PETER SYMPHORIEN is a total soul newcomer but his debut single – the fab, Philly flavoured ‘State Of Mind’ is already taking the modern soul world by storm.

We know very little about Mr S save that he works as a pub singer! Fate delivered one of his tapes to DSG Records and the execs there heard something very special and soulful in his voice so writer/mixer Nigel Lowis – a self- confessed Philly freak – was commissioned to come up with just the right song for Peter and that song is ‘State Of Mind’.

I have to say that it’s so good that if you listened “blind” to it, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a lost Gamble/Huff gem midway between the best of Lou Rawls and Teddy P (though some have compared Peter Symphorien’s vocals to the mighty Eddie Levert).

Soul tastemakers like Snowboy and Bigger have quickly espoused the track and though we’ve only just got rid of January and enjoyed some great new modern soul cuts already, (see our Chris Jasper story, below) I’ll be very surprised if anything quite as classy and memorably Philly gets a release this year.

PETER SYMPHORIEN – STATE OF MIND – NIGEL LOWIS GRAND MASTER MIX PART ONE to be released 17th February through DSG.