The Scratch Perverts Fabric Live 22 (mixtape)
Over the last 5 years Fabric have built a reputation as the club of choice for many heads in London and over the world, regularly putting on acts that go on to great things and becoming a spot where fans of this thing called DJ culture can come and enjoy the work of some of the finest spinners the world knows today. In that time they have also become the main residence for the longest running, and some may say the most famous, UK DJ crew: The Scratch Perverts. Having slimmed from a line up of 8 to a strong core of 3, Tony Vegas, Primecuts and Plus One regularly grace the Fabric rooms with their skilfully honed and world known sets, incorporating all the music they love and showing that in addition to having turntable and production skills, they also have an incredible knack for making people move and sweat like no one else can. In the last few years Fabric also started their own series of mix CDs, with the Fabric live series representing their famous Friday nights, axed towards dnb, hip hop and breaks. At the time it was for many just another sign that Fabric was one of those superclubs destined for failure in the post-club culture heydays, yet the success of the series and the constant strength of the club have proved those nay sayers wrong and given the public a nice selection of what the Fabric sound is all about, including an offering from the legendary John Peel (RIP). But there was one thing missing from the Fabric live series, and that was a serving from the Perverts, who as residents are perfect examples of the diversity Fabric live is all about.
Well the wait is finally over… and it’s over in true Pervert style. The 22nd offering in the series sees them step up to deliver a very fine mix of what the Perverts at Fabric is all about: some classic hip hop, some homegrown hip hop, some rock, some bugged out breaks and a good dose of break neck speed drum n bass to top the lot. In over an hour and 25 tracks Fabric Live 22 brings to your stereo or headphones a taste of why the Perverts are known as some of the best club DJs today. Throw in some exclusive tracks from their forthcoming album and you’ve got a package you just can’t resist. Ty, Masta Ace, Skinnyman, Foreign Beggars, Dynamite MC, Roots Manuva, The Roots, Mr. Scruff, The Perceptionists, Dilated Peoples, Kanye West, Wiley, Die & Skitz, the list goes on and it reads like a fan’s dream line up. What makes this mix stand out as well is the fact that it’s not as you might expect too heavy on the scratching front, with the Perverts happy to deliver some fine ass mixing with the right amount of cuts to keep it interesting and head bopping. It all starts in fine hip hop fashion, hopping between old and new cuts, UK and US, taking a detour through grimey and breakbeat territory, stopping by in UNKLE land, taking a break with Ian Brown and Radiohead (including an exclusive remix of Ian Brown by the Perverts) before churning on to the end in high speed mode as they mash some of the best drum n bass of the last year. Taking people on a ride may be a mix cliché these days, but this mix really is a ride, and a damn fine one at that.
And it’s not just the exclusives, the selection or the mix that make this CD a must for anyone who’s ever seen them live, been to the club or not had the chance to sample their sets or the venue, it’s also the little things like their mashing up of Clipz’s ‘Slippery Slope’ at 3 different speeds or the way they make accapellas ride from one track to the next in a way that makes you go ‘why didn’t I think of that before?’ Hate them or love them, the Scratch Perverts have changed what DJ sets are about and have shown that life after DJ battles can be healthy and wholesome. And with this mix they’re showing that it’s going to be a while before their title of undisputed club heavyweights is snapped from under their fingers.
- Kper
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