Ashley Anderson, better known as Katalyst, has many fans both in Australia and around the world. Co-Label and one of the men behind Portishead Geoff Barrow is a big fan, and DJ Z-Trip recently showed his love for Anderson by playing his debut album around Europe and the USA. “We actually hung out on the Good Vibrations Tour,” Anderson says proudly, “and I found out he’s a fan of my first album.”
The reason I mention Z-Trip is Katalyst’s second album, What’s Happening is very similar to Z-Trip’s debut Shifting Gears in that not only are some well known MCs used to great effect, but rock artists are also thrown into the mix to produce striking aural delight. Furthermore both shirk the “hiphop” genre without losing their individual identity. “I didn’t want to be pigeonholed as a producer of party and hiphop tracks,” Anderson explains. “I wanted to show case different styles I’m into and that I can get my head around but still give it a unified sound across the record. It was something I set out to do and it influenced the guests I decided to get on the record.”
The album is also very political, which has become a passion for Anderson recently. Whilst never directly attacking any one political ideology directly, the songs speak of the state of the world today, with some of it quite biting. “I think it’s an important thing that people are thinking about what’s going on in the world. Without wanting to preach to people and turn them off of the music I thought it would be nice to include some political subtleties on there and give the album a theme that would help the artists focus onto.”
The soulfulness of What’s Happening is refreshingly surprising, especially from a hiphop artist, and I wondered if this was a response to all the crap hiphop that’s coming out, especially from the USA. “I think it may be a response to the crap hiphop,” Anderson laughs, “but I think it’s just a reaction to all the crap music out there as well. A lot of the electro people seem to be into these days has very little soul. For me the thing that defines good or bad music, or music that I’m into or not, is whether it has a certain degree of soul in it, so there’s an underlying soul to the stuff I do or the stuff I’m attracted to.”
What’s Happening features MCs Hau, Ru C.L and Nfa from Australia, Yungun from the UK, and J Live and Diverse from the USA. But Anderson doesn’t confine himself to hiphop, utilising soul singers such as Steve Spacek and Stephanie McKay, as well as folk and rock performers such as Katie Noonan from George and Adalita from Magic Dirt. And this wide assortment of players will be accompanying him on his national tour.
“It’s going to be a big show and I’m excited about doing a live set rather than the traditional DJ based format I’ve played before, so I’m really looking forward to,” he says sincerely. “I’ve already worked with a lot of the guests on various things and we’ve got the band together – Leeroy Brown on turntables and one of the finest kepboard players in the country Stu Hunter (who’s played with Portishead, silverchair, the John Butler Trio amongst others) on keys and bass, and I’m rocking drum machine / sampler. Steve Spacek is based here at the moment and we’ve been jamming together, Ru C.L. and Hau are able to be here for rehearsal and Steph (McKay) is coming out a few weeks before for recording, so we’ll get some serious sessions in between there. Having done stuff off her first album and forthcoming one we’ll probably do stuff off there. And J Live is such a seasoned MC, he doesn’t need to practice!” Anderson laughs.
This will be accompanied by an audio visual show that was created by Anderson in conjunction with some friends. “I’ve played some smaller shows and had a really good reaction to them,” he says. Whilst the visuals aren’t exactly interactive in the way that Coldcut are, they have been designed to flow with the music, and will add an extra dimension to what is already sounding like a great experience.
Katalyst plays with his band and guests on Thurs 22 Nov at The Governor Hindmarsh, and his second album What’s Happening is out through Inertia now.