Album Reviews

Album Review: Fabio and Grooverider – Masterpiece (Ministry Of Sound)

By | Published on Monday 29 November 2010

Fabio & Grooverider

A compilation of influences followed by a back-in-the-day mix from two of drum n bass’s biggest names. Hasn’t this format been flogged to death already?

This offering from MoS is spread over three discs. The first shows off Fabio’s influences, which is basically records from his rare groove collection. On the whole it is fairly hard to engage with – the stand out cuts being from Deodato, Willie Bobo, The OJs and Maze – but it defines his background clearly. Groove goes for more of an acid house collection, interestingly mainstream at points with Pete Heller’s ‘Big Love’ making an appearance and some dance classics which hit the charts also in there, including LFO’s earth shattering ‘LFO’, Orbital’s stunning ‘Chime’ and Leftfield’s ‘Not Forgotten’. Anthems ‘Strings Of Life’ and ‘Can You Feel It’ also appear.

Then onto the main event, the new drum n bass mix, which on first listen was standard fare for this type of compo – a crowd of usual suspects, and a couple of questionable ‘classics’ thrown in. Though on repeated review it improve. Highlights are Doc Scott’s ‘Far Away’, and the rework of Goldie’s awesome ‘Ghost’, then the killer bass of Dillinja and Lemon D’s ‘Angels Fell’ and ‘City Lights’ and the seminal Tom and Jerry (4hero) cut ‘Maximum Style’. It also drifts into more mellow territory with Uncut’s ‘Midnight’ and Carlito and Jaheim’s cuts.

On the whole, a diverse and interesting package, but not quite a masterpiece. PV

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