Search - Envoy :: Shoulder 2 Shoulder

Who exactly is Envoy? Is he a modern day techno soul singer? Or is he the ?king of strings?? Perhaps he?s a sexy house legend with a penchant for carnal classics? Maybe Envoy is really a fly in the ointment of pop music, a vocalist who shatters the manufactured pop stranglehold with his soulful, spiritual intonations? The reality though, is that Envoy, real name Hope Grant, is all of these things ? and much more. Coming onto the scene in the early 90?s with releases on respected underground imprints Peacefrog and Plink Plonk as St Vitus Dance and Urban Groove Alliance respectively, Hope joined the Soma family in 1995 and his first demos became his first releases on the label. His debut album Where There?s Life built upon the lush and emotive techno soul that he hinted at on his initial EPs, captivating fans including Carl Cox, who used the dramatic string groove of "Dark Manoeuvres" for his FACT mix CD. But it only hinted at the multitude of possibilities Hope is set to unleash on his second long player. Shoulder 2 Shoulder is a more diverse work and casts Envoy as an enigmatic, unpredictable character. Compare and contrast styles - string-led Detroit techno to hip-grinding, sexy tech, classic acid house, stirring vocals and live sax combined with hi-tech funk, and emotive musicality.