20 Years Of Fabric (Fabric)

In 2019, Fabric celebrated two decades of being Londons most on-point nightclub with numerous special events as well as this double album of exclusive cuts by regulars from throughout the clubs history. The first part focuses on Fabric, the clubs Saturday night showcase for various permutations of house and techno. Marcel Dettmann and Cassy provide more driving, propulsive tracks, while contributions from IMOGEN (a new Fabric resident, as of the discs release) and Call Super are more spacy and abstract. Minimal techno innovator Margaret Dygas takes a lengthy journey far beyond peak time, with dubby echoes and noodly keyboards floating on top of an unperturbed beat. On an entirely different energy level is Steffis Ankertje, a heart-racing electro gem laced with sinister vocoders. Closing the disc is Comet Chaser, an appropriately epic construction from progressive house legend Sasha, which builds a stirring melody up from a busy array of choppy, crisscrossing voices. The second half of the compilation is dedicated to Fabriclive, the clubs showcase from drumnbass, breaks, grime, dubstep, and any other form of experimental, bass-oriented music. It leads off with the sets hardest track, a thoroughly ecstatic darkcore stormer from Special Request titled Codename Turbo Nutter. Following a rare appearance from the much-missed Source Direct, J Majik appears with a mystical roller called The Lost Tribe. Shackletons psychedelic gamelan excursion Drawn and Quartered is the releases most out-there selection, yet its heavy, locked-in percussion and sense of elevation provide the type of momentum that makes it ideal for club play. Representing the grime scene, That Wasnt It pairs a squeaky, bugged-out beat by Pinch with brash, reflective lyrics from Trim. Daniel Avery spikes up the intensity with the furious acid electro track Whilst Weve Got Metal in Our Blood, then tracks by Mantra and B.Traits deliver choppy, drama-filled breakbeats. Two mainstays since the clubs inception, Groove Armada and UNKLE, round out the release, the former bringing a loose, celebratory party vibe, and the latter going all in on moody soul-searching, punctuated by an eerie voice calling out Weve come a long way. Such a statement is all too appropriate for Fabric, which has witnessed the coming and going of numerous scenes and styles, and survived a closure after authorities revoked its license in 2016, reopening a year later following extensive campaigning. Considering just how much the club has gone through and the sheer number of artists and DJs who have played there, narrowing down the compilations track listing couldnt have been easy, but the end result befits the clubs legacy. ~ Paul Simpson