FabricLive 57 - Jackmaster
A quick introduction to both aspects of this album.
FabricLive is a monthly compilation album - released by London nightclub Fabric - which is mixed by various high profile DJ's in a variety of different genres. Alternating monthly with a partner compilation simply called fabric, the mixes often incorporate genres inside the Electronic genres more commonly, ranging from House music to Hip Hop and Dubstep.
Jackmaster is a Glaswegian DJ who was recently voted as the best breakthrough DJ in 2010 for his exciting and varied sets which can grip a listeners attention for hour upon hour. Mixing retro styles such as disco and 80's and 90's classics into the underground genres of today with Dubstep and Grime featuring prominently alongside UK funky, techno and 2-step in his wide spectrum of genres mixed in. It is no surprise that Jackmaster is causing quite a stir in the electronic music scene and garnering praise from some of the most respected figures in the scene. An interesting array of different music stylings along with some innovative and attention-grabbing mixing on his behalf makes sure that a mix for a highly regarded compilation series promises very good things.
It is obvious from the first beat of the mix that there are big things ahead as Jackmaster starts with an 80's club anthem in "Release Yourself" a track of the once flatmates of Jimi Hendrix - Aleem. An upbeat and retro start to the album starts to blend itself into more underground sounding, timeless sounds of 80's dance music as the music takes a turn towards Model 500 and the massive club mix of Kim English's tune "Nite Life". It is at this point where the album starts to turn towards the music that is made at this point in time to destroy the dancefloor and one of the highlights of the album is produced when Jackmaster mixes into "2 4 6" by Geiom (ft. Terrible Shock) as the mix starts to touch tunes with licks of Dubstep and Grime all over them. This vibe is continued throughout the mix in different capacities, including highly acclaimed producers such as SBTRKT and Addison Groove.
It is then that the mix starts to go back into the old-skool Garage and House feel that was previously present as another killer tune in Wookie's remix of Sia's "Little Man" brings about a short but sweet breakdown at around the half-way mark of the mix. The mix moves into more rave vibes as The Outlander's tune "Vamp" is faded into the mix over DJ Deeon's "Freaks" at which point the music moves into it's final sages with a indefinite jump-up straight-out dance feel to the closing stages. With 90's breakbeats and early 00's underground bangers the mix descends into a high pace adrenaline filled last section of massive tunes, which would still have their desired effect in nightclubs today as they would have done back when they were released in a more dance music orientated era.
The last few tunes are a show of Jackmaster's varied music choices in the mix as the last few bars of Aphex Twin's "VBS.Redlof.B" (under the AFX alias) fade out - the grime flavours of well renowned artist in the genre Skepta merge into the mix. This takes the album once again from Acid House and Techno tunes back into the new upcoming nightclub genres with a Grime pioneer before switching sweetly to a new take on the 2-step garage movement. The soulful falsetto crooning of Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke floats wonderfully over the dark vibes created by the ambient tone of the brilliant "Idioteque" - a song with a very deep dark garage feel and with aspects of dubstep combining to create a perfect conclusion to a fantastic mix.
Jackmaster lives up to his reputation as the most exciting breakthrough mix with this stunning installment in the FabricLive compilation series. A word I've used alot in this article is the word 'vibe' and the word sums up the mix as the album creates a vibe which is fitting to any atmosphere be it and nightclub scene or just a casual listening session, this mix would fit almost any "vibe". The mixing to string together the intricate selection of quality tunes both new and old is flawless and it can often be so strong that it is hard to tell even whether you've entered the next song or not. All in all this is one of the heaviest and classic mixes I can remember hearing for a long time and Jackmaster has done himself a lot of favours in enhancing his reputation and status in an ever-growing bass culture that is now blossoming with new and old genres boasting some of the worlds most exciting music producers and DJ's. This mix is a brilliant showcase of music in the genres that Jackmaster chooses to represent and this is an album that every person should at least hear once and own a copy of, a really fantastic collection of music.
