(Fabric/Inertia)

Over a friendship spanning fifteen years, the names Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard have become synonymous with the quality and innovative music they’ve produced. At the time of their 1991 meeting Middleton was a classically trained pianist and cellist (with a penchant for 80’s synth pop), a padawan to electronic music wonderkid Richard James (Aphex Twin). Pritchard was a budding techno producer who with the success of a novelty techno release had just established his own label. Soon after they started producing under the name ‘Global Communication’ and in 1995 released their critically acclaimed ambient album ‘76:14’ (re-released in 2005). Throughout out the 90s the two released together and independently under a range of different aliases, including ‘Jedi Knights’, until George Lucas had a hissy fit in 1999, for their more club oriented releases. Though it’s clear through introductions to this album, and especially other Middleton releases, that the force still runs strongly through both of them.

Fabric 26 is aimed primarily at the dancefloor and pre 1999 would have seen this release as a ‘Jedi Knights’ branded affair. It’s a mix of hip hop, deep house, broken beat, electro and more, linked together by grooves influenced by jazz, funk and soul. Of interest is the fact that Pritchard is now based in Sydney whilst Middleton in London. Pritchard mixed the first half of the release before sending it to Middleton complete. Who said long distance relationships don’t work?

Pritchard’s half of the mix is dominantly hip hop based. It begins slowly with the warbling bass lines lines of Dabry’s No Child Of God and progresses through flavours of trip hop and urban tinged beats. Towards the end of his half, Pritchard lifts the tempo for the hand over to Middleton, the two crossing paths amongst some smooth broken beats. Whilst enjoying Pritchard’s selection, the one complaint is that it doesn’t develop enough in feel for a complete natural progression into Middleton’s half. Middleton defines his space and raises the bar with early tracks such as the deep house styled Motor City Soul’s Aura and the standout funk based Flookin’, by Solid Groove. Middleton maintains solid house driven rhythms, always keeping a deep and solid groove. He winds it all down with one of his own productions Margherita, under his producing name AMBA, a more downbeat and chilled affair.

It would have been great to see Fabric 26 a double disc release to enable both Pritchard and Middleton the space to better explore their own musical directions on a disc each. As is, it’s a quality release with plenty of variety that will ideally open listeners to some new music. However at the end of it all it leaves you wanting more.