Bô'vel - Changes

Changes documents the work of Manchester singer and songwriter Bô'vel, whose 1996 track Check 4 U became a defining underground street-soul record of the city's pirate-radio era. Its blend of soulful vocals, heavy bass and sound-system influence connected Manchester street soul with wider UK club culture.

Bô'vel's early independent releases found support from Manchester pirate stations including Buzz FM and Soul Nation, while Fat City Records helped distribute copies locally and beyond. Check 4 U followed as a deliberately minimal white-label release and became a highly sought-after UK soul side.

This Athens Of The North collection brings that key material together with songs drawn from Bô'vel's archive. The music ranges from dubbed-out downtempo and updated street soul to breakbeat and reggae-influenced tracks, showing a songwriter who was never confined to a single genre.

With Check 4 U alongside tracks such as Life Changes You, Coming Back, Daydreamer and My Man, Changes provides a wider view of an artist closely connected to Manchester's independent soul history.