“You wouldn’t skip to the middle of a movie, would you?”
Now there’s a provocative question. It seems almost too preposterous to ask. Who in their right mind would do such a thing?
Swap the medium to an artist’s album though, and we’ve all been guilty of it.
It’s how we were posed the question in the first place. Bold as brass on the promo sheet for Furney’s My Hero King, an album that definitely shouldn’t be skipped to the middle.
It’s a canny point; an album is meant to be the most ambitious and personal body of work an artist can create at that point in their musical journey. Yet many of us respond with a quick vibe check, maybe a little buzz on a few of the drops if we’re thinking from a DJ perspective, playlist a few bangers and carry on about our day.
But we’re guaranteed to miss out on some absolute gold every time we do that. Not just in terms of missing particular tracks but missing out on a whole level of depth, meaning and intention. Especially when we’re talking about albums like My Hero King.
28 tracks deep, 7 years in the making, 1 powerful narrative that we will all find levels to relate to, and released on a label that raises funds for autism treatment and parent training programs in low income, underserved communities in the US, Greece and around the world… Furney’s debut album on Liquid Drum & Bass 4 Autism is by far his most accomplished release since he first emerged on labels such as Good Looking back in 2005.
Just a glance at the tracklist alone will tell you how deep this one goes with big emotional messages firing out left, right and centre. Titles such as I Would Have Died A Thousand Times, Every Hair On My Head Is Numbered and It’s A Beautiful World (to name just a few) leap out at you and prime those heart-strings.
Carefully considered by both Furney and Liquid Drum & Bass 4 Autism founder Dr. Michael, the tracklist is structured in a very particular way to give you the arc of a life, or a spirit, and celebrate it from creation to conclusion.
A love letter to Life itself, it’s clear this is worthy of so much more than a passing vibe check. My Hero King is a story, a journey and a powerful waymark in the ongoing collaborations between Furney and Liquid Drum & Bass 4 Autism.
But, who is the Hero King in question?
“That’s for us all to interpret in our own personal way, isn’t it?” grins Furney as we reconnect on Zoom on the eve of the album dropping. He’s joined by his partner in rhyme and time Lady Emz, a prominent Spanish singer/songwriter he met through collaborations on labels such as Liquid V, fell in love with and moved from the UK to Spain to settle down with. With a presence on Liquid Drum & Bass 4 Autism since the launch release – fittingly titled Unspeakable Passion – their love story is as every bit deep and inspiring as Furney’s album.
“I see it as a spiritual journey,” Emz adds in earnest. She’s very much part of the album as cowriter on songs such as the alluring intro Tu Du Es Du Vida (You Are Life), the gentle dreamy In Love With You and the evocative strings of Sacrifice.
“It’s a journey with so many special moments. Like a life. It has its ups and downs but can be related to by all people. I want my mum to listen to it and your friends to listen to it and DJs to listen to it. I want it to touch everyone, not just the heads. I hope it opens people’s hearts.”
One particular heart it has touched belongs to Liquid Drum & Bass 4 Autism’s founder Dr Michael.
My Hero King is the album Furney has always had burning inside of him, but it’s the label that poured on the gas and set the fire raging. There’s a deep level of respect between the two that we’ve documented on two occasions before.
The first time we spoke to Furney, and indeed the aforementioned doctor, was back in November 2023 when we first reached out to the label having heard their epic VA album USA vs UK: A Friendly Exhibition of Liquid Drum & Bass Music.
We also touched base with Furney again last year when he joined 30-year pioneer producer Big Bud and the iconic drum & bass producer A Sides for the release of Pioneers, Legends & Icons of Liquid Drum & Bass Music.
“I don’t know where I’d be without them,” Furney told us during that interview. “It’s put some serious wind beneath my sails.”
The feeling is very much mutual. Michael describes Furney as “a musical genius and amazing soul.”
“From day one, he only wanted to offer himself in complete service to the cause without a tiny eyelash of negativity, egoism or parasitism,” he adds. “I admire him greatly.”
This type of empathy, admiration and mutual respect is the foundation for everything the pair have achieved over the years, culminating with this album. Like all the best bodies of work, it developed a life and energy of its own.
“Through the releasing of our wills, the album came together on its own,” Dr. Michael explains. “As if guided by an unexplainable force, many tunes were created on their own with only a whisper. Some uncanny examples of this are the oxygen-pump sample in the tune Resurrection or the rain at the beginning of Ladies First.”
“The sounds and emotional feeling of James’ music guided each and every decision such as the selection of tune, consensus on the title of tune and placement of tune in order,” he explains. “In the end, all 28 tunes fit together like a glove. I firmly believe that because of his sincere and true love, James was given such grace when he was creating these tunes…”
A combination of embracing the energy and opportunities between them and a level of flow state all artists dream of, the empathetic dynamic between artist and label spurred the whole album came to life in a genuinely unique way.
“He has a lot of influence and creative input on all the releases on the label and we worked very closely on this album,” James Furney explains. “He’s been part of the drum & bass community since the earliest days, 1992 I think, and he’s got a lot of really interesting ideas about arrangements and sounds. I like that. It helps me think about things differently too.”
“Oh, he’s a visionary, that’s for sure!” Emz chimes in. She speaks from experience as she spent time with Dr. Michael at one of his educational facilities in New York, seeing the work he does first hand and contributing to it herself.
“It was beautiful,” she reminisces. “He was dancing with all the children, many of them with very severe needs, and you should have seen their faces when he danced with them. It was to a remix Furney had made especially for them and everyone came together. You could feel so much love. It was very inspiring.”
The album track It’s a Beautiful World is Lady Emz reflecting on that very experience.
It’s one of many examples of how unique the album is and how the music and charitable operations are intrinsically linked. “For me, it’s all about love,” Emz adds. “That is what we do as musicians, right? There is no other artform or expression that allows us to do that. We are able to transmit messages of love.”
The word love features highly in any conversation surrounding Liquid Drum & Bass 4 Autism and the main charity behind it – SPARTA.
Not just a subtle reference to the founder’s Greek heritage, SPARTA also stands for Saint Paul’s Autism Research & Training Academy. An international non-profit network of centres in America and Greece, SPARTA is the backbone to the label and the foundation as a non-profit family and community-focused organisation who prioritise low income areas and specialise in working with children and families with severe diagnoses.
Launched in 2016, SPARTA has had a life-changing impact on hundreds of families and Dr Michael’s own career spans back to 2001 when he first became a therapist at his first hospital in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
This is the backdrop and context to which My Hero King was created; There’s a very precise and inspiring alchemy at play that strikes the perfect balance of talented artists, a passionate, infectiously enthusiastic fan with ears fine-tuned to the genre, fueled with a vision that can’t be shaken and, most importantly, a cause much bigger than the genre itself.
Similar to Fight Or Flight Recordings, the label we recently featured who give all their proceeds to brain tumour research, Liquid Drum & Bass 4 Autism is one of the brightest examples of a label that doesn’t exist on a purely commercial level but instead comes with a movement, a meaning, a message… And many, many big plans moving into 2026 and beyond.
We can expect music by more luminaries and legends added to the label’s ever-growing vaults from Break, D.R.S., Makoto, Marky and possibly London Elektricity as well as Urbandawn. Albums are also in the pipeline for A-Sides, Big Bud, DJ Stunna and Scott Allen while follow ups to the label’s series USA vs UK and Pioneers, Legends & Icons are also in the works.
Beyond that, there’s even rumour of a very special tribute from Furney to one of Queens’ most influential (and dearly missed) rappers and plenty more that’s just a little too far away to confirm but is very much in progress. It’s safe to say that Liquid Drum & Bass 4 Autism is in fine fettle as we hurtle into 2026 and we can expect plenty more thoughtful and meaningful releases in the future.
For now though, it’s all about My Hero King. A reminder that not all heroes wear capes and not all kings or queens wear crowns, the album is a massive holiday gift bag of outstanding music for any lover of liquid drum & bass that’s sure to keep you company and in good spirits throughout the holidays and winter season whether you’re traveling, relaxing or keeping cozy and warm with family and friends.
But don’t forget, just like all the movies you’re likely to enjoy this season – don’t go skipping to the middle!
To be continued…
Furney – My Hero King is out now on Liquid Drum & Bass 4 Autism
