- Cassy Britton has a unique position in electronic music. Like many of her Ibiza-friendly peers, she spent much of her early career as a bastion of house purism, representing for the likes of Panorama Bar and Perlon in dingy clubs and afterhours across Europe. These days, though, you're more likely to find her inside DC-10 than Berghain, and this change is reflected in her sound. The smooth, low-slung minimalism of her stellar Panorama Bar 01 mix seems to have been largely replaced by a more hard-hitting and accessible palette, more suited to the festival stages she now frequently finds herself on.
It comes as no surprise, then, that fabric 71 is glossy and upbeat. The staunch monologue on Artu's "Tune In" gets things underway with a bang, and is followed by Kuumba Project's choir-sampling "Black Thoughts." The mix kicks into gear courtesy of "Mare010" from Livio Imrprota, followed by a string of loopy, groove-led cuts from Norm Talley, ItaloJohnson and Freestyle Man. Each transition is long and smooth, creating a no-frills ride to the mix's first big-room moment: Pachanga Boys' rework of John Talabot's "When The Past Was Present."
This is when fabric 71 really gets going. Affie Yusuf's slamming "Bring You Techno" is one of the mix's choice cuts, heavily swung and full of energy. The digitised melody of Losoul's "Brain Of Glass" gives way to another standout selection, "Landwehr" from Marco Zenker. It's a track that's been doing the rounds since its release this time last year, and, despite its toughness, it slots in nicely here. The ensuing 20 minutes are the mix's most varied, with Britton stitching together the square waves of Emptyset, Benjamin Damage's piano house and subaquatic minimal of Todd Sines' rework Adam Marshall's 2008 track "Thelon."
Despite the large scope of the selections here, fabric 71 feels completely coherent. If anything, it proves that, regardless of context, Cassy can put together an impressive set. It might not be the timeless effort Panorama Bar 01 was, but fabric 71 is an enjoyable ride nonetheless, helmed by a jock who very clearly knows what she's doing.
Tracklist01. Arttu feat. Diamondancer - Tune In
02. Kuumba Project - Black Thoughts (Tribal Mix)
03. Livio Imrprota - Mare010
04. Norm Talley - Tell Me (Late Night Creeper Mix)
05. Italojohnson - A1
06. Alex Cortex - Oh Yeah
07. Freestyle Man - Meeting At Dawn
08. Basic Soul Unit - Basic Necessity
09. John Talabot - When The Past Was Present (Pachanga Boys Blue Remix)
10. Basic Soul Unit - For Some
11. Affie Yusuf - Bring You Techno
12. Losoul - Brain Of Glass
13. Marco Zenker - Landwehr
14. Emptyset - Completely Gone
15. Benjamin Damage - 010x
16. Adam Marshall - Thelon (Todd Sines Mix)
17. Duster Valentine - (My Back Is) Against The Wall