Lo Fidelity Allstars - Don't Be Afraid Of Love

MINE

When I queried YourZ about the non-emergence of this CD from our collection at any time in my recollection, he maintained it was bought some years ago as a "party" album.  And I guess I have Katalyst to blame for its shy hiding away, given that Dusted has been our go-to party album for some time.  (YourZ sez: there hasn't been a decent contender for the title for a long time).

Or at least that's what I thought at first.  This CD opens up with some damn fine kickin' dance tunes.  Big beat-y and reminiscent of the Prodigy, then a touch of hip-hop followed by some sweet sweet pop - but alas there appears to be a much too high ratio of chill to dance in the second half of the album.  And one more small criticism - dance tracks with loooong draaawn oooout intros annoy the hell out of me.  Probably a hangover from my radio days, but I just want the music to start RIGHT NOW.

I liked Somebody Needs You a whole lot, but I reckon we just pick'n'choose the tracks we really like and then...

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT

YOURZ

Yeah, I don't really remember why I brought this album.  And Mine has pretty much summed it up with her review. 

To be honest, I think it might have been one of those albums recommended to me by a friend who worked in a record shop.  I don't usually take anyone's recommendations at face value, particularly from sales people.  I do know better but can't promise it won't happen again.

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT

For more information: http://www.myspace.com/lofiallstars

Katalyst - What's Happening

MINE

With Paul Kelly we went from artist to compilation - and now with Katalyst we've gone from compilation to artist.  Let me explain.  The artist known as Katalyst (Ashley Anderson to his mum) is a DJ and producer, whose Dusted compilation is essential at any party at the YourZenMine abode.  But he's also a recording artist, putting together great musicians and vocalists on What's Happening and creating an album that just sounds like it was put together by a DJ.

Why? Because it pops, it struts, it croons, it rocks.  There are long songs and short ones, there's swing and rap and all kinds of styles, all blended together so you never know what's going to fly into your ears next.

It's also flawlessly produced - naturally - and the tunes are beautifully performed.  In short, this album is a winner.  Why don't you own it?

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

YOURZ

Ashley Anderson, aka Katalyst, is personally responsible for some of the best party nights I’ve had in recent times. No, seriously.  As we have already noted in our review of his amazing compilation Dusted (see it here), he has a real knack for mixing old and new together as well as creating some incredible beats himself.

On What’s Happening, his second full length album, he concentrates on giving us his own brand of new soul, hip hop and lots of bits in between.  And in doing so, he has gathered together a great arsenal of players, both national and international, using them to fire off track after fabulous track.

Steven Spacek, the vocalist who he formed his side project Space Invadas with, opens the album with the new soul-flavoured How ‘Bout Us, before the first single, All You’ve Got, jumps out of the speakers at you.  Featuring the rapid-fire talents of Ru C. L., Hau (from Koolism) and Yungun, this is hip hop as it should be, groove-laden, ego-free and well-humoured.  The bass line in this track is simple but so enviable.  It is exactly the sort of line I wished I written myself.

The highlights come fast on What’s Happening.  The beautiful and magnificently-voiced Stephanie McKay takes a incredible turn on Say What You Feel, the equally-gorgeous Adalita brings the rock with Bladewalker and  Katie Noonan lends her incredible voice to the Portishead-like To Dust.  But its not all about the girls.

Ru C. L. comes back for second appearance on Step Up, while Joe Volk adds his talents to Loaded Gun, as does Mat McHugh (from Beautiful Girls) to Over And Over, a dubby track reminiscent of Gorillaz at their best.

The problem though is that I haven’t listened to this nearly enough to really appreciate it. The previously mentioned compilation is still our constant go-to party starter and we’ve yet to find anything else that is equal to the task.  But, appropriately, What’s Happening is now a serious contender.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.katalystmusic.com.au/

Space Invadas - Soul-Fi

YOURZ

I bought this out of some small loyalty I felt to one of our favourite DJs, Katalyst (real name Ashley Anderson).  Aside from his day job, he also runs Invada Records with Portishead Geoff Barlow.  With all this on his plate, the last thing you think he'd do would be start a side project. 

But with his friend, Steve Spacek, who has been one of his go-to vocalists in the past, they put together Space Invadas, with Soul-Fi being their first release.  While it isn't far removed from Anderson's previous output, what really differentiates this is Spacek's voice.

Recognised by such luminaries as Mos Def and Common as having one of the best modern soul voices, overlayed with the dynamic funk and soul beats Anderson is well known for, elevates Soul-Fi above the standard.  The astute, sharp beats and soul-filled vocals are a match made in music heaven.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

This Katalyst side project has some great moments - and some really ordinary ones. 

Bits I like: most of the songs are Funky (yes, we need the capital F) and as you'd expect from a producer of this calibre, they show extremely high production values.

Bits I don't like: Introductions to songs (why?) and the occasional move across into MOR R&B.  But it's mostly OK and mostly stuff I like.  So maybe I'll just delete the bits I don't like off the iPod.

VERDICT: TURN IT (MOSTLY) UP

For more information: http://www.spaceinvadas.com/

Katalyst Presents Dusted - Essential

YOURZ


Welcome to our first compilation review.  In our introductory note way back at the start of this month, we said we'd pick one out of our extensive collection of compilations and review it for your reading pleasure.  For both of us, there was no argument about which compilation we'd pick first.  Katalyst Presents Dusted won hands down. 

So, if you could put together a collection of songs guaranteed to keep a party rockin', who would you put on it?  I think someone must have asked this question of Ashley Anderson, otherwise known as Katalyst, because he has put together quite possibly one of the greatest collections of tracks known to man, deftly mixed together on two discs of pure listening pleasure.  But Dusted is more than a compilation or a mixed tape. Katalyst has seamlessly blended old school, new school and rare grooves into a listing transcending the very idea.

Oh sure, it doesn't have anything approximating hard rock or even medium rock, for that matter, but he does have the original track Eminem sampled to use for My Name Is..., Labi Siffre's I Got The... and some of the world's biggest hip hop luminaries in acts such as A Tribe Called Quest (Check The Rhime), Public Enemy (Burn Hollywood Burn), Wu-Tang Clan (Uzi (Pinky Ring) ) and Run DMC (Down With The King) as well as some classic old school acts like Fred Wesley, The JBs, Roy Ayers, Nina Simone and The Meters.

It's surprising how well this blend of old and new works and this album never fails to inspire and delight.  But it's in his own tracks he really shines, highlighting both his love of hip hop (Let The Music Talk) and funky grooves (Uprock This).  Both are instant classics.

If you've not heard this collection before and you want something 100 percent guaranteed to kick start your party, even if the party is of one, you won't find anything better.  It even makes me wanna dance, something very few recordings can do.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP hit repeat and let 'em dance all night

MINE

Party party party party - this 2-CD album is an essential for an "all back to mine" event.  We saw him - erm "live" - a couple of years ago and he was a-ma-ZING!

As a collection of songs, it works beautifully - from the first strains of California Soul to Run-DMC's Down With the King on CD 2.  My personal favourites are the funky tunes (have I mentioned I like to dance?) especially Cherrystones and I Changed My Mind.

But the rappier and rockier songs work too - showing he's well worth all the gongs he's garnered as a music producer and DJ.  This is the second copy of this album we've owned after the first one walked - and I'm voting for it as one of the CDs I'd buy first if the whole collection vanished tomorrow.  Nothing else to say but...

VERDICT: TURN IT UP (invite your best mates over and get the cocktail shaker out)

For more information: http://www.katalystmusic.com.au/

In our collection we also have What's Happening