Liberation Through Hearing: Rap, Rave & the Rise of Xl Recordings

The story of XL Recordings, the UK's leading independent record label, told through the life, and in the words of its owner, Richard Russell. Richard Russell started working at XL Recordings, the label he now owns, in 1991. As a promoter, dj, and artist in Kicks Like a Mule, he quickly found success working with arguably the greatest rave-punk band of all-time, The Prodigy. Great Liberation through Hearing charts the story of a label that has defined the listening habits of two generations of music fans and continues to break the mould. Whether working with one of the most commercially successful artists of the 21st century in Adele, or producing final, salutary masterpieces with Gil Scott Heron and Bobby Womack, Richard Russell's are driven by creative instincts which prioritise the artist's vision above financial return. In the process he has built a label that is pioneering in its experiments with style and format, with an uncompromising vision. Packed with stories about artists as diverse as MIA, Dizzee Rascal, The White Stripes and closing with the tragic death of Keith Flint, Great Liberation through Hearing is a spiritual journey through music and insight into the life and mind of one of the most respected and innovative producers and label-owners of the day.