Martyn / Various

Martyn's productions are hard to pin down to a single style, so it's no wonder his Fabric mix doesn't default to a single genre either. Though his debut album was described as dub-step, it seems the experimental artists in that field use its tempo and sonic vocabulary as a launching pad into other ideas. Such is the case here. This sounds like the work of a seasoned DJ: there are clear references to the big, bullying house music that became so prevalent in large rooms in England in the '90s, alongside more esoteric and angular rhythms. The mix never dwells on these rhythms too long ― only one song separates Martyn's own hard driving "Is This Insanity?" from the syncopated ambience of Actress's "Slow Jam." Throw in some neither fish nor fowl beat constructions by the likes of Zomby, 2562 and Hudson Mohawke, and a wide range of contemporary electronic dance music makes an appearance, from funky urgency to cool techno-dub. The mixing (all live, apparently) is solid but not flashy.