Given the size of Kieran Hebden’s record collection, it should come as no surprise to learn that his contribution to Fabric Live is vibrant and original. It’s atmospheric, too, often panning out to widescreen breakdowns before closing in again on the beats. The beats themselves bring back strong reminders of ’90s London garage, updated with fresh ideas that branch out towards dubstep. Crazy Bald Heads, Floating Points and Caribou all work well earlier on in the mix, which then pans out to take in crowd noise from the club itself, a novel but effective move. There’s an appealing roughness to Hebden’s mixing, which might not please all the purists but which gives an essential live feel to the mix. More than most Fabric contributions, this is one set where you feel part of the crowd lapping it up – and when the bass lines start to cut from Burial and KMA, the party feeling really kicks in. This is a piece of work to really savour.
5 Out of 5
Reviewed By Ben Hogwood