FABRICLIVE 100: Kode9 & Burial

Resenha do Álbum

The final volume of the long-running Fabriclive series was mixed by the elusive Burial along with Hyperdub boss Kode9. Considering that Burial has yet to make a public appearance and his planned DJ-Kicks installment never materialized, all bets are off as to what can be expected from a Burial DJ set. Numerous selections on Fabriclive 100 were released on Hyperdub, making it seem like a partial showcase for Kode9's label, but the constant rainfall, crackle, submerged video game sound effects, cassette deck clicks, and ghostly voices heard throughout the mix all signify Burial's unmistakable presence. Additionally, the album is filled with sudden stylistic shifts and completely nonlinear segues, not unlike many of Burial's suitelike EP releases. Even though many of the selections can be described as dance music, this clearly isn't a mix designed to emulate a night out at a club. Rather, it's somewhere in between a manic late-night pirate radio session and a flood of flashback memories of several decades' worth of club experiences. While the mix begins with a blend of late-2010s international club sounds such as gqom and the work of the NAAFI collective, it derails into electroclash (Luke Slater's 2002 single "I Can Complete You"), breakbeat hardcore (Nut-E-1's "Underwater Fireworks"), and acid trance (the eponymous "Black Acid") at will. Smooth transitions are rare, and they're usually between footwork tracks. Even still, DJ Rashad's bittersweet classic "Let It Go" pops up halfway through, and while logic would dictate that the song be used as the mix's emotional centerpiece, it gets drowned out by fog almost immediately. A confounder rather than a crowd-pleaser, Fabriclive 100 is nevertheless a highly thought-provoking glimpse into the minds of two brave individuals who think very differently than anyone else.
© Paul Simpson /TiVo