Local Talk Schallplatten & CDs

Review: For those who've yet to check out his productions, Envee is regarded as Poland's number one producer of underground dance music with soul. This EP sees his make his belated bow on soulful dance music institution Local Talk, with a little help from legendary UKG producer (and all-round studio don) Zed Bias. There are two Envee originals on show: 'Sum Luv', a gorgeous, sun-splashed, modern soul-meets-slow house head-nodder smothered in organic instrumentation and eyes-closed female vocals, and the jazz-funk-flavoured broken beat swell of 'Styrax'. Both are remixed in a club-ready style by Zed Bias. His wobbly, sub-bass-sporting two-step take on 'Sum Luv' is simply sublime, while his similarly UKG-powered take on 'Styrax' recalls the soulful jazziness of his Phuturistix project.

Review: Hot on the heels of "Mission" earlier this year, Shuya Okino's Kyoto Jazz Sextet troupe present another gem from last year's Unity album complete with a remix of the highest calibre. This time the cascading, Latin rhythm and frenetic horn leads of "Rising" are given the midas dancefloor touch by none other than Ron Trent. Maintaining the wily spirit of the original while coating in warm organ blasts and subtly bumping kicks, it's a precision translation that brings the original into a whole new context.

Review: Trevor Lawrence Jr impresses us on a constant basis, with his debut album paving a new way for funk and soul music all around the world, subtly swinging to the delicate touch of deep house at its core. This time, however, the imprint is Local Talk, and they've decided to release the "Tiptoe" single onto glorious 7", a format which is perfect to showcase its slow, meandering waves and delightfully seductive vocals; there's a DJ Spinna remix, on top of Lawrence's magnificent single, with the experienced producer coming through smooth and effective thanks to some elegant beat-work and plenty of soulful vibes. Killer!