Rating:
Genre:
Electronica
Release Date: 04/03/2007
Barely a single breakbeat producer of the mid-'90s has stuck to that formula, so it's hardly a surprise that
DJ Vadim would branch out even farther than his
hip-hop records of the late '90s and 2000s (and, after all, five years had elapsed since his last production album). Moved to
BBE, which is a natural fit even compared to his old label
Ninja Tune,
Vadim keeps a few things the same -- he still shows himself as one of the brightest and best producers in
electronica. The big change for
The Soundcatcher is
Vadim's embrace of Jamaican forms --
ragga and
dub to go along with the downbeat and
hip-hop. The other is his prominent use of session musicians, including excellent keys by
Daniel Muschinsky.
Vadim begins the record with dubwise
soul on
"Talk to Me" and
"Them Say" (both with guest female vocalists) before moving smoothly to
Abstract Rude's
rap feature on
"Soundcatchers." "Kill Kill Kill" has it all, beginning with
Big Red's speedy but rhythmic French
ragga-
rap and mixing in
Kathrin DeBoer's soulful vocal. Elsewhere,
John Ellis' valuable sideman role pays off toward the end when
Vadim taps him to deliver the
spoken word "Milwaukee," a great feature. The thing that set
Vadim apart on his early records was his ear for intriguing sounds. Now, even though he's moved on from
ambient-breakbeat to
dub and
hip-hop, his music is still striking. By the time
Vadim's ready to say goodbye, with the
roots reggae homage
"Watch That Sound" (which would have done
Ken Boothe proud),
The Soundcatcher is revealed as simply his latest collection of magnificent productions.
~John Bush, All Music Guide
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