Review – Art Department compile Fabric 82

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Title: Fabric 82: Mixed By Art Department
Label: Fabric
Cat No: FABRIC163
Released: 22/06/2015
Genre: House/Techno

Fabric, the club and the series has been an embodiment of creativity, and this 72 minute mix has been an incredibly special one. While Kenny Glasgow, one half of Art Department, recently announced his departure from the outfit to pursue a solo career, Jonny White takes the reigns to deliver this carefully created compilation.

The 17 tracks that have been chosen showcase a wide variety of sounds, from Basic Channel’s ‘Mutism’, which open and close the mix, there’s a beautiful mix of new and old sounds that elevate the compilation to new heights. When listening to the mix in its entirety, it is evident that there’s a dubby, fresh groove and a few vocally inspired tracks as well.

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Tracks like Frank & Tony’s ‘Villa Seurat’ and Rick Wade’s ‘Wired’ bring in a nice jacking groove and are the more contemporary tracks on the compilation, but blend in beautifully with the more classic sounding ‘Hip Flexer’ by Mr. G. Art Department’s collaboration with Seth Troxler titled ‘Cruel Intentions’ given a solid remix by Fred P. sees heavier drums coupled with floating synth lines that transform the track into a headier version of the original. If that doesn’t make you dive into the mix, there’s also NGLY’s ‘Service Cost’ that quite simply is a dirty take on House and Techno complete with analogue samples. It’s evident that there is a headier, more bass laden vibe as the mix furthers in.

Having said that, another standout track is UK Based Nitejams’ ‘Untitled’, which has a lighter house groove, and some luxurious melodic pads. This track comes in towards the end of the mix and it actually feels as though you are nearly done listening to this glorious compilation.

It was uncertain as to how Jonny would take forward the Art Department ‘sound’ so to speak, however, from listening to this compilation a few times I can safely say that he has carefully structured this mix in such a way that you can hear semblances of the original Art Department outfit, but also a slightly different approach to give the listeners an indication that Jonny is encompassing a more creative approach. The track list for this compilation is solid and I believe that it will be well received by fans of the original duo. Personally, I’d give this one a spin at any time of day… 5/5!


About the Author

Shilpa’s love of dance music is vast and it spreads across many different styles. Before becoming a writer you’d find her on the dancefloor shaking a leg while her favourite DJs were working their magic. 7 years ago she decided to combine her love of dance music and her love of writing and began to document her experiences and the music she is a firm advocate of, and has since then written with some pretty heavyweight publications.