British house doyen
Ralph Lawson goes back to basics on the latest mix in the Fabric series. ‘Fabric 33' will drop in March.
Lawson is the man who cranked out the first ever record at Leeds clubbing institution Back to Basics over a decade and half ago, and he’s still going strong. "The night still runs every week and, as far as I know, it’s the longest-running house night in the world,” says Lawson. “Some people kind of misuse the term ‘residency’ when they play somewhere once every three months – but I was there every week. My whole sound has been very influenced from that club for sure."
Lawson also runs house label 20:20 Vision, which he set up in a deserted farmhouse in Yorkshire in the mid-nineties. These days the label is focusing on the electro end of house music, releasing the like of Paul Woolford, Audiojack, Spirit Catcher, Marc Romboy and 2020 Soundsystem, Lawson’s live electronic project.
As a DJ, Lawson might have been around the block, but ‘Fabric 33’ focuses squarely on the present, featuring cuts from currently hot producers such as John Tejada, Dennis Ferrer, Swag, Marc Romboy and Justus Kohncke mixed up with the live electronics of The Rapture, Joakim and The Emperor Machine. "I just went into the studio and did it all in one take. All I was thinking about was the next record – I had already sourced the tracks I wanted to use. I’d been thinking a lot about it and I wanted to represent myself, Leeds and Fabric. I’m not very nationalistic, but I wanted to represent what was coming out of Britain as well as at the moment. There’s a lot of really good new British music."
'Fabric 33: Ralph Lawson' tracklist
1. Vernon – Don’t Be Lonely (An2 Remix) - Polyphonics
2. 2020 Soundsystem – High (Llorca Remix) – 2020 Vision
3. Julian Sanza - Polyfunny – Heartbeat Revolutions
4. Dennis Ferrer - Transitions - Defected
5. Badmouth – Anymore (Phonique Remix) – Fresh Meat
6. Will Saul – Pause - Simple
7. Marcelli Giordano – Shogun (Serge Santiago Remix) – Players Paradise
8. Drum Cult - Radio (2020 Soundsystem Remix) – Dirt Crew
9. Marc Romboy – Jigsaw (John Tejada Remix) - Systematic
10. Nick Chacona – The Right Wing - SAW
11. Art of Tones – Praise – 2020 Vision
Brett Johnson ft. DJ Heather – Everything’s Electric - Classic
12. Joakim – Drum Trax (Beats) - Versatile
13. Greenskeepers – 15 Minutes (The Rapture Remix Dub) - Om
14. Swag – Hot Gloves (Bakazou Mix) - Battle
15. Justus Köhncke - Advance - Kompakt
16. Random Factor – Digitize (Emperor Machine Remix) – 2020 Vision
Fabric First members get first dibs at the release, this time on March 6th. The CD will be released in the U.S. on April 3rd and elsewhere on March 12th, 2007.
