Fabric 50

admin — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 08:00:00 +0000

The ever-prolific Fabric series returns with this effort from Dutch producer Martyn. Known for his work in dubstep, the mix starts out perfectly with Hudson Mohawke’s incredibly funky song “Joy Fantastic.” Martyn follows it up with two more drum-heavy tracks designed to get you dancing, and by the end of Nubian Mindz’s “Bossa Boogie,” which has an insanely catchy synth line, I was fully committed to dancing hard to this album.

Many of the tracks have a sound distinctly influenced by African and South American rhythms, like the two Zomby tracks, “Little Miss Naughty” especially. But even as Martyn looks to many places for influence, all of the tracks have a common theme of looking to the future to find new ways to make people dance, and perhaps more importantly, always be interesting to listen to.

Martyn’s track mixing is impeccable, as I hardly noticed when one track ended and the next began because of his subtle and masterful mixes. The songs all bring something different to the album, but they blend to create a perfectly curated mix that is a must have for your Saturday night play list.

Written by: Dana Reinoos, April 7th 2010

Revenge of the Killer Slits EP

admin — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 13:30:00 +0000

The Slits

s.a.f. Records

The Slits are back! If you are not familiar with this band, the most recent release, _Revenge of the Killer Slits _EP, is a good introduction. For those who relished their punk and dub fusion back in the '70s, this sample of three songs is enough to get you back in the mood. Reggae calls are answered by techno-alternative dance beats in the first track, “Slits Tradition.” The beat is basic and backs up nicely the chanted lyrics and bits of spoken word. The Slits even find room for a couple of quick jazzy riffs. The second track, “Number One Enemy,” is Joan Jett-ish, including a snotty solo with predictable back up singing; this is easy listening for fans of soft-core punk. The third track, and my personal favorite, “Kill Them With Love,” is as close to what I would call an R&B torch song as you can get. The track finishes, with vocals that are intriguingly similar to the caterwauling of Diamanda Galas, an end that is both fun and pleasantly ludic. This album is fun, refreshingly eclectic, and packed with sweet “revenge.”

Written by: Aaron Nugua, February 24th 2007