Few DJ mix series have managed to weather the storm of the shift to digital music and the rise of streaming. One of the rare exceptions has been London's acclaimed Fabric series; more than just a calling card for the club and its regular DJs, the compilations have helped define the Fabric experience and demonstrate the club's willingness to continue to break new ground musically while reinforcing connections between the past, present and future.
More than just someone who DJs at the club, Matt Tolfrey has been integral over the last decade in shaping the tech-house sound coming out of London. Shifting between exclusive material from his Leftroom label, classic cuts like Doc Martin & Eddie Amador's dub of Aaron Carl's "My House" and more recent material by Genius of Time, Kevin Yost and Phil Weeks, Tolfrey's deep, trippy and sometimes quirky style behind the decks shines through on Fabric 81. Tracks like Gregorythme's loopy house thumper "(R)evolution" becomes almost hypnotic in Tolfrey's hands, as the skilled DJ lets the mix ride before effortlessly shifting into Pure Science's bubbling jam, "It's Magic." While Tolfrey's contribution may not be in the upper echelon of Fabric mixes, it holds its own among some of the best over the last few years of the series.
(Fabric)More than just someone who DJs at the club, Matt Tolfrey has been integral over the last decade in shaping the tech-house sound coming out of London. Shifting between exclusive material from his Leftroom label, classic cuts like Doc Martin & Eddie Amador's dub of Aaron Carl's "My House" and more recent material by Genius of Time, Kevin Yost and Phil Weeks, Tolfrey's deep, trippy and sometimes quirky style behind the decks shines through on Fabric 81. Tracks like Gregorythme's loopy house thumper "(R)evolution" becomes almost hypnotic in Tolfrey's hands, as the skilled DJ lets the mix ride before effortlessly shifting into Pure Science's bubbling jam, "It's Magic." While Tolfrey's contribution may not be in the upper echelon of Fabric mixes, it holds its own among some of the best over the last few years of the series.