'FABRICLIVE 27' is a fiery mix that could ignite any club atmosphere - a delightfully engaging juxtaposition where Ananda Shankar meets Lyrics Born and Def Jux gets introduced to Ellen Mcilwaine. The mix kicks off with Format's own funk-charged '33% B-Boy,' hops smoothly into scratches and loops from Ugly Duckling, and cuts to Lyrics Born's attention-stealing, freewheeling, hypnotizing, mesmerizing technique of setting words to flight. On '3ft Deep,' Abdominal and D-Sisive charm the bassline with their playful eloquence, illustrating their audible synergy with Southampton's favourite producer. Just as the mix seems dominated by beat juggling, b-boy breaks and cut n paste samples, Nostalgia 77 alluringly sweeps in with his beauteous 'Changes.' Thereupon Format transports the mix back to a time when the roarin' 60s soul movement was in full swing, when Ella's slinky phrasing and powerful intonation ruled the charts and Nina Simone's passion and tremolo were righteous reasons for celebrity status. The mix sublimely exposes modern hip hop's unsung influences as it soars alongside the masters' masterpieces. The soul-drenched blend is fuelled by wah wah guitars, jazzy syncopations, funky basslines, emotive vocals, wailing, jazz organs, crashing symbols, wild snares, bold brass blares, and even a sitar. It ends with the lavish contralto of Cleo Laine easing the way into Edan's genre-clashing 'Rock N Roll,' proof that all those "music back in my day..." musings are as irrelevant as the whereabouts of a producer's upbringing. It's all relative. As Ms Fitzgerald once said - "It isn't where you came from, it's where you're going that counts."