Dj Vadim - Manchester

2007 has been a year of struggle and debate for hip-hop. Some of the artists are ready to declare hip-hop dead, some will join forces and say it's alive and stronger than ever, but perhaps they're both off base. I don't recall any time in recorded history when music has been declared dead, or poetry has become completely irrelevant.

DJ Vadim, known for his longtime work with Ninja Tune, continues furthering the dark hip-hop/acid jazz sound that defined most of that record company's artists, except that he's doing it for the bbe label now. The Sound Catcher is a crowded affair with guests on nearly every track including Zion (Zion I), John Ellis (Cinematic Orchestra), & SkinnyMan and is quite impressive, given both the material's strength and stylistic variety.