DJ-mix series come and go, but the paired Fabric and FabricLive mixes have so far issued 80 CDs. To see how they stack up as a whole, we’re reviewing them in numerical order, and very loosely: in some cases I will only have played the mixes only two or three times.

Fabric 04: Tony Humphries (May 2002)
Humphries is widely referred to as “the godfather of the New Jersey sound,” meaning he plays house with deep roots in the Paradise Garage: jazzy, R&B-rooted, heavily American with occasional strays into Euro territory–in this case, Dub Taylor’s “I Can’t (You Know),” which in its lightly arty way aspires to be included in the mixes of DJs like Humphries. But it’s the “jazzy” that gets in my way here: Humphries’ selections have a few too many prancing Rhodes keyboard vamps to suit me. Added to the anonymous divas and tasteful envelope filters, even when done well, as on Soldiers of Twilight’s “Drive On” or Mimmo M. ft. Sandy’s “I Miss You (Air-Knee’s Jazz to Face Mix),” they make something rather bland.

FabricLive 04: Deadly Avenger (June 2002)
You know, maybe I’m not so fascinated anymore by AV8 Records-style hip-hop cut-up tracks. Just sayin’.