Angus Paterson

Shapeshifter - The System is a Vampire [True Tone Recordings / Mushroom]

4 out of 5

Drum ‘n’ bass tends to inspire militant devotion from its followers, but Shapeshifter have succeeded in breaking all the rules – while still keeping the infatuated DnB fraternity onside. They perfected their soulful, anthemic sound so perfectly with their third album Soulstice in 2006, they were effectively transformed into national heroes at home in New Zealand. So where to take it from there? The answer in this case was ‘deep’.

From the moment P Digsss’ glorious vocals ring out, The System is a Vampire is a beautiful and emotional journey, where the soul comes through stronger than ever before. Interestingly, the big drum ‘n’ bass theatrics have for the most part been shelved. The rapid BPMs remain, but it’ll never be music for the clubs in its raw form. The band have beefed up its jazzy side, and there’s a huge focus on soulful instrumentation, balanced out somewhat by its spacey, psychedelic soundscapes, but at the centre of it all is P Digsss, who’s been given more space to shine than ever before. He takes us to some exhilarating places here, as well as some deeply melancholic ones, and he truly is a soulful force to be reckoned with. The System Is a Vampire is a much more challenging affair, and Shapeshifter take us deep. It’s questionable whether as many people will go along for the ride, but those who do will be richly rewarded.      

Jaytech & James Grant - Anjunadeep:02 [Anjunadeep / Onelove

Trance trio Above & Beyond were recently in Australia headlining their very own stage at Future Music Festival, and over the past decade they’ve changed the face of trance with their winning Anjunabeats label. Lately though, attention has been turning to its house-based offshoot Anjunadeep – which has been responsible for some of the most sublime dance music you’re likely to hear. Deep, progressive grooves laced with gorgeous trancey melodies are the order of the day and for those already acquainted with the label’s output, the idea of a new double-disc compilation of mostly fresh material is almost too good to be true.

Above & Beyond took the reigns on last year’s debut compilation, but this time they’ve handed them over to A&R head James Grant along with Canberra wonderboy Jaytech. The duo’s own fine work features heavily here, but they’re joined by an all-star cast of progressive house talent that includes Jodi Wisternoff, Oliver Smith, Paul Keeley and 16 Bit Lolitas.

While the original basically tied together the label’s existing back catalogue in a package that was wanting for flow, the sequel lives up to the stunning standard of the label itself. James Grant’s deeper selections have the edge over Jaytech’s more euphoric and tranced-up offerings; overall though there’s an outstanding collection of tunes across the two discs. It’s brimming over with warmth, melody and sophistication, meaning Anjunadeep:02 is about as close to electronic perfection as you can get.

Space Invadas

Several years ago when Sydney’s Katalyst – aka Ashley Anderson, an already esteemed funk, soul and hip-hop producer extraordinaire – dropped his second artist album What’s Happening, the lead track How Bout Us featured a rather soulfully-charged collaboration with the UK’s Steve Spacek. He was a vocalist who’d already taken massive musical steps in his home country, hailed by the likes of Gilles Peterson as “the voice of modern soul,” and it was a partnership that just seemed to work. Steve was often on the road with Ashley while he was touring What’s Happening, and from there they continued to write music until it became pretty clear the collaborations were worthy of a project all of their own. Hence, SPACE INVADAS was born.

Steve’s profile has largely come from his groundbreaking work with future-soul collective the Spacek Sound System since 2001 (alongside several other members who also adopted the Spacek surname for the sake of a little musical enigma). However, he’s made a permanent relocation to Oz and is now settled in Bondi with his wife and two kids. Ashley says Soul-Fi was something that gradually came together over the process of a whole year, off the back of some initially informal studio sessions with the pair. “It was super simple really. Just hook up with Steve, head to the studio, play him a bunch of ideas I’d been working on, or even some older beats that I could hear him on. We’d get in the zone, he’d vibe on some of the beats and then get down to writing on it.”

Steve’s work with Spacek Sound System won acclaim particularly because of their forward-thinking approach to the soul genre, fusing elements of trip-hop and downbeat electronica into the mix, and this carried over to Space Invadas. ‘Soul’ might be its defining musical focus, but what’s most captivating is the futuristic rubdown Katalyst has given his already super-honed production. The space age sonics are far more prevalent than in anything he’s done in the past, and the live instrumentation and Steve’s sublime vocal harmonies play beautifully off the assorted bleeps, synths and spacey soundscapes.

Ashley says his choice of collaborators definitely had an impact on this choice of direction. “Steve’s solo music has always been quite futuristic, and he’s been great to work with in terms of being open and experimental. So I guess it was always going to be an influence on the outcome of the album – both sonically and stylistically,” he says. “It was also a conscious decision to give the soul a modern edge because we wanted to make it relevant to what’s happening musically today. It ended up being kind of a natural direction for us, as there are so many influences out there and the boundaries are so blurred that it’s only natural. The possibilities are endless, and that’s always cause for excitement.”

Space Invadas are a part of the insanely awesome Groovin’ The Moo festival, held at the UC on Sunday May 9. Tickets through Moshtix.

SPACE INVADAS - Soul-Fi [Invada / Remote Control Records]

Katalyst has built up quite the cred over the years with his hip-hop infused take on the funk/soul sound, showcased on albums Manipulating Agent and What’s Happening, which both really went the distance. UK future-soul singer Steve Spacek has been a regular collaborator, but last year it emerged the pair would be working together on an entirely new project. Those expecting a Katalyst rehash are in for a nice surprise, because Soul-Fi sees them both journeying to wicked new places. What’s most captivating is the futuristic rubdown Katalyst has given the funk-soul sound. The production is really quite amazing, and while he’s shown elements of this approach in the past, it’s taken a step further on Soul-Fi. But as much as the album might rest on Katalyst’s superb sonic craftings, equally as sublime is Spacek’s crooning – he’s got as soulful a voice you’re ever likely to hear, but there’s a welcome dash of darkness to what he does. His sinister whisperings take us deep in Listen, with the live instrumentation playing beautifully off the assorted bleeps and synths. Similarly, the funk jams and vocal harmonies of Closer bounce blissfully off Katalyst’s spacey soundscapes. Funk-soul and sci/fi electronica may often appear mutually exclusive, but Katalyst and Stacek make them perfect bedfellows. In fact, the standard is kept high across the album’s 17 tracks, with the occassional creepy vocal interludes reinforcing the kitchy ‘60s B-movie aesthetic, and leaving us with a cohesive piece of work that draws together most satisfyingly. Dope.