fabriclive

Album Review: FabricLive 50 - dBridge & Instra:mental present Autonomic

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dBridge & Instra:mental's Autonomic mix for FabricLive eschews expectations for a drum 'n' bass mix by slowing things down. Right down.

After collaborating on a track together, dBridge and Instra:mental collaborated to form Autonomatic - ultimately a club night with spin-offs, the most significant of which is, as the press release say, ultimately a style of music.

Because FabricLive 50 doesn't just slow things down. It is considerably slower than even a breakbeat set, with the tempo coming in below a chilled out 100bpm. This is still distinctively dnb though, and both dBridge (formerly part of the fairly legendary Bad Company) and Instra:mental clearly know their craft.

The album opener, Riva's 'Seems Like', glides a soulful vocal over a spacious backing that gently melds into Instra:mental's own 'From The Start' but as soulful as the whole thing feels the beats are deep, percussive and ultimately pure liquid drum 'n' bass.

But slow drum 'n' bass sounds about as much fun as stretching out the Queen's speech to last the whole of Christmas day, Boxing day and maybe even right up to New Year's Eve... Surely the point is that it gets you moving, the rolling basslines, pitched vocals, and the last thing we want is more bloody dubstep.

But as we said, dBridge and Instra:mental clearly know what they are doing. Just as liquid dnb made BlackPlastic's heart go aquiver about eight years ago by giving the genre vocals and, as a result, a tune, FabricLive 50 works because of the space the production gets. There are relatively few vocals here as it happens but the speed gives the album an intelligent, soulful feel more reminiscent of Jazzanova and the Compost label than any dnb or dubstep we ever heard.

FabricLive 50 is actually fairly reminiscent of Global Communication's Fabric album (Fabric 26), robotic yet soulful... Ferocious let subtle. By redefining what drum 'n' bass is dBridge and Instra:mental have just pushed a genre forward that desperately needed innovation. Dubstep be damned - dnb died and Autonomic just brought it back.

BP x

Check out the 30-minute promo mix over at Fabric's MixCloud page.

FabricLive 50 is out on 15 February, available for pre-order from Amazon.co.uk on CD [affiliate link].

Album Review / MP3 Download: FabricLive 49 - various mixed by Buraka Som Sistema

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Judging by FabricLive 49 Burakama Som Sistema are a goddamn cussing noisy bunch. Make no mistake, this album feels like being tied to the front of Alton Tower's biggest rollercoaster (is that still the Oblivion?) for an hour or so with an emotionally epic hangover.

To be honest BlackPlastic was ready to slate it but instead we will say this - you will like FabricLive49 if:

 

  • You like the sound that several travelling fair grounds would make if you put then all in the same place at once and told them to SCREAM IF YOU WANNA GO FAAAAAASTTAAAAAA!
  • You hate your own head.
  • You have some incredibly persistent guilty voice inside your soul constantly reminding you that you butchered your mother.
  • You are on more drugs than BlackPlastic has ever tried.

 

There are a few better moments but, in all honesty, they are not good - they just gave BlackPlastic a bit of a breather because they didn't sound like a baby screaming.

It might be built to sound like a soundclash but to BlackPlastic it just IS a soundclash.

Download the full version of 'Kurum (Roulet Remix)' by Buraka Som Sistema, which appears on FabricLive 49 for a taste [right click, save as].

BP x

FabricLive 49 is out tomorrow, available for pre-order now from Amazon.co.uk on CD [affiliate link].

Album Review: FabricLive 48 - various mixed by Filthy Dukes

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FabricLive 48 is something of a return to form for the series. Of sorts at least.

Following a recent mixture of slightly too fashionable, genre-of-the-moment artists and non-descript mixes FabricLive 48, under the control of the Filthy Dukes, gets back to the bread and butter of what the FabricLive discs can be when they are at their best.

It's eclectic, wonky disco, house and acid drenched tech-house. And it is pretty much all right up BlackPlastc's street. Aeroplane's mix of Sébastien Tellier's 'Kilometer' is still gloriously paced, thick like treacle. 80skidz 'Miss Marz' still sounds timeless, energetic with a hint of melancholy and The Proxy remix of Tiga's 'What Your Need' descends into suitable chaos as the Soulwax mix of Daft Punk's 'Robot Rock' kicks in.

But here is the problem: you probably know all of these tracks. And you probably know most of the other tracks on the album too. There are some great, inventive moments - Mr Oizo's 'Pourriture 7' mixing into Jack Peñate's 'Tonight's Today' is one such stroke of genius. And some tracks are good enough to survive the exposure - we certainly don't resent hearing Lifelike's 'Sequencer' more than is strictly necessary. But, seriously... BlackPlastic does not need to hear Mujava's 'Township Funk' again. Probably ever.

FabricLive 48 is like a mix album made by a friend featuring a stack of you favourite records from the past year or so. It would be a great mix to hear out but without much inventiveness in the tracklist this is unlikely to keep you coming back.

BP x

MP3: Brash & Vulgar - In Flagranti

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In Flagranti are hitting FabricLive this Friday (4 September) alongside Popof, Aeroplane (oh how we love thee) and Filthy Dukes.  In Flagranti will actually be in room two which is being hosted by Erol Alkan's Durrr.

To get you in the mood check out this never released track from In Flagranti called 'Brash & Vulgar' for download. It's a nice cheeky track with a rough little bassline on it and a little toungue in cheek vocal in the bridge - label this is a nice little DJ tool.

Download [right click, save as].

BP x

MP3: Fabric Mixes - Matt Walsh / SOLO

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Ahead of their appearances at FabricLive on 3 July we've got a couple of mixes available for download from Matt Walsh (Bugged Out! / Turbo) and SOLO.

Matt Walsh's is a pretty progressive warm up set, keeping the bigger moments for the build at the end of the set. SOLO's mix is very eclectic in comparison, taking in samples from the Godfather, bootlegs of Layo & Bushwacka!'s 'Love Story' and James Brown throughout it's length.

Download Matt Walsh's Fabric Mix / Download SOLO's Fabric Mix (right click, save as).

Tracklists below.

 

Matt Walsh:

  1. Remote - Public Service (Meanwhile)
  2. Clouded Vision – Outside (Vox Accapella) (White)
  3. Plein Soleil aka Chloe & Krikor - Casus Belli (Brontosaurus mix) (Kill The DJ)
  4. Tucillo - Panorama (Kalabrese Mix) (Delusions of Grandeur‏)
  5. Juan Maclean – Happy House (Audion Remix) (Dfa Records)
  6. Abe Duque feat. Virginia - Following My Heart [DJ Hell Remix] (Process Recordings)
  7. Monty Luke – Panik Attack (Mothership)
  8. Daniel Steinberg - Cocolips (Heinrichs & Hirtenfellner Remix) (SUPDUB)
  9. Tom Flynn - Zinga (UNO)
  10. Julian Jewell - Marjo & Linda (Craft)
  11. Noob – Da Brusse Test (White)
  12. Alvaro - Ultimate Rise feat. Luxx (Seductive Remix) (Samsobeats)
  13. Madkid – Bang Bang (Boka Records)
  14. Deepgroove – Freya (White)
  15. Okain, Thomas Muller - Somewhere Around Tristram (Bpitch Control)
  16. Peaches – Lose You (Matt Walsh & Alex Jones Remix) (XL)

 

SOLO:

  1. The Godfather Theme
  2. Cypress Hill-"Hits from the Bong"
  3. Mfdoom&Dangermouse-"Sofa King"
  4. F.Rich,Prok&Fitch-"Naga"
  5. Dj Chus,Niki B&Christian E-"Hossa"-C.Soul Rmx
  6. DjGregory&GregorSalto-"Con Alegria"-SOLO Rmx
  7. Gramophonedzie-"WHy Don't You"
  8. James Brown-"Super Bad"
  9. S.Samson-"Riverside"-Afrojack Rmx
  10. SOLO-"Congaloid"
  11. Bastian Schuster-"New Orleans"
  12. Dj Jean,Asino-"The Bomb"
  13. Afrojack&Diplo-"How I like it"-Kid Kaio/R.sinester Rmx
  14. Dopamine-"Spunk"
  15. SOLO-"Joga Bola"
  16. Dennis / Dj Vasco 
  17. Renaissance Man-"Spraycan"
  18. Layo&Bushwacka-"Love Story"-SOLO Bootyleg
  19. L.Charmes,Kid Kaio-"This sound is"
  20. Maskio-"Human Jungle"-Santos Reedit
  21. Flash 2.9"-Cdr
  22. Tiga-"Shoes"- Noob Rmx
  23. SOLO-"Rawmania"
  24. Max Romeo-"Play with your pussy"

 BP x