As Fabric close in on their century, Sasha takes the reins for a compilation straight from the heart, capturing his own style of DJing specific to the club. It is an offering that ranges from dreamy broken beat to some pretty full blooded house, always with a melodic thread but shifting shapes and moods in an instinctive way. A pair of Agnes Obel mixes start us off, setting the atmospheric scene, but it’s not long before the rolling beats of Marbert Rocel give a really strong foundation to the mix. Whitesquare’s ‘Abraxas’ and Crowdpleaser’s ‘After Rhône 2013’ make an especially strong showing midway through, while the pairing of Exercise One & Mathew Jonson (‘Lost Forever In A Happy Crowd’) and Sasha himself (the Fabric mix of ‘Smoke Monk’) is irresistible. All this builds towards an awesome closing pairing, the orchestral version of Carl Craig’s ‘At Les’ showing Sasha’s awareness of bigger, more analogue textures before we segue into his own mix of Baile’s ‘Amae’. A mix that delivers on every level, justifying its considerable hype as one of the compilations of the year.
Ben Hogwood
5 out of 5
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VARIOUS ARTISTS – FABRIC 99: SASHA
