For those of you who haven't been keeping up (or if math isn't your strong suit), we hit the big three digits last month - 100 releases down. Pretty epic. We're not usually the type to blow our own trumpets, but today The Quietus posted a feature that's a captivating walk through memory lane...and that was following an equally lovely piece that DMC posted last week. Be sure to check out both articles if you have a moment, as they're clearly crafted with love.

And while we're lost in remembrance, we thought we'd take it one step further...we asked a few of our label artists  to choose their favourites out of the 100, after the jump.

The Quietus - 'The Strange And Frightening World Of... Fabric's First 100'

DMC  - 'The Club Kings - Fabric 100'



IVAN SMAGGHE
fabric 13 - Michael Mayer
“I must admit I'm not a very heavy listener of mixed CDs...Especially "club mixes". Maybe they remind me of work, maybe I need to "be in a club" to hear "club music", who knows... The ones that I notice are, first, the ones that make me discover individual tracks. This one did. But it stuck to me "as a mix", a rare thing. I still listen to it once in a while actually; it reminds me of great times for music. I'm pretty sure that it did so because it was, and still is, totally personal and sincere. And these qualities, as we all know, are the first needed by a good record.”

ALI B
FABRICLIVE 07: John Peel
“My favourite Fabric album would have to be John Peel’s. Aside from it being a fantastically eclectic selection of music, I know exactly how much heart and soul he put into it as he came down to my studio to record it. I’d still say that the way that album starts is one of the best openers to a mix album ever.”

MATTHEW DEAR
fabric 01: Craig Richards
"Craig's first mix. The beginning of a beautiful future."

EWAN PEARSON
fabric 13: Michael Mayer
“My favourite fabric CD is no. 13 from Michael Mayer, hands down. It's an unbeatable lesson in sequencing, melody, emotion and groove that I've listened to many many times and never seem to tire of. We need more DJs like him, and more mixes like this.”

Continue reading "The Strange And Frightening World Of...Fabric's First 100." »

Welcome to the wonderful world of Riva Starr, a DJ whose diary is packed out until the end of 2010 and whose new album ‘If Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade’ is quickly becoming a massive success in the dance music world. So what’s the story behind his sudden burst into stardom? Naples born Stefano Miele is no stranger to producing, originally cutting his teeth on the scene peddling a vibrant strain of Breakbeat under the guise of Madox. Eventually he started remixing house tracks and captured the attention of Jesse Rose and Claude Von Stroke who both became huge fans after hearing his Snatch! remixes. Since then he’s released on Made To Play, DirtyBird and Fatboy Slim’s famous Southern Fried Records.

Stef’s distinctive style is full of inspiration from his native Balkan music scene, as well as eclectic beats and World influences. Not to mention his “Snatch” method of music making, the idea of snatching or pickpocketing other ideas and styles to create his own, gypsy-infused House collages. You’ll hear some of this in his track 'FanfarOne,' a little beauty he’s put out to celebrate his appearance at fabric tonight.

Download: Riva Starr - 'FanfarOne'

We're on the eve of On & On… & On, the second time in recent months where we open the doors to our disco's assorted floors for 30 hours straight, and this time round we're amplyfing everything, upping the ante a whole bunch and giving you the opportunity to catch more artists, dance to more music and experience the depths of some of our favourite DJs record collections.

One of the many DJs set to be enticing your ears come Saturday or Sunday (ha) is Antal of Amsterdam's Rush Hour Records who has recorded an exclusive mix to commemorate what's set to be a bit of an epic party. Antal’s sixties soul and funk music influence is a prominent feature in his mix, as is his passion for early Detroit techno and Chicago house. Let him take you on a journey of feel-good disco vibes through to squelchy, minimal house and back again. Think of it as a mini version of what’s in store for you this weekend.

Download: Antal (Rush Hour) - fabric Promo Mix

Head over to Dazed to hear Dinky's account of the weekend just past, before being a part of her weekend ahead at ''On & On...& On.' Click on the photo below - and see you in Room One on Sunday for her dreamy live set.

There is an entire rafter of talented DJs and live acts playing at our extended Saturday night party, On & On... & On, but one person who has particularly caught my attention recently is San Proper. Supported by the likes of Ricardo Villalobos, Laurent Garnier and Zip and his label Perlon, San is part of a growing number of Dutch DJs who are moving from local cult status to becoming international causes célèbres. If you need any musical support to let your ears decide on his talent, do check out his last release for the label, which, in my opinion, was one of the best singles of 2009. San talks to us about all things Amsterdam and his plans for the future before his set on Saturday 6th March; and if you like your music raw, genuine, eclectic and with an element of the unexpected, be sure to check out his performance during the night (or should I say 30 hour marathon).

Hello San, how are you today?
Feelin' great... I had a real innovating weekend. Disco 3000 invited Theo Parrish & Anthony Shakir last Friday at Paradiso, here in Amsterdam. Saturday I had my live-debut of a new project I've been working on - 'The Dirt Machine' with Tom Trago at Source on Ice in Utrecht, one of the most humble little festivals in Holland. Sunday I had a great time playing at Trouw with Omar S (FXHE),  Jan van Kampen (Dekmantel) & Serge (Clone). Today I'm picking up the test-pressings of my latest EP on Dekmantel records: San Proper's "Sex Drive Rhythm EP."  And there's more, for I'm playing at Fabric this weekend. Plenty reasons to feel great today, I'd say...

Your first few releases have been on Rush Hour, what drew you to release the majority of your work so far on this label?
Rush Hour is one of my favorite labels in general and I've always been picking up some of the most treasureous gems at the store they've been running since '97... The first 5 releases I did on RH (2007) are part 1-5 of my Proper's A'dam Family Series, where each part is presenting a collab of me and another local underground producer, to show what's brewing here in Amsterdam. Keep it in the family... Since last year I've been planning releases with Dekmantel records, a new, young label from Amsterdam - and Perlon, one of Berlin's most innovating labels.

How did your relationship with Perlon come about? Was it a direct result of a particular track?
Perlon fell for my charm when they heard my first release on RH, "Twif Twaf" which I did with Steven de Peven. It was unreleased at that time, but on account of that release, Perlon & Ricardo Villalobos decided to ask me to do a remix of his track 'Electonic Water,'  which eventually resulted in me doing the release 'Keep it Raw' and more tracks and releases to come...

What can we expect from the second release on Perlon?
More sexy, dirty, nasty house music with a Proper signature. There's another track which will be released first on the compilation of Perlon entitled "Lady Cop" and later this year the second EP will follow.

For those of us who have not been clubbing in Amsterdam, how does it compare to other European destinations like Berlin or London?

It's different but definitely worthy. The clubs out here can't stay open 'til later than 5 (or 6 occasionally) and there's too few squats and illegal spots out here, but clubs like Trouw, Paradiso & Studio 80 and organisations like Dekmantel & Disco3000 make up for it with great programming and booking international legends. There's also a lot of variety out here, which in my opinion is essential, and I'm also contributing to this neccessity with more obscure club nights like 'Far Out Psychedella',  a night with experimental 60s & 70s psychedelic pearls of tracks at club Canvas. And then there's also'Italo Elite' which I'm running with Tom Trago, Lupe & Martin Duvall at Club Up; a night to present the sound and culture of Italo-Disco in Amsterdam.

Do you ever see yourself moving from Amsterdam?
I've been born and raised out here and it's a perfect home-base for me. I could see myself living in other cities like Detroit, Berlin or London for a couple of months to work on productions and to get inspiration, but eventually I'll return to the Dam.

When did you meet fellow locals Melon and Tom Trago?
These guys are close friends of mine. I've met Melon, I guess, 'round '98,  when we both were doing nights at the Mazzo. We've been playing sets, producing tracks and partying for years. Right about that time I met Steven de Peven, who's also been a dear friend and inspiration ever since. In 2003 I met Tom Trago, we've been working in his studio a lot and he also turned to be one of my closest friends. I'll always play my tracks to these three cats first for their opinions and reflections on my music, before I'll offer it to a label.

Continue reading "In The Company Of: SAN PROPER" »

There's been a rumination around these parts that is slowly being recognised by our loyal site visitors. Yep, its true, the fabricfirst media section is once again firing on all cylinders and in a move that will hopefully make up for the lack of  audible streams over the last few months we're going to be summarising the content week by week right here.

So without further ado, head over to http://www.fabriclondon.com/fabricfirst/media to listen to exclusive streams from a generous plethora of artists who've graced our stages and booths recently.

Once there you will find:

Audio from our 10th birthday celebration back in October of last year, including sets from Michael Mayer, Rub N Tug, Doc Martin, Fred Everything and Andrew Weatherall.

Featured streams from drum & bass's young lifeblood Alix Perez, Rockwell and Consequence.

Exclusive live sets from Ninjasonik, Matt Tolfrey & Inxec, Apple Pips ableton wizard Al Tourettes and Detroit's Jimmy Edgar.

DJ sets from Tobi Neumann, Cooly G, Baobinga, The Revenge, Gatekeeper b2b Wedge amongst others.

-----

**Please note: you have to be a registered fabricfirst member to access this content.**

Thomas Muller was first consumed into the glitchy, dark and rhythmical realm of electronica after listening to the workings of Richie Hawtin’s popular alias Plastikman. Following his strength to spark a highly identifiable sound, it wasn't long until Berlin's BPitch imprint opened the floodgates and let Thomas jump the big techno waves alongside label boss Ellen Alien, Modeselektor, Kiki and Sascha Funke…to name but a few.

Joining the huge roster of artists for this weekend's On & On & On dance marathon, unsuspecting heads and feet will get delightfully pushed onwards by Muller’s heavily-detailed beats. Here we discover what makes the BPitch French native go On and On, with support from a pummeling promo mix taken live from the Boogybytes Release Party in 2008.

Download it HERE.

What track can you listen to on & on?
To Plastikman - consumed as one long track.

What club/party/festival can you play at on & on?
At the Panoramabar (Berghain) on a Sunday.

What BPitch story/memories can you listen to on & on?
BPitch Control Sonar Party 2009: Boat & the Beach. We arrived on the boat at 5am with the BPitch artists and the staff very sleepy. For ten hours we stayed on the boat. Totally sea sick. I played barefoot because Gabriel Annanda told me that I would feel better without my shoes and I was puking all the time before I started my live set. The DJ booth was on the top of the boat under the full sun. My eyes were bloody and the sun was darkening my laptop screen. But acutally the crowd had so much positive energy that it was a super good feeling and I played very well.

Then we all had to play on the beach behind the Barcelona Airport. Right after the boart party and with the same crew. We couldn't stand on the sand, the ground was moving and we had to grab something to hold on all the time, otherwise we would have fallen down on the ground like some alcoholics. It was a great souvenir with BPitch Control. There are probably still some crazy pictures online about this day.

Best BPitch party you played on & on?
Beghain BPC Showcase in 2009.

What DJ could you play with on & on?
Ellen Allien.

What friends would you take to the dancefloor on & on?
All of them and as much as I can.

“Wonky,” “glitch,” “blip-hop,” “the beat scene;” or – to put it a little more simply - a chorus of bleeps and blurps over disjointed breaks and sampled drums, resounding from smoky bedrooms and teenage myspace pages the world over. When it comes to this particular strain of seemingly new music, much has already been said and written, but very little has actually managed to decipher or to understand it. Dimlite is an artist whose work on the Sonar Kollektiv label allegedly laid the foundations for the current movement, spearheaded by people like Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke and Zomby; but it’s only recently that his connection to it has been revitalized and reclaimed.

Dimlite’s music has always been about swimming upstream, dabbling a little in those murky waters of off key sound textures, bringing together elements of darkness and shade. Much like the current crop of beat smiths irking out mixtapes and semi quantized productions there is no recognizable genre tag to mark Dimlite’s work, his sound has - and always will - exist in a wilderness of his own making, measurably isolated from the music of his closest peers

Perhaps his upbringing in rural Switzerland may offer some explanations; although very little personal information exists on the web about the artist born Dimitri Grimm. Locals will tell you he grew up in the countryside in the Swiss-German region of his native land, an area renowned for its spectacular natural beauty, superb cuisine, the impossible kindness and warmth of its villagers and the total and utter lack of any kind of contemporary club scene. Under the surface there is an alternative history however: a lively graffiti movement adorned every otherwise well-kept train station and concrete hard shoulder for miles, and Bern - where Dimlite is rumoured to have been based for a time - has a rich relationship with hip hop, remaining a popular tour-date for modern day hip hop icons such as J Dilla, due in part, no doubt, to the semi-legal availability of high quality marijuana there.

The key recordings that first broke Dimlite were two 12”s, ‘Sponsored By The Alphabet,’ released on the Zurich based label, A Few Among Others, in 2003 and a subsequent 6 tracker entitled ‘A/DD’ for Sonar Kollektiv. ‘Sponsored...’ was an underground smash at the time. Caned hard on the airwaves by Gilles Peterson, its popularity relied heavily on word of mouth as music fans enthused about an artist who sliced samples as thin as miniature cucumber sandwiches, whilst maintaing that Pete Rock bounce, that Marley Marl handclap and a sense of humour plucked straight out of The Goonies. ‘A/DD’ followed suit, quickly becoming a favourite of DJs seeking to bridge the gap between the gulfs of hip hop and electronic music – it was a fresh banger, reminiscent of Detroit hip hop and of what Dabrye had done with Instrmntl a couple of years earlier, but it had an offbeat sensibility all of its own. Dim subverted the beat to a different end, as if he was half Matthew Herbert and half Terry Riley, engineered by Dr Dre.

Dimlite’s production signifiers were born with these records – mechanical clicks, found sounds, distortions and details that make the beats stutter and whirr like mechanical toys; strange interruptions that break the mood sporadically, causing the track to collapse in on itself like a house of cards. Its hip hop, but not the type canonized by tastemaker publications of the time like The Source. It was hip hop for those with a sense of humour and a complete dislike for the banal, much like the work of the aforementioned Hudson Mohawke for Warp Records. With the gift retrospect it comes as no surprise that HudMo is one of Dimlite’s most ardent supporters and that the Glasgow Lucky Me collective has hosted him more times than they’ve had a deep fried mars bar.

Other key moments from Dimlite’s discography to check out would be the albums ‘Runbox Weathers’ and the follow up ‘This Is Embracing,’ both released on Sonar Kollektiv. The former is simply essential, in particular the awesome single ‘Back To The Universe,’ with the flipside ‘In Groups To The Hydrandd’ hitting so hard it could seriously bust your speakers (note: this track is where all that “godfather of wonky” rhetoric began, with the beat in question banging hard enough to move your neck autonomously but sounding puzzling enough to have you pressing rewind over and again to properly sift through the layers). Meanwhile ‘This Is Embracing’ pushes Dimlite’s loosening of the conventions of beat making to the max, with tracks like ‘Lullaby For Gastric Ulcer’ and ‘Cosmic Echoes In The Mockery Room’ sounding like John Cleese’s rubber face expressed as a post-modern work of musique concrete.

And whilst you’re shopping, check out the All City 7” ‘Quiz Tears’ - which seems to have passed everyone by last year; his remixes of the always over-emphasised but still very worthy Flying Lotus, and all the stuff he did under his Dadaist alter ego Misel Quitno, whose dress sense I seriously admire. A sense of fun, a disdain for the obvious and a fart in the face of rhythmic convention is what Dimlite is all about.

Now, dim the lites and lets listen...

Download: Dimlite - Béjart [Brainfeeder LDN Exclusive]






Catch Dimlite at RBMA presents Brainfeeder London next Wednesday (10/03) in Room One, appearing alongside Flying Lotus, Kode 9, The Gaslamp Killer, J Rocc, Martyn, Daedelus, Nosaj Thing and TOKiMONSTA.

Look out for a Dimlite project on Now-Again Records, which should be dropping any month now.

OK Go? Ok, no. I am not that much of a fan either but by crikey can they make a video.

This band may well have come to your attention when their clever use of a treadmill made viral waves a number of years ago...

Once again they have made a somewhat forgettable song unforgettable with a hugely entertaining video. Prepare to smile.

The Invisible, consisting of Dave Okumu, Tom Herbert and Leo Taylor first got together at the end of 2006 when working on Dave’s solo material. Instead of pursuing his solo work, the three London boys decided to form a trio and the stunning eponymous album that emerged from the process has already received massive acclaim from the NME, Q and BBC 6 Music receiving a Mercury Awards nomination as the campaign gathered steam.

Leading up to their eagerly anticipated live performance in Room Two this Friday - alongside Black Devil Disco Club, Late of The Pier, Trevor Jackson and Dissident's elusive Andy Blake - The Invisible have reached legend status around these parts by passing us this digital exclusive remix from Joe Hot Chip of their track 'London Girl'.

Download: The Invisible - London Girl (Joe Hot Chip Remix)



Here's the video for the original of 'London Girl':

If you’ve been looking at your Twitter, Facebook or even the newspapers in the last week you’ll undoubtedly have noticed that one of London’s most celebrated clubs, Plastic People, is under threat from closure by the Police due to an "abuse of licence" and reported "public nuisance." Described by goers as simply "four walls and a dancefloor," to many it's been a cultural gateway that has provided a musical education for the last 16 years. With the simple bar, wooden floor and a pitch-black dance floor lit only by a tiny red light above the DJ booth, it has played host to legendary London club nights such as Balance, The Blueprint Sessions and Co-Op. Home to the seminal club night FWD>>, it’s been the birth place for many of UK renowned bass music genres such as 2-step, garage, dubstep and funky. While also playing home to Non-Sense, CD-R, Gullyver, Warm and Voices Collective, DJs such as Theo Parrish, Four Tet, Erol Alkan, The Bug and Loefah have all held residencies there; not to mention the hundreds of influential DJs who’ve passed through its doors.

The support for the club's current plight has been immense; the Facebook group 'KEEP PLASTIC PEOPLE ALIVE' drew in over 13,000 members in its first week. The official online petition, launched as a result of the public outcry highlighted by the facebook group, currently stands with just over 4,000 signatures. Letters can be sent over to the ‘Friends Of Plastic People’ committee by anyone who wants to send over their message of support direct to the appeal board, and residents in the Hackney area can write directly to the council.

Join the Facebook group HERE to get all the information necessary to register your opinion; and sign the petition HERE.

Below we’ve gathered some quotes from our favourite journalists, DJs and regulars to the club, who have spoken out to give their messages of support.

Keep Plastic People alive.

Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points - Producer/DJ
“There isnt a single message from anyone that makes Plastic look like a place that would promote 'public disorder.' Plastic is a mecca for DJs, in that you are guaranteed that the people are there for the love of the music and the clarity of the soundsystem. I will not be alone in saying it is among one of the best clubs in the world, dedicated to advancing culture. It is like you're walking into your living room with an amazing soundsystem!”

DJ Zinc - Producer/DJ
“Definitely one of the best small clubs in the world.”

Melissa Bradshaw – Writer
“If Plastic were to close it would mean that the authorities in this country actively want to put an end to grass roots creativity. It would also mean that they'd take away what keeps young people occupied, inspires them, and helps them spread their wings. On a personal level I'd also be heartbroken - I can't imagine London without Plastic and I think I might not want to live here anymore.”

Gilles Peterson – DJ
“Best little club in the UK well, best little club in London - you can't dismiss Sub Club in Glasgow. These places are crucial to the well being of our cutting edge club culture, Plastic People has been the most vital club since the Blue Note shut down all those years ago a home to Dubstep (the UK's most serious musical export these last 5 years) and through Ade's approach and touch a club at the pinpoint of 'keeping things real' in the spirit of Larry Levan it must not close.”

Benji B – DJ
“London owes a lot to Plastic People and it will be incomprehensible for the city to lose such a free thinking and pure music space. It is absolutely ironic that the authorities should want to shut down a venue that is founded on such a positive vision. I for one will do everything in my power to try to ensure that this won't happen. If Plastic dies, Shoreditch is over for good, and London will never be the same again.”

Tony Nwachukwu - Producer/DJ/CD-R
“If Plastic was to close it would mean the death of quality music and sound in London. The support has been overwhelming and growing steadily, it proves just how much Plastic People has touched people.

Charlotte Kepel – Manager Plastic People
“Every time I log on, there are more and more people who've joined the Facebook group. I mean we knew people liked Plastic, but this massive support gives us real arguments to make us fight this revocation even more. We are a cultural venue, where music is the key. It would be great if the police could read all the messages.”

Continue reading "Save Plastic People - Sign The Petition, Y'all." »

Purveyors of all things bass-inclined, and fabric regulars ID & Baobinga (fabricfirst members check the audio page for an exclusive set from Bao from last Friday) have just released their fantastic ‘Bass Music Sessions’ album with a radical ‘pay what you like’ policy. You can download the album for whatever price you deem worthy, be it £100 or zilch, and all proceeds will be going to the Dove House Hospice in Hull, UK.

It is most definitely worth getting your hands on, and being as it is for a good cause and all, make sure to spread the word!

You can download the album from here:

http://label.bassmusicblog.com

…and you can read more about it here:

http://bassmusicblog.com

With support from the likes of 2562, Buraka Som Sistema, Claude Von Stroke, Jackmaster and Sinden you know it will be worth whatever you decide to pay!