Various Artists – Fabric 82: Art Department – (Fabric)
DMC World Magazine
After some murky white noise Art Department drop a deep beat – and Fabric 82 gets underway. After a second album release that didn’t perhaps get as good reviews as it might have done, it’s good to witness them in fine health, and as the mix progresses, with strong beats, fairly minimal, dark overlays and choice vocal snippets, the instinct is to stay close to the centre of the dancefloor. Brooks Mosher’s ‘Get Ready’ is an especially good choice, heard here in a Fred P. reshape, and his shimmering remake of Art Department’s ‘Cruel Intentions’ is good too – leading to a spell cast by NGLY’s ‘Service Cost’. The inclusion of Matthew Herbert’s ‘Deeper’, from his 1996 debut album ‘100 lbs’, is a reminder of his lasting influence, and paves the way for a strong closing section including Rick Wade, James Priestley & Marco Antonio and finally Basic Channel. Good, solid, deep – and with no pretence.
