Label: fabricScore: 7.5
Stating that Cassy’s repute as a DJ is near unblemished is less sycophantic praise than fact. From her residencies at Panoramabar, Trouw or Rex Club, to her regular appearances at DC-10 or The Warehouse Project, it’s rare to hear of a dud set or an off-night from the Austrian-raised DJ. Yet whilst her reputation for playing out is impressive, it is exceeded by her reputation for compiling jaw-dropping mix CDs. From the lofty inaugural Panorama Bar compilation to her subsequent mixes for the likes of Cocoon and Mixmag, Cassy has repeatedly exhibited a rare ability to channel contemporary club sounds into audio narratives perfectly suited for headphone listening.
As such, it’s somewhat baffling that, considering that fabric first began booking Cassy around 2003, it has taken the club as long as it has to commission her to take to the helm of their long running series. What’s more, with Cassy’s reputation for mixing as solid as it is and fabric fast-approaching their 150th mix compilation, the pairing feels significant. In a series which puts out a new compilation every month, fabric.71 feels like a momentous chapter.
Yet, listening to the opening of fabric.71 the term momentousness couldn’t be less apt. Arttu and Diamondancer’s sparse outing Tune In and the subsequent infant choir choruses of Kuumba Project’s Black Thoughts (Tribal Miz) cut a memorable introduction through their use of striking vocals, but beyond these opening tracks the mix quickly arrives at a rhythmic house aesthetic that dominates the first half of the album. Deep and hypnotic cuts from the likes of Norm Talley, Alex Cortex and ItaloJohnson seamlessly weave into one another, with the mix struggling to build any sense of momentum or liveliness.
It’s not until ten tracks in, with the arrival of Basic Soul Unit’s rib-cage rattling techno cut For Some that the mix offers anything that makes the ears prick up again. And from therein out fabric.71 is like a completely different mix. Seguing through some of the best techno and tech-house of the last few years, with ear-worms from Benjamin Damage, Losoul and Emptyset all getting an airing, the result is a smorgasbord of innovative sounds and infectious rhythms that zip along of their own impetus – Cassy’s masterful presence almost invisible. As Duster Valentine’s anthemic (My Back Is) Against The Wall brings the mix to a close, it’s difficult to imagine a finer conclusion to proceedings.
A glance at the tracklist reveals just how much consideration Cassy has put into fabric 71. The seventeen tracks, that span the breadth of the last decade in dance-music, are from fledgling and established producers alike. What’s more, with two exceptions, they are all the original studio versions rather than remixes or edits, versions as likely to be heard on albums as they are in clubs. It exemplifies the sense of aesthetic intention that oozes through the speakers as you listen to the finished mix. As such, whilst the opening half of the mix lacks the oomph or the interest of the dazzling second half, it feels somewhat churlish to chastise Cassy for her decision to keep the beginning slow and deep. This isn’t someone who doesn’t know their craft, but instead someone doing something different to what you might expect or want from a mix CD. ‘It is almost impossible to please everyone,’ Cassy openly states in the press notes for the compilation and, despite my own misgivings, perhaps that’s the whole point here.