Fabriclive 12

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Broken beat's detractors -- and there are many, whether they are truly familiar with it or not at all -- view the style as offering a cross between the worst of two worlds: the regressive smugness of acid jazz and the credibility-starved indulgences of musical drum'n'bass. You can't really blame them; after all, a small percentage of broken beat happens to fall dead in the middle of those two poles, and it should also be noted that the underground, alias-happy, somewhat faceless nature of the West London-centered scene makes it almost as outsider-friendly as early-'90s Detroit techno. So here's one of the highest-profile broken beat releases yet, provided by the best ambassadors imaginable. They deliver: Fabriclive.12 makes for the most accessible and emblematic release from the scene yet. While largely groove-based, broken beat thrives on complexities -- polyrhythms, clipped beats, uncommon time signatures; many tracks are liable to make you regret the fact that you're not octopedal, though you're rarely made to feel as if you're being challenged to stay on the dancefloor. From a DJ's perspective, stringing together an all-broken beat set is notoriously tricky. Though extended blends are virtually impossible, Bugz in the Attic provides a cunningly sequenced mix and makes the segues as natural and as easy as a stroll through the park. Upbeat and joyous throughout, the crew offsets all the established favorites (Seiji's tongue and leg-twisting Loose Lips, 4hero's remix of Focus' Fonda Rae-ripping Having Your Fun, Bugz' own remix of Vikter Duplaix's Looking for Love) with newer goods (DKD's stunning Future Rage, Afronaught's unsurprisingly dizzying remix of Alison David's Dreams, Troubleman's dub-funk hybrid Strike Hard), making the whole thing appeal to newcomers and insiders alike. The fact that the Neptunes remix of Daft Punk's Harder Better Faster Stronger can slip into the scheme only further demonstrates the contemporary and forward-looking qualities of the tracks surrounding it. This set also presents a convincing case for broken beat's lack of stuffiness and abundance of nuance. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi