In the 1990s, Us3 reshaped the global music landscape by fusing hip-hop and jazz in ways that felt both groundbreaking and a little bit inevitable. Their 1993 debut, Hand on the Torch, became Blue Note Records’ first platinum-selling album and introduced an entire generation to the possibilities of genre fusion. Yet, after a run of chart success and international touring, the project receded from the spotlight, and founder/producer Geoff Wilkinson stepped into other creative lanes.

After a decade-long hiatus beginning in 2014, Wilkinson has returned with Soundtrack—a striking reinvention that distances itself from Us3’s past vocal-driven records. His new work leans fully into instrumental storytelling, drawing on orchestral textures, intricate rhythm patterns, and social commentary.

Wilkinson joins me on this episode to discuss why now was the right time to resurrect his genre-bending alter ego.