Diligent Fingers - The War Within LP - SPYNAL031

Full Release 30th Nov 2025

Bandcamp -

Vinyl + Lyric Booklet - https://elasticstage.com/diligentfingers/releases/the-war-within-vinyl-album

Buy/Download/Stream - TBC

Music Videos:

Letter To My Younger Self

Crooked Teeth

Diligent Fingers ended 2024 with a full-length album called “War In Peace”. Alluding to the cyclone of mental and emotional dealings that so many people experience in silence, it was a powerful exclamation point to the year. Twelve months later, the renowned multihyphenate delivers part two of his “War” saga, “The War Within”. As alluded to in the title, this multi-genre collection of music examines the inner war that drum-n-bass’s most complex polymath wages with his demons, while acknowledging his muses and inspirations. It also gives us yet another glimpse into the eclectic creative energies that abound in the mind of the man who fuels Spynal Records, via his production skills, his shrewd choices in collaborators, his layered harmonies, and of course, his lyrical prowess.

“Cabin Fever” opens the album from the perspective of a human under attack by those aforementioned demons during a period of intense isolation. Originally released as a single in 2020, it is undoubtedly one of Dili’s most powerful pieces of lyrical work and an emotional cornerstone of the LP. From there, “The War Within” lyrically explores all the permutations of the album’s theme across a stunningly wide variety of musical textures. A sense of melancholy permeates the chilled 140 vibes of “Staring Out My Window”, featuring Man.Lyk.Ess, Big Gen, and Anya, and the minimalist downtempo of “Blossoms”, produced by the iconic Chris Inperspective. The highs and lows of love and romance are on the mind via the blunted lo-fi hip hop of “Here Alone”, the Rolaz-produced jazzy drum-n-bass of “When You Do That”, the quiet storm half-time of “Pick Up” with Migraine Mowgli, and the sensual liquid of “Summer Nights” with chanteuse Sahala.

Defiant fortitude characterizes Dili’s world view, defining the fusion-inflected hip hop of “On A Next Vibe”, the Portrait-produced “One Sec” (featuring a Vibes Masta Murder message of encouragement that summarizes the unique path that Diligent Fingers walks as an artist), the slow groove of “Crooked Teeth” with his mastery of interior rhymes on full display, and the slow conga burn of “No More Second Guessing”. In “Letter to My Younger Self”, Dili completes a song he began thirteen years ago, audibly evident in his first verse’s youthful sounding baritone-in-training. Fender Rhodes and a sizzling high hat build to a soaring chorus by Jurell before his second verse delivers a dose of age-bred wisdom to his younger self, a combination of bad news and hopeful determination, and the effect is stunning. Dili even purveys optimism and brings back Man.Lyk.Ess, Big Gen and Anya to join him for the moody dubby stepper “Sun Beams”.

Not one to let himself be pigeonholed, Dili allows his production to carry the load sans vocals on “Release”, a dnb instrumental with a steppy jump-up vibe underneath wistful, evocative synths. It’s a prime showcase of his uncanny ability to combine seemingly incompatible vibes in delightfully unexpected ways. Likewise, his work on “Got To Be Real” allows Migraine Mowgli, MP Riley, and Donnie Danko to take the vocal spotlight over a modern yet jazzy half-time beat mélange. And “True Vet” delivers a commanding vocal hook over blistering jungle attack that makes everyone understand exactly why Dili was trusted to remix the classic “Chopper” in 2023.

Truly, “The War Within” is an album lover’s album and to listen is as close as one can get to musical empathy. If you’ve ever enjoyed the previous work of Diligent Fingers and his genre defying (and genre defining) label Spynal Records, this piece of his catalogue is essential to understanding the artist, his outlook, and his output.