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Album Reviews
Album Review: Various Artists – Fabriclive 58: Goldie (Fabric)
By Paul Vig | Published on Tuesday 26 July 2011
In the drum n bass world there is probably no bigger figurehead than Goldie. From his junglist origins nearly two decades ago, this larger than life character has continued to innovate and impress (and occasionally dance), while still keeping his hand on the tiller at his Metalheadz label. Here he presents a Frabriclive mix, a whistle stop tour featuring 27 cuts, at least half of which come from his own label. On first listen it doesn’t feel especially earth shattering, though on repeated listen it is more complex than I first thought.
In terms of the tracks chosen, they are variable. The melodic textures of Marcus Intalex featuring SPY early on in the mix work well, but then we stumble onto average fodder with Enei’s ‘One Chance VIP’. And while we get the 1996 classic ‘Metropolis’ from Adam F, and Youngman’s ‘Hold It’, a truly anthemic track, not everything reaches those peaks. That said, there is plenty of variety here, and while the highlights may come from nostalgia, the mix isn’t entirely rooted in the past, the Mikals track ‘Higher Forces’ bringing some more recent dubstep into the proceedings. And, to be fair, it’s that variety that means this record improves on repeat listening.
So, not an instant classic, but a possible grower from Goldie. PV
