The Duke Dumont/ Various

UK DJ the Duke Dumont got his introduction to production at age 16 using Music 2000 on the Playstation. When spinning records and making mixtapes became less cool, the artist kept at it, and after winning a music competition (from Diesel in 2006), beat mixing became a full-time job. His new FabricLive mix is a grinding progressive journey of underground house and techno. First song "Come Into My Life" by Saturn V teams rolling percussion with tech-y vocals and artsy bass. Followed by Vincenzo's remix of Audio Soul Project ("Reality Check"), the record turns in the direction of self-reflection, exploring the question of "why do we dance?" using vocal effects similar to Frank the scary bunny from Donnie Darko. Argy & the Martinez Brothers join crunchy beats with sampled, soulful vocals and a fresh perspective on "Debbie Downer." Green Velvet's "They Came From Outer Space" frighteningly peaks the record, the beat rising to repeated crescendos with scary accuracy amongst chaotic noise. The disc slowly transcends to a kind of natural calm that culminates in last track "Landscapes" by Idioma. FabricLive 51 relays creative club sounds in one continuous mix, presenting a clear unification of diverse sounds through subtle changes.