Various Artists
Fabric 57 – Mixed by Agoria
Fabric Records/Juno Records
Where would we be without the DJ? Probably still listening to Paul Revere sing “Cherokee Nation” on our Sears turntable. But out in the smoky depths of the London club scene, hardworking men and women with dark sunglasses and pasty tans from the blue LEDs behind a bar search the world to bring us interesting sounds, like Mr. Agoria (Sebastien Devaud). These 20 seamless tracks flow sans break from pleasant electro to insistent bongo to classic show tunes like “Night and Day.” Sure they’re sampled, sliced, diced, and turned on end, but snippets of these songs serve both as a backdrop to an evening and an introduction to interesting groups you might seek out to hear on your own – Clara Moto’s “Deer and Fox” might catch your ear, or the recurrent “Tree House” from Lil Tony could lead you into the dark corners of the Internet where the trendy music hides. Hip-hop is welcome, as long as it stays on the beat – DJ Kaos cycles the urban sound for “Horny Morning Loop.” Heavy breathing and moaning women appear magically on “Speechless” and fade into space sounds layered over a mild techno beat. Cool beans, these tracks, and worth a spin.
Fabric: http://www.fabriclondon.com • Juno: http://www.juno.co.uk
