REVIEWS.

Spectrum Review - Sydney Morning Herarld
Katalyst - What's Happening
Invada/Inertia

Sydney's Ashley Anderson is a hip hop perfectionist. His debut album Manipulating Agent was a superbly crafted mix of up-tempo beats, rare grrove soul and hip hop that cut through the usual grassroots fans.

Apealing to the ounder Triple J kids through to the older, more critical listener, Katalyst helped push hip hop sounds into the mainstream. Its five years since then, making What's Happening one of the most anticipated albums in the Australian music scene.

A little bit older and a bit more worldly, Anderson has bought together an eclectic group of vocalists around which he builds a collection of tracks, painstakingly pieced together with his never ending treasure trove of beats, sounds and samples.

He has teamed up with Katie Noonan to create To Dust, a beautiful ethereal piece in which Noonan's fantastic vocal range is paired with gorgeous collage of strings and understated beats. The lyrics of life's lows in Dedicated, a collaboration with US MC Diverse, are shadowed by sleazy horns and smoky drum beats.

As he moves from soul and hip hop through to reggae and a touch of electronica, Anderson has achieved a near perfect album

Chloe Sasson