What is neo soul? Soul from the mid-nineties on that combines the sound of the seventies with hip-hop beats and jazz.

Who shaped neo soul? Among others D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott and India.Arie.

What is the difference from contemporary R&B? Neo soul often emphasises the sound of classic soul recordings and live instruments; the transitions to contemporary R&B are fluid.

What is “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party”? A mid-2000s film with soundtrack featuring many neo soul and hip-hop artists.