Back in 2000, West London’s funky, forward-thinking, experimental hip-hop collective The Herbaliser released their acclaimed double-vinyl 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.

Session 2 spans more than a decade of Herbaliser live favourites, from the underground beats and breaks of their 1997 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.