Goldie: Fabriclive 58

goldie, fabric, fabricliveGoldie: Fabriclive 58
When I think of the most exclusive DJ mixing compilation series out there, two come to mind: DJ-KiCKS and Fabric series. Despite having reviewed several DJ-KiCKS compilations, I have never reviewed a Fabric release until now. The latest of the Fabric releases is an exclusive live mix from British DJ, Goldie.
Goldie is considered one of the Godfathers of drum and bass. His early albums, most notably 1995’s Timeless, essentially defined the genre. Perhaps that is why it is no surprise that Goldie’s Fabriclive set is mostly populated by the latest and greatest in drum and bass.
When I say “the latest and greatest,” I mean it. No track on the album has a copyright of earlier than 2010 except for Goldie’s 1995 classic “Timeless” which he ends his set with. Before “Timeless,” Goldie puts forth over an hour of non-stop breakbeats and blasts.
The mix is surprisingly diverse as Goldie does not overly focus on artists on his Metalheadz label. Instead he pulls from all walks of drum and bass, allowing for poppier tracks to mingle with darker tracks.
Besides the track selection, what struck me about the set was Goldie’s mixing. Often Goldie’s mixing is hamhanded and awkward at best. He gives S.I.N. & Mutated Forms‘s “Right Now” an awkward and premature cut off to start up Fresh‘s “Gatekeeper.” Other tracks, he lets play out for an exorbitantly long amount of time like Marcus Intalex‘s “Celestial Navigation” which gets almost a full five minutes.
Despite the faults in mixing, Fabriclive 58 showcases a vibrant drum and bass scene. I, like I assume many others, have not listened to drum and bass since the 90s but Goldie shows that the genre is far from dead. For new listeners to the genre or old listeners looking to come back, Goldie’s Fabriclive set is a great place to start.
Rating: 7.5/10
MP3: Goldie “Timeless” Removed by Request
Buy: iTunes or Insound!

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