With Environments, Hipp-e and Halo have taken their trademark dubby, West Coast house beats and sharpened them up with a slick, Euro-cool patina and a hefty amount of leftfield influences. From the smart soul vocals on “Soul Searchin'” to the nu-jazz/broken-beat-influenced “Feelin'” and the filtered disco groove of “New Funk Theory,” these boys are taking house music for a spin. While the album is far from ground-breaking (the Jazzanova influences are fairly obvious, and many tracks retain a Chicago-style jackin’ house feel), it speaks well of H-Foundation’s exploration and successful incorporation of more daring musical ideas.