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

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].

Update on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 10:11AM by BlackPlastic

Just a follow up to let everyone know that FabricLive have a launch event for FabricLive 50 happening next Friday 12 February in Room Three.  Line-up as follows: dBridge, Instra:mental, Consequence, James Blake.  MCs SP:MC.

Details over at FabricLondon.com

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

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

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

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

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

Album Review: FabricLive 46 - Various mixed by LTJ Bukem

Some background info: it has been some time since BlackPlastic last enjoyed any drum 'n' bass. A long time in fact. After the popularity of the Movement scene and a period of stellar tracks and artists around 2002 nothing quite felt right.

There just didn't seem to be anything new. Sure, there will be those that disagree but the truth is: DnB died in 2004.

LTJ Bukem's FabricLive mix doesn't really do anything new. So, in principle at least, there is nothing to see here. But... Golly, it is hard to turn your back on this disc. Flowing in through your speakers like the one that got away FabricLive 46 isn't just good - it's wonderful and undeniable. It's a reminder of what was so interesting about drum 'n' bass in the first time.

FabricLive 46 is summer barbecues, beers in the garden, dancing in the sunshine, killing time in the park and staying up all night to watch the sunrise. Maybe it helps that BlackPlastic is reminded of empty summers as a student when hearing this style of music but there are some wonderful feelings in the first half of this mix.

The sound itself is what you would expect if you are familiar with Bukem's work. His trademark 'intelligent' sound is combined with the some slightly harder, rolling bass lines (on the Madcap mix of Villem's 'Inflated Tear' for example) and there has been a lovely, warm development into a slightly more liquid DnB sound.

Admittedly things tail off a little in the latter third before coming back again for a nice climax in the filtered 'So In Need' by Syncopix. The album isn't perfect by any stretch and it still fails to match the heights of the early Movement mix albums or the superb Soulful Behaviour mix from Defunct. One thing is for sure however - this is the best drum n bass mix Fabric have released in years... Bring on the summer.

FabricLive 46: LTJ Bukem is released to Fabric First members on 1 June and goes on general release on 15 June.  Subscribe to Fabric First at the Fabric London website.

BP x

MP3: Mix - David E. Sugar

Unfortunately BlackPlastic ran out of time to post this before the Kill 'Em All FabricLive night mentioned in a recent post but it's good enough that it seemed worth posting anyway...

David E. Sugar's mix of pop vocals and slightly dirty tech-house hooks have made his work one of the highlights of the two most recent Kitsuné Maison compilations and he performed a live set at FabricLive on Friday. As a sample of what you probably heard if you were there (or what you will hear if you get the chance to see him live) he has put together a mix of all his own tracks. The result sounds like what Calvin Harris probably thinks he sounds like in his head and it is rather enjoyable.

Tracklisting (all his own tracks, remember):

1. House Mate
2. Travel Light
3. Milan
4. Although you may Laugh
5. Part One
6. Math Rock
7. Party Killer (Provokes a remix)
8. I see love

Check it out (right click, save as).

BP x

MP3: Yellowstone - Joe and Will Ask?

Joe and Will Ask? perform live at FabricLive this Friday (1 May) as the Kill 'Em All crew descend and in advance of the event they have written a track with the night in mind entitled 'Yellowstone'.

You'd perhaps think a track knocked out for a one off live event would simply feel like a DJ tool yet this terrific. The driving chord progression definitely calls to mind Booka Shade's work and it has a touch of 'Mandarine Girl' to it yet the bubbling percussion definitely make this stand out as something new. It's cold and mechanical yet at the same time uplifting.

'Yellowstone' is set to get an official release later this year but you can download the MP3 here (right click, save as).  You can also get more from Joe and Will Ask? over at Beatport.

The line-up for the event is one of the best Fabric has seen in a while in BlackPlastic's opinion, in addition to Joe and Will Ask? Joakim, Filthy Dukes, Shit Robot and David E Sugar will be there: 

ROOM ONE:
KILL'EM ALL....
Joakim (DJ Set), Filthy Dukes (DJ Set), thecocknbullkid (LIVE), Discodeine (LIVE), Joe And Will Ask? (LIVE), Stopmakingme!

ROOM TWO:
Al Doyle (Hot Chip) DJ Set, Les Petite Pilous (Turbo) (LIVE), David E Sugar (LIVE), James Yuill (LIVE), Grum (DJ Set)

ROOM THREE:
Shit Robot (DFA), Ben Rymer (DFA/Gucci Soundsystem), Diskokaine (Gomma), C90s

Visit Fabric for more information and to buy tickets.

BP x