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Although it would be hard to argue that the Fabric CD series has been anything other than vastly important for underground techno reaching a wider audience - some of the recent artists have been able to showcase styles further a field than the origins of Fabric on a Saturday night (and especially the foundations of room 2). This is no bad thing of course, but the arrival of a Marco Carola session, his first commercial mix project, is a most welcome reiteration of Fabric’s core. Carola has been a major player in the international techno scene, pushing high quality electronics through his various labels (such as Zenit and Question to name just two) since 1996. His creative 3 deck DJ sets have secured him a near god like status in Europe, and especially his home country of Italy - although he hasn’t had too much exposure in the UK. This will probably change however with the arrival of the latest Fabric instalment - where he crafts an impressive techno representation.
It has become a popular and rather predictable trend for techno DJ’s to shift towards stripped back sounds. And on first inspection it would appear that Marco Carola has followed this path also. However, anyone who has collected his work as a producer will know that this style transition from loops to experimental grooves preceded the mast minimal transformation within the techno community. Carola’s legendary Question series set the precedent for second generation loop techno, with ‘7th Question’ still one of the finest records of the era. The release of the ‘11th Question’ in 2004 proved to be the final instalment, and in a fitting farewell to the label redirected the Question concept via a shuffling and irresistible funky composition. It defied classification and became an instant classic in boxes of a wide selection of DJ’s including Slam, Richie Hawtin and Ivan Smagghe. Since the closure of Question, Carola soon began his next project entitled Domino, a multi-release conception that has been the source of ground-breaking expansive techno, well before most other DJ’s had even given Minus a second listen.
With such a solid past, expectations for this Fabric mix were high. And the early signs promised much. An expertly mixed intro, complete with skipping beats and bleeps from techno star Matt John blended nicely with the always-impressive French producer Chris Carrier. As the mix progressed the high standard of mixing became evident with each record seamlessly merged. To avoid monotony Carola selected varied records, with Gabriel Ananda supplying some chime-based techno with his mix of Marek Bois’ ‘You Got Good Ash’ on the inescapable Trapez.
A heavy bass theme rolled into action with the marching ‘I am… You!’ by Fusiphorm before the mood was taken deeper thanks to the promising Frozen North label. Frozen North has been a solid source for experimental tech house over the last 12 months and Marco Carola was wise to include some of their pioneering sounds. Timo Anttila’s ‘Nakuta’ finely combines the sub level drone of heavy minimalism with the traditional house swagger of Chicago. It would appear that a modern techno mix is not complete without a presentation from Patrick Skoog’s ultra hip We Are series. Tracklist:
01 - Matt John - Io - Underl_ne
02 - erikOtanabE - Eclat and Prudo (Alfa Romero Rmx) - MiniSketch
03 - Chris Carrier - Sure Shot - Adult Only
04 - Marek Bois - You Got Good Ash (Gabriel Ananda Rmx) - Trapez
05 - Fusiphorm - I am...you! (Someone Else Rmx) - FoundSound
06 - Timo Anttila - Nakuta - Frozen North
07 - Barem - Cilindro - FoundSound
08 - Mathias Kaden - Snowman - We Are
09 - Paco Osuna - Cretine - Plus 8
10 - Fraktion - Acidrop - Resopal Schallware
11 - Marc Houle - Kicker - Minus
12 - Audio Werner - Onandon - Perlon
13 - Dolly La Parton - Whenever - Bemysheep
14 - Microfunk aka 2000 and One and Dave Ellesmere - Pecan - Remote Area Records
15 - Details - Change - Loose
16 - Dario Zenker - newbe (Heartthrob’s are u gay Remix) - Esperanza
17 - Ernie - Escarabajos - Signs Of Authority
18 - Alex Smoke - Plunder – Soma |
Here Kaden’s ‘Snowman’ funks along nicely with a slower groove. Things don’t slow down for long though, as Barcelona’s finest resident DJ Paco Osuna adds some well-timed techno to the proceedings via ‘Cretine’ on Plus 8. It is a big step for Osuna to release on a worldwide platform like Plus 8 but his hypnotic track with distorted builds and simple bass riffs is good enough to make him a international star.
‘Acidrop’ from Fraktion continued the hypnotic feel before Marc Houle’s ‘Kicker’ injected a devastating bassline. The ‘Kicker’ stole the show until the post Detroit melodies of Audio Werner transformed the atmosphere once more. The German producer’s ‘Onandon’ track signalled the start of the final and strongest part of the mix that takes in the strangely named Dolly La Parton with ‘Whenever’ before one of the biggest techno records of the year drops into the arrangement. Every techno DJ on the planet has hammered Microfunk’s ‘Pecan’ over the summer and it sounds just as good on this CD as it did at the closing of Sonar and at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. The mix closes with a more experimental edge thanks to Signs of Authority artist Ernie recycling Motor City elements in a dubbed track called ‘Escarabajos’. It is a lovely end, and together with the undisputed talent of Alex Smoke, leaves the listener totally enthralled.
Fabric 31 is without doubt an accomplished and enjoyable journey. However, given that Marco Carola is genuinely forward thinking in his productions and keen to realise something different within his sound, rather than simply transferring to the minimal blueprint, the over-riding feeling taken from this mix is slightly negative. Apart from his unquestioned ability to mix the tracks on offer, the same results could have been reproduced from the hands of any other minimal techno DJ or loop convert. The mix is good enough, outstanding for another DJ even but as a fan of Marco Carola since the first days of Design a sense of disappointment prevails. Fabric 31 doesn’t do his vision and innovation justice. But don’t let this put you off - it you are looking for an excellent techno DJ then this mix and his live performances come highly recommended. If, however, you are searching for the innovation and creativity he has continuously displayed in his productions then you will not find it here.
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