Leisure Dub (Apiento and Lexx) nailed it with 2021's 'Weekend Waiting'. It was picked by Gilles Peterson as one of his records of the year and memorably featured in the BBC series You Don't Know Me. That song was a bumping, street soul-influenced groove, but 'Body Talk' creeps out of the speakers at a stealthy, glacial pace-lurking in a mezzanine of sedate menace. By now, we've come to expect stellar production values, but this is startlingly expansive - music pared down to its very essentials, every element with ample space to breathe. Armanious' vocals are a dubwise paean to sinister seduction, but it's also a catchy little tune, operating within the restrictions of a radio-friendly four-minute runtime.

Physical copies come on a cute dinked seven-inch record, which, when flipped over, contains the System Mix. Here, the song shows its teeth, with a gnarly beat and bassline filling the liminal space left behind by the A-side. We also get an additional four mixes in digital format. Leisure Dub continues to bridge the gap between the UK's sound system heritage, modern sound design and real songwriting chops. Essential!

'Body Talk' will be released on the 10th of May by Test Pressing Catalogue