- Of the three Hessle Audio founders, Kevin McAuley is the quiet one. As a DJ he's often overshadowed by Ben UFO, and his productions are less recognizable than Pearson Sound's, even if they do a better job at synthesizing disparate ideas into wot-do-u-call-it club jams. Pillaging grime as much as techno, his work is defined by its assertive syncopation. His DJ sets, on the other hand, have crept ever closer to straight-up techno, something Fabriclive.73 makes clear. Collecting bits from the likes of Shifted, Oscar Mulero and Tripeo, McAuley avoids treading the same scorched earth as many of his UK peers. Instead, he keeps his signature bounce in place, with creative mixing that makes every track sound like it could be one of his own.
For a techno mix, Fabriclive.73 is a surprisingly breezy affair. That might be hard to imagine with an opening section that includes artists like Lee Gamble and Reeko, but with McAuley at the controls, things stay buoyant, shaken up by key inclusions from Manni Dee, the Livity Sound boys and Hodge. His flow is top-notch, too: the mid-section dips into svelte melodies, capped off by Pearson Sound's show-stopping synth melt "Starburst," while the second half makes up for lost time with a punchy run that begins with Speedy J and hurtles through Truncate and Pfirter.
Even these later moments, where the tracklist starts to read like a CLR podcast, still feel funky. Much as Ben UFO did with lo-fi house on Fabriclive 67 last year, Pangaea provides a 360-degree look at techno that fits comfortably into Hessle Audio's open-ended world. McAuley's music has always been hard to categorize, from the sad garage of his self-titled EP to the razor-edged junglisms of Release, but Fabriclive.73 finally puts a stamp on it: techno with a twist. After an underwhelming year for mix CDs in general, fabric has kicked off 2014 with a spring in its step.
トラックリスト01. Pangaea - Recreational Slumming
02. Lee Gamble - Plos 97s
03. Reeko - Momentum
04. Hodge - Resolve
05. Shifted - Untitled B2
06. Mystica Tribe - His Temple
07. Manni Dee - Romantic Self
08. Tripeo - Untitled #5
09. MGUN - Blunt Run
10. The Sun God - Maum
11. Stenny & Andrea - SEA (The Time Gate)
12. Psyk - Arcade
13. Mumdance & MAO - Truth
14. Adam Jay - Refraction
15. Pearson Sound - Starburst
16. Kobosil - Osmium
17. Pev & Kowton - End Point
18. Forward Strategy Group - Clean Neckline
19. Speedy J - Something For Your Mind (Exposure Remix)
20. Bleaching Agent - 37ml
21. Truncate - Bodega V2
22. Marco Shuttle - I Wanna Dance… In Outer Space
23. Drumcell - Disturbance (Pfirter Remix II)
24. Imaginary Softwoods - Crystal Pond
25. Alex Falk - PTR
26. Oscar Mulero - 46 (Antaganists Mix)
27. Astronomical Telegram - Near-Heart Object (Stanislav Tolkachev Heavy and Unusual Remix)