An expansive deep dive into the world of Quatermass Sound Lab, the prolific under-the-radar East London studio founded and run by producer, engineer and The Heliocentrics co-founder Malcolm Catto.
Over the last two decades, Catto has quietly established himself as a sought-after sonic architect in contemporary music. Revered for his analogue-first approach, he has built Quatermass Sound Lab around vintage recording equipment, valve preamps and live performance, creating recordings that feel warm and timeless. Equally inspired by punk, hip-hop, psychedelic rock, jazz, funk and electronic music, Catto has developed a production style that rejects genre boundaries in favour of instinct and atmosphere.
Describing himself as "50% musician and 50% listener," Catto approaches each session as a collaborator rather than a conventional producer. That philosophy has made Quatermass Sound Lab a creative home for an extraordinary range of musicians, from established innovators to emerging voices. His remarkable discography spans collaborations with Yussef Dayes, DJ Shadow, Madlib, Quantic, Mulatu Astatke, Orlando Julius, Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids and countless others, each project using analogue wizardry to shape bold, contemporary recordings with a character all of their own.
This collection opens the Quatermass archive for the first time, gathering previously unreleased recordings, alternate versions and mixes that chart Catto's evolution as producer, drummer and sonic instigator. Tracks include the abrasive, post-punk electronics of Snapped Ankles' ‘Shopping Parade’, French rap experimentation on Wet Enough’s ‘San Pé’ and the richly textured psychedelia of Vanishing Twin's ‘Backstroke’. Catto’s work with jazz and global sounds features with Divine Earth’s visceral ‘Free Soul’ and extended pieces by Venezuelan futurists Insólito Universo and Lausanne Afrobeat collective Professor Wouassa while undiscovered artists include the brilliant UK band Toyface with their epic m‘Potter’s Wheel’.
