From the start Catalyst is charged with energy and expectation. A pulsing riff and a decompressing synth could be an airlock, sounding the arrival of a traveller returning from a distant cosmic adventure. Something familiar and stirring in Helen Jenners’ vibrant flute playing feels like home, but the lively rhythms tell us our journey is far from over. This track is bright and breezy, one minute skipping around lush summer meadows, then effortlessly bouncing off distant planets while synths gurgle and flip us through stretched and folded space into worlds unknown. Worlds of intensely coloured nebula and infinite possibility. There is a sprightly play between melody and rhythm, and just when we feel we could stay here for ever, we are sucked through a wormhole into another dimension, where a time-stretched drum stirs us into action, before uniting with the original theme and bringing us safely home.

This release also includes a “Fluteless mix”, which exposes the slick production and exquisite attention to detail of the original mix, while revealing something more abstract. There’s a Nu Disco number from superstar Gino Fratelli, it’s fully funky and guaranteed to move the crowd with a psychedelic space funk finale, dropping into chunky 4/4, inviting house DJs to work it into a set. Then there’s a storming bass heavy, genre-defying mix from Stickleback, injecting his skilful production magic. Next up, a Dub-Step remix from Onega Sound System, which slowly and atmospherically builds before firing the rockets, and taking off to another galaxy. Falling back to Earth, there’s a Future Disco Boogie version from Garagee, with added guitar, bass and beatbox licks, which builds into a dance floor crowd pleaser. And just so every angle is covered, there’s a four to the floor bass heavy Techno version from Ear Defenders, sending seismic tremors through the ground and vital organs of the crowd until the whole room is jumping and shaking! Buy this record before you die!

Tim Robertson