inthemix | Music News | Various Artists

When you see a series get into double digits, it’s hard to remove the stigma that it is starting to “get on in the years”. Think about the first Police Academy movie, it was awesome. But Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow was not so great… Likewise, Sonic the Hedgehog, the latest being number eight, is a sad and sallow reflection of its former glory. So when you see that Fabric has now hit number 40 in it’s CD series, it’s kind of hard to not think that maybe it’s all gone on a little too long. Fortunately, music mixes don’t usually suffer the same fate as games and movies, and with a DJ like Mark Farina at the helm the quality is assured.

This mix sees Farina throwing together his signature house sound, including the more recognisable names like DJ Sneak and Derek Carter, along with what he says are more obscure selections. I have to admit, I wouldn’t really know (not being the an ardent house fan), but a quick Google search came back with very interesting info. Ricardo Rae is a chap from Queensland, although you wouldn’t pick it from his chunky beats. Giom is from France via the UK. Some of it is older stuff, too, like Mood II Swing, whilst some of it just has an old school vibe, like the Lawnchair Generals with Broke Acid. It’s not just the usual “Chicago” sound for 60 minutes non-stop, either, and I think it’s this wide expanse of music that makes the CD so damn listenable.

The mixing, as to be expected, is truly sublime. Farina plays snippets of other tracks and samples throughout the mix, it’s his hip hop roots showing, and it helps to create something greater than the usual house compilation CD. My favourite mix has to be Last Word by Johny Fiasco, Mood II Swing Closer, and James Curd’s Pick Up What I’m Putting Down. It has a soulful croon throughout that says “Pick Up”, which is teasingly mixed with the chorus “Pick Up What I’m Putting Down”, dropped all the way through the three tunes until the chorus kicks in proper.

I admit I was conflicted when first putting my hand up to review this CD. Mark Farina is a damn good DJ, I loved his Mushroom Jazz releases from a few years ago, so knew I was in for something better than average. But, as I’m not generally a great fan of house music, I wasn’t expecting this release to live on in my collection. Fortunately I am happy to admit I was wrong, and that Fabric 40 is rather good. Actually, it’s more than that, it’s quite possibly one of the best house mixes I’ve ever heard. Fabric, only maturing with age.