Local Talk 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Although Ludovic Llorca has released albums under his other production aliases (the most recent being 2017's jazz-funk set "The Garden" under his longest-running pseudonym, Llorca), "Unbalanced" marks his first full-length outing as Art of Tones - some 13 years. While it is available digitally as one expansive work, Local Talk has decided to split the vinyl version into two parts. This first volume contains six suitably warm and fuzzy tracks, most of which are gleeful dancefloor workouts that put fun and positivity front and centre. Highlights include the disco-fired "Keep On Having Fun", the Clavinet and organ-heavy stomper "Where One Is", suitably loopy "Have Fun For A Little While" and P-funk influenced "I Can" and "To The Limit". It's all up to the Frenchman's usual high standards.

Review: There's plenty to set the pulse racing on this second vinyl selection of tracks from Ludovic Llorca's debut album as Art of Tones in some 13 years. "Unbalanced Part 2" begins with a touch of tactile, head-in-the-clouds jazz-funk (the deliciously deep and woozy "My Comfort Zone") and ends with a rush-inducing, gospel-fired peak-time sing-along (the brilliant "Stand Up"). In between, you'll find a loopy chunk of tech-tinged deep house hypnotism ("Grow"), a sample-heavy fusion of deep house, disco and jazz-funk (the warm and toasty "Radio Hustle"), and a hard-wired, club-ready revision of 2015 single "The Rainbow Song" that's as rubbery and bouncy as a tennis ball from Bootsy Collins' private stash.

Review: "Where The One Is", the lead cut from Art of Tones' latest Local Talk release, sounds like a peak-time anthem in the making. Seemingly crafted using a mixture of cut-up Philadelphia soul samples, jammed-out new disco instrumentation and jazzy, ambidextrous house beats, it feels a little like a tooled-up, slightly more low-slung version of Blackjoy classic "Moustache". You'll find more low-slung, disco-fired, Clavinet-sporting heaviness on side B, where stomper "Double Wheelin" provides further guaranteed peak-time pressure. As for "Reprise Du Fonk", it appears to be a quick-fire dub of "Where The One Is" featuring even more elastic bass guitar, jazz-wise guitar licks and life-affirming electro piano solos.

Review: Following a surprise outing on House of Disco, Ludovic Llorca returns to Local Talk for the first time since 2013's much played The Same Thing EP. In its' original form, The Rainbow Song is a near perfect example of Llorca's particular brand of deep house - all stretched-out chords, a bustling bassline, tough but shuffling beats, cute cowbells and bluesy vocal samples. It sounds like an underground summer anthem in waiting. There's more of a funk-flecked urgency about the excellent S3A Broken STL Remix, which introduces further vocal samples and, arguably, an even more addictive groove. Certainly, it feels a little wilder than the original, whilst retaining Llorca's unique deep house perspective.

Review: French legend Ludovic Llorca is back under the Art Of Tones guise for the always impressive Local Talk. Acid soul funk? You bet! Take a listen to I "Just Can't (Get Over It)" and you'll believe there is such a thing. On the flip, the smooth and soulful groove continues on "Dirty Stories" which has an undeniably French touch about it, with good use wonky synths, emotive strings and SP1200 style vocal cut ups. Deepness in the vein of Pepe Braddock or Chateau Flight.

Review: Matts and Tooli take time to acknowledge that the last half a decade and a bit have been pretty successful. And they're doing so with this exclusive vinyl-only four piece that covers some of the finest corners of house music known to man. Art Of Tones gets busy on the loose drums and slappy bass, DJ Spinna puts a new twist on a classic rising hook while Sean McCabe takes us right back to Nu Yorican soul heaven. Corrado Bucci closes the book with a dusty, pensive hypnotic stomper that will have you locked in seconds. Here's to another half a decade and a bit.