The Space Invadas project brings together Australian producer Ashley Anderson aka Katalyst and erstwhile J Dilla collaborator London soul boy Steve Spacek. Alas, their first release ‘Soul:Fi’ doesn’t see Spacek’s airborne vocals grace anything as show-stopping as Dilla-produced ‘Dollars’ but there are still a few notably groove-worthy numbers to enjoy. Spacek and Anderson wear their passion for 70s soul proudly on their jacket sleeves whether it’s through the heavy use of samples or the espousal of instrumentation that characterised the period. The album is even interlaced with psychedelic sound bites about ‘soul transportation’ delivered in an eerie monotone by a mysterious man and woman. ‘Imaginist’ sees Spacek unleash his classic falsetto over a simple string-laden loop, getting the record off to a good start. ‘Original’ featuring Buff 1 & RU C-L packs a more Hip-Hop influenced punch. Something about the track suggests it could go on forever; just when you think it’s over it comes back with a vengeance. ‘Super Sweet’ featuring Fantine and ‘Life’ with Jade Macrae have a strong Mark Ronson/Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings feel. Not being a Ronson fan these don’t go down as well as some other tracks although Macrae’s vocals and the string sample on ‘Life’ elevate it above its predecessor.
Other highlights include the chugging bassline on ‘Closer’ and the SI’s interpretation of ‘Ready or Not’ which joins Missy Elliot’s ‘Sock it To Me’ and the Fugees’ 1996 hit of the same name in paying homage to the original Delfonics anthem.
At 18 tracks (including interludes) the SI haven’t held back on ‘Soul:Fi’; they clearly had a good time making it. It’s thus a shame that after a promising start the quality starts to waver somewhere in the middle. The album does find its way again towards the end, finishing with its strongest tracks: the seriously funky Herbie Hancock-esque ‘Give Me The Love’ and the melancholy Philly-soul appeal of ‘Way We Feel’ and ‘So Strong’.
Soul:Fi is out now on BBE.
0 Comments