New Zealand keyboardist Mark de Clive-Lowe links with vocal goddess Bembé Segué to create The Politik, a soulful broken-beat project that expertly showcases each artist’s shimmering talents. For those unfamiliar, both de Clive-Lowe and Segué have enhanced dozens of West London tracks by the scene’s top producers (I.G. Culture, Bugz in the Attic, etc.). This self-titled release invokes the spirit of Minnie Riperton, Teena Marie, or Betty Davis’ pioneering funk–layered, scatting, and sustained vocals swing with stabby, analog synth-bass riffs in a passionate boogie. “Money (Don’t Let It Catch Ya)” exemplifies the album’s lively give-and-take. No debate here: The Politik lobbies successfully for authentic, new-century soul.