Fabric Presents Octo Octo & Eris Drew

2019年にスタートしたファブリックの新たなミックス・シリーズ「fabric presents」の第7弾はオクト・オクタ&エリス・ドリュー。ハウス、ベースライン、UKハードコア、トランス等、70分にわたり全21曲を収録。

人生と音楽、その両方のパートナーであるEris DrewとOcto Octaは、ファブリックの新たなミックス・シリーズ、「fabric presents」の為に、ニューハンプシャーの森のキャビンから、ペアのレコード・コレクションを深く掘り下げた。二人は音楽を精神的レベルと肉体的レベルの両方で結びつけることで知られ、ダンスフロアの潜在的な癒しのマジックを投影する儀式、魔術、シャーマニズムのテーマを利用している。T4T LUV NRGレーベルの創設者は約70分の間にハウス、ベースライン、UKハードコア、トランスにまたがる21曲を選び出した(そのうちのいくつかは、数十年にわたってペアのコレクションに含まれている)。D'Menace、Marascia、Thursday Clubのレコードが使用され、Global Methodのホワイト・レーベル「GoodLife(Orbital Mix)」は、今回のリリースにあたり、初めてデジタルで利用できるようになった。また、二人のオリジナルとして、Octo Octaによる陶酔感のある「River」とEris Drewのエレクトロハウス・ナンバー「Reactiv-8」が収録される。

Both individually and as a duo, Octo Octa and Eris Drew had become two of clublands most acclaimed DJs by the end of the 2010s, thanks to their euphoric sets which affirm the dancefloor as a place for healing and spiritual enlightenment. After delivering solo mixes on their T4T LUV NRG label and launching a joint residency on BBC Radio 1, their first commercially issued mix together appeared in late 2020 as part of London institution Fabrics ongoing series. Recorded in the pairs remote cabin in New Hampshire, the all-vinyl set draws from the extensive history of rave music, connecting the dots between house, techno, hardcore, and garage while focusing strictly on uplifting vibes. The duo effortlessly zip between deep obscurities from the 90s (with Orbitals extremely scarce remix of Global Methods Inner City-sampling Good Life being a definite highlight) and newer tracks which could easily be mistaken for them, such as 515 Connections electro breakbeat workout Positive & Negative or Y U QTs dead-on speed garage flashback Fort Wibbler, complete with time-stretched vocals and radioactive bass. Other high points include X-Press 2s celebratory Say What! (London Underground Mix), laced with Afrobeat-inspired horns and loudly clanging bells; the unmistakable rave ecstasy of the Two Amigos piano-driven Everybody Get Up (Vocal Mix); and the Love Parade trance of Dr. Motte & WestBams Sunshine. The DJs each contribute an original production. Octo Octas River is appropriately titled for a track which flows between acid and breaks, going with the current rather than building to a definite peak. Eris Drews vocals and electro boom-tics give Reactiv-8 a bit more of a synth pop flavor than her usual, breakbeat-heavy output, with robotic voices, slick acoustic guitars, and levitating bass figuring into the mix. As revealed by the unmixed tracks included with the digital release, the duo pitch many of the records up in order to ensure that the energy level remains at a constant high. Its impossible not to envision the two of them constantly rocking out to the music and embracing each other the way they do during their club sets. Even without an audience, the pair channel the communal spirit of raves, demonstrating that the right tracks and the right energy can be equally transportive outside of a club setting. ~ Paul Simpson