The promo sticker on the front of this album highlights these selling points: "the drummer that backed DJ Shadow on his tour," "the drummer that Madlib sampled," etc. All I gotta say to that is... NOISE! Get outta here with that! It should say, "DJ Shadow and Madlib were lucky enough to work with and sample the man himself, MALCOLM CATTO!" It's kinda ass backwards when they hype up DJs over the musicians, you feel me? Anyways, if you don't know the name, here's your chance to get familiar. It's Malcolm Catto, biz-natches, together with Mike Burnham, Fake Ferguson and a whole band of astral players to make The Heliocentrics. I've been a die-hard fan (like most people into Catto) since his Popcorn Bubblefish EP on MoWax and The Curse of the Evil Badger off Stones Throw. Finally, after years of waiting, something entirely fresh and new. It's a mostly instrumental album, with a heavy dose of inter-dimensional space funk, laced with worldly sounds, astounding musicians and the ever-changing rhtyhms of Catto. My suggestion, pop this in your player and soak it in like you would a movie. It's that epic. But for reference, check these selections: "Distant Star," "Joyride," "Age Of The Sun," "Before I Die," "Winter Song," and "Second Chance." Like Sun Ra and other astral musicians, the whole album gives you a chance to transcend the planet once again. Get lifted. Hiiighly recommended. Double vinyl, nice pic sleeve.

• black double vinyl pressing
• original release year: 2007
• music label: Now-Again Records 2023

reviewed by C'mish 09/2007