Media-savvy-musical-maestro Gavin Herlihy has turned his back on a successful journalism career, shipped himself off to Berlin and hammered out a series of top notch releases. Having unleashed the producer inside and switched professions fruitfully, ‘that bloke from Mixmag’ took time out to talk writing, producing and shaking off THAT tag…
Tell us about your time at Mixmag and before, how did it come about? When did you start? What did you do?
Well, to cut a long story short. At 13 I started playing in bands; at 19 I worked out I wasn't going to be the new Curt Cobain meets Max Cavelera (thankfully!); sacked off music to concentrate on journalism. I did a degree; blagged my first features for broadsheet newspapers and interned at CNN in Atlanta. Then on my return to England I randomly filled in as an intern for Mixmag while the staff went to Glastonbury. Amongst an office full of records I thought: what the hell am I doing? So I sacked off the serious journalism path and here I am today.
Posted in Music on Tuesday 30th June, 2009 by Gineric
LA's beat scene has been a deep well of creativity for some time now, with a broad spectrum of artists making some of the most forward thinking music around. Given that the LA beatsmiths occupy a sizeable chunk of office airtime here at fabric, you can imagine our delight when we stumbled across this incredible jam session featuring some serious talent.
Matt Walsh has made a solid name for himself on the London scene emerging as a talented resident for the likes of Bugged Out! and Tiga’s imprint Turbo as well as the new ‘High Horse’ night at T-Bar with mates Casper C and Skull Juice. Production projects with Hypercolour boss Alex Jones and with Steve Cook as Clouded Vision are forging the beginning of a promising and wide-ranging sound with remixes already for the likes of The Proxy, Brodinski and Cari Lekebusch. With temperatures soaring this week Matt’s mix is perfect for those long summer evenings, or as he says "this mix is pretty typical of what you might expect from the latter portion of a warm up set, when the dance floor has filled, and the energy goes up a notch."
The track list includes new Audion material and his new remix of Peaches with Alex Jones giving a nice taster of what to expect at this Friday’s Bugged Out! takeover of room one. We chat to him about his musical roots, inspirations and current projects.
After my recent High Fidelity post on the best ways to fill your cereal bowl sparked off the reams of inane back chat I was, in all honesty, expecting - with someone, who shall hence forth remain nameless, even chastising me for not naming Weetabix in my top 3, I mean, hello, Weetabix!!! What is this? Wartime Briton? - it occured to me that I shouldn't be so self centred and impose my eating habits on a world of people who only want to look at music related blogs to see whose trouser contraption they should be riding this week.
So here is born a true investigative journalism experiment.
Posted in Music on Monday 29th June, 2009 by Gineric
Hold the phone - Autonomic's new podcast is out today.
No doubt you are all more than aware of the Autonomic lot. But just to bring any Jonny-Come-Latelies up to speed, Club Autonomic is a concept put together by D-Bridge and Instra:mental (Al Bleek and Kid Drama) - three guys that have been doing spectacular things in drum & bass, over the last couple of years in particular. In fact it would take some serious persuasion to convince me that there is anyone in drum & bass matching them for forward-thinking music right now. Their monthly podcasts include an influences section from each of the three, plus an upfront mix of fresh beats, which never fail to inspire. Prepare for anything from the latest tracks from these boys, plus bits by the likes of Commix, ASC, Abstract Elements and Consequence in the mix section, plus influences that range from Prince to Vangelis and J Dilla to Autechre. If you’re digging it, look out for their session here at fabric in Room Three on Friday July 17.
Click the image above for the latest of the monthly installments here, plus update yourself on any you've missed.
Also, while we're on the subject of the Autonomic boys, do yourself a favour and pick up their latest 12" on NonPlus Records; D-Bridge - Wonder Where B/W Instra:mental - No Future. Check the tracks below, and give them a few spins each - they get better and better with each listen, seriously deep stuff.
Last night I went to see U-N-I (to the verse), a stupidly fresh duo from Cali...a few songs into their set at YoYo, the mohawked half of the pair (Y-O, aka Yonas Semere Michael) got egged on by his partner Thurz to have a dance off. Their DJ dropped the iconic bassline of 'Beat It,' and the crowd went buck as Y-O moonwalked and busted MJ-inspired moves across the stage. Fifteen minutes later, just as the show was poppin off, my phone buzzed with a text that told the untimely news - Michael Jackson had passed. Everyone around me began receiving similar texts and the crowd started wigging. Someone yelled out the news for U-N-I to hear, the record got pulled back, and the music stopped instantly. The atmosphere of the club was thick...it's hard to put into words without cheap clichés rolling out, but it was immense to feel an entire room hovering with the shock and sadness of the news. A star in the truest sense of the word, a visionary, a beautifully creative mind whose impact and influence was literally infinite. His life and death affected the world on an immeasurable level.
No doubt all of you will be playing Michael's albums as a tribute today (we're currently jamming through 'Dangerous' - a criminally underrated gem in my opinion - and 'Off The Wall' is lined up next, 'natch), youtube will be running slow as molasses with an overload of MJ searches and every blogger will be scribbling inane posts about his/her personal experiences with Michael (ahem)...but all the same, we couldn't just sit back and not give you a video. Michael Jackson, we salute you.
Boasting a record collection that must be immoveable by now, as well as a gig diary that reads a veritable where’s-where of music venues around the globe, the Idjut Boys from East London have long been established as the original disco dons. Their signature dubby disco productions are worth their weight in gold, whilst the four quirky imprints they have nurtured (U-Star, Noid, Discfunction & Cottage) are cherished by heads around the disco circuit.
We gave the duo a chance to offer their worldly wise views on what artists always keep their heads ticking and toes tapping…
(and make sure you read after the jump for a special BBE competition!)
MAURICE FULTON
Maurice has been making great and records for years in his own, unique style. Consistently good, genre bending, music, and with reference to the production styles of the past disco masters.
Formerly a dancer by trade, who better qualified to take music to the dancefloors than Dutch first lady Shinedoe. Shimmying through the scene for over a decade, her funky, elegant groove-based sets buzz with tech-house, Chicago, acid and Detroit influences, keeping crowds helplessly grooving across the globe. With her new album ‘No Boundaries’ due out very soon, Shinedoe’s heavy list of productions is only set to get bigger and branch out even further. As we have the pleasure of hosting her first ever live set here at fabric on Saturday, we caught up with her to spill the beans…
Your new album ‘No Boundaries’ is due for imminent release – we’ve heard it called ‘a place where electronic music gets a whole new perspective.’ Intriguing - tell us more…
It took about 7 or 8 months to put together. On this album you hear a lot of different influences: funk, jazz, dub and others, much more in comparison to my previous album. ‘No Boundaries’ is about bringing these different music styles together with electronic music made for the dance floor; not focussing on one specific style.
Whether consumed at your desk at 10am, late in the evening after chatting breeze in a public house beer garden or in a rush at 6am before you chip out of the door to help an acquaintance move offices for £100 a day, cereals are a beautifully satisfying nutrition type phenomenon.
Now, I’m not saying I’d take a bowl of Special Flakes over a falafel & Moroccan humous pitta or a Grown Man Business (TM) chorizo and mozzarella panini... oh hellllllllllll no. But sometimes in life and the daily situations that arise therein, only a bowl of the wet cardboard stuff will do.
Posted in Music on Thursday 25th June, 2009 by Gineric
Bop is coming straight outta St Petersburg and is one of the most exciting artists in drum & bass right now. Bop is one of a sprinkling of drum & bass' artists currently setting aside all existing formulas and boundaries that have plagued drum & bass for some years before sitting down to work in the studio, and what he's coming out with is among the most forward thinking D&B I've heard in years. For the unitiated, check his debut on Med School - the Hospital subsidiary - 'A Song About My Dog' - it's breathtaking.
With the emphasis of his new 'Marky & Friends' FABRICLIVE residency being on live performances, for his next takeover DJ Marky's roped in one of the livest names in hip hop at the moment - Detroit’s deeply captivating and magnetic rapper/producer Black Milk. As a producer, Black Milk is simply untouchable, giving hip hop a divine introduction to strange electronics: masterfully crafted drums and off-kilter beats get wrapped with swirling melodies, dense textures and psychedelic riffs. No doubt Black Milk’s unconventional sound and attitude will align harmoniously with Marky’s rebellious flair...a pairing of two unexpectedly kindred minds. Come check the chemistry on Friday, 17 July.
But before that, get edumacated - read more about Black Milk and his Motor City crew in the latest issue of HHC Digital:
Well, what can we say about Sonar? Sun, sea, sand, soundsystems and beats, bass, breaks and the beach. (We could go on all day, believe)
But instead of giving you the normal boring breakdown of who did what and where, we’ll give you our top ten highlights of the festival just gone.
1. Redbull’s Music Academy Stage
Possibly the best stage at Sonar by Day. With a line including the Bomb Squad’s Hank Shocklee, Ethiopian Jazz man Mulatu Astatke, Detroit techno legend Carl Craig and not to mention the newcomers soul singer Muhsinah, Onra, Viennese beat conductor Dorian Concept, The UK’s very own Lukid and more. We had more than our musical fill at his one stage. (Watch out for the Redbull Music Academy heading to London next year.)
Mads Perch is a Danish born, London based music photographer, shooting for various style and music magazines. He also works exclusively with bands producing press shots and record sleeves. We asked him to pick 5 of his favourite pictures from recent years and give us a little rendition of what they mean to him.
DJ Deeon – Freak U Rite
Zomby – Pumpkinhead’s Revenge
DJ Guy – Ghostdick
DJ Godfather – Tom’s Bomb 2
Jody Finch - Jack Yo Big Booty (BHQ no acid vocal mix)
Nightcrawlers – Surrender Your Love
Kings Of The Universe – Acid Love
Final Cut with True Faith - Take Me Away
Hot City – Hot City Bass
Playgroup feat. KC Flightt - Front 2 Back (Todd Terry Remix)
Ian Round – Trippin
Chelley - Took the Night (Rizzla's Cunty Refix)
Benny Rodrigues – I Like
Catch - Free (to the point mix)
Lil Silva – Different
Shortstuff – A Rustling
$tinkworx – Coelacanth
Look out for Hot City's guest mix on Sinden's show on KISS 100 tonight also!
In comes the tip-off...our homeys over at the ever-fly Sonic Router blog have posted a great piece on Portugal's Octa Push, who are lined up to take over Room Three this Friday. After seeing them tear through Sonar this past weeked, we have no doubt that they'll smash FABRICLIVE to pieces. Don't believe us? Put the Sonic Router mix on blast.
San Francisco has always had a well-respected, underground house scene thanks to long serving to veterans such as Mark Farina and DJ Garth. However, ever since psychedelic stoner’s Jefferson Airplane hung their guitars and tambourines up, no one has brought the musical-spotlight to North California quite like DJ Shadow did in the mid-nineties.
Thirteen years back, Shadow’s seminal ‘Endtroducing’ hit the racks (anyone else suddenly feeling quite old?). A debut album so unconditionally adored by anyone with a passing interest in the concept of electronic music, it practically started a new religious faith. After setting himself a follow-up task harder than having to play The Joker in the next Batman film, he released his second album ‘The Private Press’ in 2002. Despite falling short of Endtroducing’s utter brilliance, the general consensus was that the producer had delivered a good album, given the tricky circumstances.
Matt Walsh has made a solid name for himself on the London scene emerging as a talented resident for the likes of Bugged Out! and Tiga’s imprint Turbo as well as the new ‘High Horse’ night at T-Bar with mates Casper C and Skull Juice. Production projects with Hypercolour boss Alex Jones and with Steve Cook as Clouded Vision are forging the beginning of a promising and wide-ranging sound with remixes already for the likes of The Proxy, Brodinski and Cari Lekebusch. With temperatures soaring this week Matt’s mix is perfect for those long summer evenings, or as he says "this mix is pretty typical of what you might expect from the latter portion of a warm up set, when the dance floor has filled, and the energy goes up a notch."
Last night I went to see 
Boasting a record collection that must be immoveable by now, as well as a gig diary that reads a veritable where’s-where of music venues around the globe, the Idjut Boys from East London have long been established as the original disco dons. Their signature dubby disco productions are worth their weight in gold, whilst the four quirky imprints they have nurtured (U-Star, Noid, Discfunction & Cottage) are cherished by heads around the disco circuit.
With the emphasis of his new 'Marky & Friends' FABRICLIVE residency being on live performances, for his next takeover 
In comes the tip-off...our homeys over at the ever-fly Sonic Router blog have posted a great piece on Portugal's 
