Since the launch of his 2007 album What’s Happening, Katalyst has been steadily carving beats using a supersized swag of musical influences. The homegrown DJ/producer’s latest venture is the launch for his latest release, the Deep Impressions album tour, which went down at the Toff in Town in Melbourne.

First to the stage was the ferociously à la mode Kween G, who opened with Ready to Drop, a blended disco and hip-hop number that induced one of those drop-your-drink-and-get-over-here crowd surges. Next up was The Clapping Song performed by Coin Locker Kid, whose ability to impress vocally, as well as dance awkwardly, was literally awe-inspiring – a definite crowd favourite marred only by his invitation to “put your hands up in the air!”, which proved difficult for the many of us holding glassware.

Jade MacRae was a stand out with her incredible vocals featuring on Prince of Cool, a track that synth-blasts you somewhere into an 80s Sci-Fi and back. Also notable was the collaborative rendition of I Know a Place, featuring the effortlessly cool Steve Spacek.

Katalyst sure knows how to put on a show without using too much hoopla. His considered selections of some of the finest talent around lends itself well to the sort of genre-blending producer he is – one that likes to let the music speak for itself. Never a show pony, he managed to serve a show popping set while remaining relatively unseen, minus the occasional, “How we all going out there?”

It’s clear why Deep Impressions is getting so much air play: it’s a stand-out album with a variation not seen in many contemporary hip-hop records. What’s even more impressive is how well it translates in a live space – Katalyst definitely makes deep impressions.