Jimmy Edgar is probably better known as an artist and producer than a DJ, but he has a very strong connection to his Detroit heritage, as the collaborative mix project with Derrick May, ‘We Love…Detroit’, revealed. This mix for Fabric is a lot more self-indulgent – but this is a good thing, Edgar focusing on a lot of his own productions to build a mix that makes a strong impact. What he does especially well here is bring together snippets of speech to brilliant effect, so we get the commands of ‘Submission’ (Truncate & Edgar), ‘Tik Tok’ (a new Edgar track), ‘Work It’ (Crystal Bandito) and Edgar’s ‘Play’. The last two are combine in thrilling fashion as one mixes into the other. This is an excitable mix and often a bundle of energy, really hitting its stride when Crystal Bandito gets involved, while Edgar weighs in with ‘Fern Portal’ and ‘Feel So Free’. Meanwhile the double ’Uranus’ hit from Kris Wadsworth near the end seals the deal. When it could have been so easy for Edgar to look back with rose tinted spectacles, he’s done what Detroit musicians are best known for doing – looking forward. It works well here.
5 out of 5
Reviewed by Ben Hogwood
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