MUMBAI: Aardvark Dance, along with Salem, Massachusetts-based bassist Louis Selvitella and guitarist Lee Leffler (better known as the production duo Torso), have teamed up for the release of the album "naked came the she squid" due out in September 2008.

Alex di Savoia, Head of Aardvark Dance, was on the lookout for ambient, chillout and downtempo producers when the album came across his desk. While discussing the album, di Savoia said: "Putting the whole Salem thing to one side, this album was perfect. The blend of jazz, broken beats and world sounds just grabbed me - an album for adults. It's the right mix of polished with moments of rough edges. I couldn't have asked for anything better."This second release from Torso is an electronica/jazz/alternative hook-infested sound offering, featuring twelve instrumental songs of first-take guitar and bass improvisations, layered with an assortment of fantastic electronic sounds and beats. Just about everything has a mysterious quality that is hard to pin down but is so appealing - a bit of exotica, Eastern music influence, lounge, and minor keys. The 12 tracks don't stagnate or merge into one sound. It's a journey to please from start to finish.

Combining jazz, pop, dance and electronica takes a certain amount of chutzpah. Torso's in-the-pocket grooves, slinky motifs and cosmic sound-scapes blur the lines between the aforementioned genres. Post-modern jazzsters and fans of Miles Davis' Doo Bop and Tutu will certainly dig the updated swing of "If You Prefer". The scintillating Latin flavour of "Herky" is further abetted by percolating conga beats and a series of adventurous acoustic/electric guitar call and response breaks. "Equilibrium" exudes the new cool most closely associated with Nicholas Payton and Roy Hargrove's most recent releases.

Louis and Lee met while in high school where they played in local bands together. Later they both attended classes at Berklee College of Music before forming the 1980's alternative band, Native Tongue, releasing two records on Boston independent label Modern Method and performing with bands such as Bush Tetras, Pere Ubu and Brian Brain. Years later, when the two reconvened in Louis' living room in 2005 to play music, they took the same approach to a new level, recording their guitar and bass spontaneously with Logic software, adding electronic sounds and crafting instrumental songs from first take sessions. The result became the material for Torso's debut release, "Percolatin' with Lucifer", on 2headed Records.

Advance CDs are available through in the US through Kunaki (www.kunaki.com) and in the UK and Europe through CDJShop (www.cdjshop.com). Downloads are available on iTunes, Amazon, Trackitdown and other major download services.