Fabric Presents Leon Vynehall

Assigned the unenviable task of following Sherelles blistering entry in the series, Leon Vynehall constructs a Fabric Presents mix that impels movement more often than his 2019 DJ-Kicks volume. Where Vynehalls DJ-Kicks seemed snapped together at times, like he challenged himself to use only recent purchases and exclusives, Fabric Presents comes across as more deliberate and purposeful. At the same time, it still seems evident that the DJ/producer simply strings together some tunes that give him a thrill, and these are just as bound to prevent him from being known as a genre specialist. The 33-track sequence has an exploratory feel that reflects the selectors insatiable curiosity. A siren-like piece off a cassette by cellist Louise Bock bridges Mutes twilight downtempo groove and Or:las clattering battle drums. Piero Umilianis quasi-samba proto-techno corker "Produzione," easily the oldest selection (1973), doesnt sound a day older than Gaunts juddering "Raw Cartoon" or Commodos heady dubstepper "Scabz," contemporary tracks that surround it. Odder yet, a stretch with turn-of-the-millennium dub techno gems by Pole and Rhythm & Sound integrates private-press new age circa 1982, Woos skanking "Wah Bass," roughly comparable to Cabaret Voltaires "Seconds Too Late" if transformed from dread to delight. Theres also woozy ambient techno, sullen trap-soul, bristling vintage U.K. garage, and hard percussion workouts with elements of gqom, baile funk, and Afro-Portuguese house. The variety of sounds, and the similar elevations of the crests and troughs, ensures repeat listening that yields surprises well beyond the first couple plays. Vynehall is aided by a wealth of commissioned exclusives -- Or:las and Gaunts bright spots among them. He helps the cause with one of his own, the euphoric "Sugar Slip (The Lick)," with all three nouns in the title serving as descriptors. ~ Andy Kellman

2019年の〈DJ-Kicks〉リリースも記憶に新しいUK新世代ハウスのエースが、DJミックス・シリーズとして双璧をなす〈Fabric〉にも登板。30を超えるトラックをガシガシと繋いだ現場感溢れる内容でありながら、決してイーヴン・キック一辺倒に陥らず、さまざまなジャンルを横断しながら緩急つけて余裕の完投。こうした作品に触れると、改めてDJという行為そのものがアートなのだと再確認させられるはず。
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