Fabric Live. The Herbaliser & DJ Format

London, UK DJ or Producer mixes can be disappointing for many reasons. These can be they try to choose the most obscure tracks to impress other DJ/Producers thus leaving you scratching your head. Or, they do a mix, which is totally unlike anything they play in clubs as a form of self-fellatio - impressing themselves. Luckily neither of these is apparent in the latest offerings from London nightclub Fabric. The first, out now, is The Herbaliser (Ninja Tunes) mix, combining the best in UK and US hip-hop, to dance floor-rocking effect. The track selection is faultless, mixing old skool classics like Dynamix 2, with some great underground UK hip-hop cuts from Demon Boyz, and Nextmen. The mixing is not perfect, adding to the live feel and giving it authenticity - not sounding like some studio engineer did it in an afternoon. The second CD, also available now, is the funkiest mix we've heard for a long time in the shape of DJ Format. The mix really is a case of digging in the crates, but works excellently combining old and new music extremely well. Much like the Andy Smith (Portishead) mix CDs, Format pulls out a carnival of surprises. He effortlessly blends Edan with Nina Simone, and adds a splash of Cut Chemist for good measure. Looking down the track listing it would be easy to think the tunes are too obscure, but 'au contraire', this is a party you definitely want to be at. Format's mix is more polished in terms of the scratching and cutting, but still delivers the dance floor feel comprehensively. If you only buy two mix CDs this year make it these two, and you're set for the summer party season....."burger anyone?" -- Text: Adey "Jazz Funk" Darby | Images: © Ollie Teebas
See our slides for a small selection of Ollie Teebas' (The Herbaliser) trainer collection. Fabric Live "The Herbaliser" and "DJ Format" are both out now. Fabric Live The Herbaliser DJ Format