The Herbaliser/Various

Jake and Ollie come correct with the freshness on this one. The Herb’s scorching mix for Fabric is what their Solid Steel excursion should have been like, though the two series tend to call for different styles. This batch of blends is chock full of the finest hip-hop that the UK has to offer and their showcase really makes these jams shine bright bumped next to each other, never really letting the pace drop and using the British’s fondness for funk breaks take a front seat. Surprisingly there are very little cuts from Ollie Teeba or the overall cleverness that the Herbaliser usually throw into their projects. There’s also only a pair of mash-ups, though the Dynamic Syncopation pairing with RJD2’s "Ghostwriter” works extremely well and their re-working of DJ Format flies, though sadly removing Toronto MCs Abdominal and D-Sisive from the blend. Still, this collection all boils down to the choice of selections as the Herb serve fine quality from start to finish, even though things get a little weird near the end — but when was the last time you heard the incredible "I Got An Attitude” by Antoinette? Their transition from the under-appreciated "Play Dis One” by J-Rocc to Coldcut’s remix of Eric B & Rakim is ridiculously nice and their ultra funk Nextmen, Jackson 5 and Breakestra portion will easily rock your body. This easily eclipses their Solid Steel mix and is highly recommended for those who like to dance to their hip-hop, but as good as this Fabric mix is you just know that the Herbaliser still have their career highlight ahead of them.