- Some album titles give you no clue as to what the music will be like. Take ‘Kilroy Was Here’, a 1983 effort from Styx that you would expect to be an ode to the perma-tanned TV presenter - in reality it was a preposterous rock/opera concept album. Other albums, of which 'The Soundcatcher' is one, pretty much sum things up. The word 'Soundcatcher' conjures up images of Vadim Peare donning a Sherlock Holmes hat and hiding in the bushes for sounds he likes, then catching them with a net. Taken literally this is ridiculous, but in terms of what's going on in the former Ninja Tune man's head, it's a pretty accurate description.
Vadim is described by his old Ninja Tune crew as, with apologies to the now deceased James Brown – the hardest working man in showbusiness, and on his travels he's clearly developed a deep affection for all kinds of roots music. 'The Soundcatcher', then, is a showcase of his take on everything from reggae, dub, hip hop, grime to straight up beats - often within the same song. Many of the 17 tracks have dreamy, precise and inventive rhythms and snatches of speech, making the album sound like you're tuning between (tasteful) radio stations. Where guests do make an appearance they're used carefully such as on ‘Kill Kill Kill’, where Big Red's high-speed rap makes a great contrast to the eerie wobbles in the background. Other standout tracks are ‘Bath in Bleach’, which seems to almost melt before your ears, and ‘Watch that Sound’, a smashing party reggae number.
'The Soundcatcher' has a friendly, summery DJ Format feel to it, without being quite as goofy or dancey. This is one for lazy, warm afternoons in the park, or hanging around in bushes with a Sherlock Holmes hat and a net.
Tracklist1. Intro
2. Fear Feats
3. Talk To Me
4. Them Say
5. Soundcatchers
6. Manchester
7. Kill Kill Kill
8. Milwaukee
9. Like The Wind
10. Black Is The Night
11. I Got To Rock
12. Theme To Big Willy Dee
13. Balistic Affairs
14. Sufferin Blues
15. Bath In Bleach
16. Sd4
17. Watch That Sound