Aim/Various

Andy Turner says he likes to be tucked away in room three when playing the Fabric club because he can get away with anything, and that’s probably for the best because mixing the likes of sad bastard James Yorkston and the Byrds alongside Ed O.G. and Da Bulldogs is not easy to swallow. Apart from a few daft selections, this Fabriclive mix from Grand Central’s Aim is a nice journey from some hip-hop heavyweights, including some incredibly underrated gems from Lewis Parker and the Boogiemonsters. The mix starts off correct with label-mate Tony D’s fantastic "Come Back at You,” followed nicely with Boards of Canada. After that the record runs to the end and you have to wonder if Turner left his post to take a wee, but he cues up Yorkston’s sleepy "St. Patrick” and your head now only bobs as you fight off falling asleep. Luckily, the DJ returns to the hip-hop on the very next track and keeps the joints on the jazz-influenced sound you recall from the early ’90s, keeping the beats per minute relatively low and dance floor surely clear. After breaking up the hip-hop party once again and dropping Tom Scott and the California Dreamer’s "Today,” even though it contains a masterpiece Pete Rock sample, this mix hits its peak with "Award Tour” by A Tribe Called Quest, making its millionth DJ set appearance and making way for some upbeat funk jams. Aim seems to just throw together the ending by slapping Ice Cube, the Byrds and one of Fingathing’s most chilled-out tunes to finish the show. Not exactly a mix that will blow your mind, but an interesting listen nonetheless and far better than Aim’s Stars on 33 mixing attempt.