TORTURED SOUL

Inspired by the novel idea that house music could be performed completely live, drummer/vocalist Christian Urich, keyboard sweeper Ethan White and nimble bassist Jason Kirveloff reclaimed the soul from the machine and kickstarted the new millienium's trunk-funk revival. Having dazzled crowds in trad dance clubs like Fabric (London) and Zouk (Singapore), Tortured Soul landed on Delicious Vinyl with their 2007 12" single "Why"/"Fall In Love". Urich's sweet falsetto and clubby tub-thumping inspired DJ Spinna's tasty remix. Dressed in semi-formal evening wear attire (a respectful nod to soul combos of the past), Tortured Soul have scooped up fans from Gilles Peterson (who called them "the future of house music") to Barry Manilow (!), an admirer of the group's organic integration of everything from '70s R&B to African polyrhythms into a club-friendly framework.