Noisia / Various

Dutch broken beat trio Noisia provide another fine entry into the stalwart Fabriclive series. Kicking off with a rousing war cry sample "Cannonball!” from Will Ferrell in Anchorman, the first few tracks transition quickly with squelchy, rasping bass and a melodic high-end, in the form of dissonant intervals over tribal drum & bass beats. Their "Diplodocus” epitomises the comparatively playful running theme of the first section of the mix before the weird and disjointed grind of Spor’s "Claret’s March” sets the tone for the more sinister and futuristic soundscapes to come. "The Tide” then turns (fittingly) from down-tempo to a fully-fledged "Amen” break jungle affair as the sound continues to darken. Taking some relief with a brief excursion into Noisia’s perkier breaks sound, the album hits its high note with another mind-blowing production from Spor called "Mordez Moi” leading into Noisia’s equally excellent single "Seven Stitches.” Quickening the pace once more for the final ten tracks of the 29, there is more techy, industrial drum & bass, including Ed Rush & Optical and their remix of Moby’s "Alice.” Though a very intense and quick-shifting experience, Noisia bring something very interesting to the table with a sound breathing new life into a genre that seems lately to be struggling for ideas.