I think Dave might have missed the point with this CD. I personally loved it for all the reason that he disliked it. Sure it was sloppy and playing 'Owner of a Lonely Heart' might be funny in a club but not as funny on a CD, but I found it refreshing to hear a mix that didn't take itself to seriously. I know Dave was obviously looking for something more like the Tayo mix that stuck to one sound and did it perfectly but everythig that he loved (as did I) about the Tayo mix is exactly what put a lot of people off. I think there's room in every serious music fans collection for something that's a bit more 'fun', a cd that you can play at your next BBQ rather than to a room full of like-minded breaks heads post Fabric. A CD that most people will have a good time too, rather then just the serious heads.

J

Agree with the above...one of the beauties of spank rock material is that you can play it for your friends and girlfriends that aren't electrotechnominimalbreak zombies and they'll still get funky and enjoy it...Still, I would have preferred a straight, high quality b-more longplay but this was still enjoyable!

You're both right. But for the second time this week - I didn't miss the goddamned point. I know what Spank Rock were going for: a big melting pot of music, new and old, chopped together like a freestyle mix at a crunked-up house party. (Though 'FL34' does sound considerably pre-meditated.) I'm right with you in thinking that every serious dance fans needs a few "friend-friendly" discs for parties, barbeques, whatever. But, even just within the "FabricLive" family, I would put on Diplo, The Herbaliser, DJ Format, and The Glimmers before Spank Rock. Those mixes are considerably more fun, I think - a few Spank Rock productions and this mix sometimes irk me due to how darkly lascivious they are. Where those other "FabricLive" mixes just want you to dance and have a good time, Spank Rock's is more likely to put rohypnol in your drink and throw you in the back of its windowless van. That's just my opinion, though - simply put, and as I wrote in the review, I would've preferred straight Baltimore club than another "everything but the kitchen sink" "FabricLive".

This was one of my most anticipated albums of the year (so far!).. and peepin at the tracklist, i was mega turned off by it. I, too, was expecting a mega throwdown of bmore, ghetto, bass and a heap of dirty rap (like their live shows).. but it looked more like a best-of 2006 type set up. But I grabbed it anyways because, y'know.. its spankrock and they're pretty dope.

Suffice to say that I was pretty let down after my first listen.. it turned out to be good work-safe stuff that didnt seem to offend too many people. But after a couple more listens, you catch on to some of the neat tricks that they get through with effects, scratching, acappellas, raps etc.. and when they're all singing along to Kano and the flip of technologic on switch update it when going over a bit patchy. Its a jam farrealz.

I posted a massive quote/dissertation/explanation from XXXchange about the problems with licensing and stuff HERE .

sorry Dave, when I first read your review I thought you were just being elitist but reading your above comment and re-reading your review I see that you weren't, and I agree that the first 3rd of the mix is actually a lot better than the rest.

I've thought about it since and there are a lot better examples of friend friendly Fabrics; all the ones you mentioned (Glimmers being a vrey good example) plus Jacques Le Cont and the wonderfull DJ Spinbad (very BBQ Friendly).

Sorry if it sounded like I was having a go but after years of working in record shops you get a bit anti-elitist

That was definitely eye-opening...thanks, *mwah. I interviewed Tayo about his FabricLive 32 mix back in January, and he too had licensing issues...ironically due to fellow Baltimore Club maestro Aaron Lacrate. If you've heard Tayo's FL, the original version had Lacrate's "Blow" (with vocals by Naeem Juwan and Amanda Blank) in place of "Blaze N Cook". Tayo initially got permission to use it from Lacrate, but then Lacrate withdrew permission and refused him rights to the song. Pretty stupid considering Spank Rock were already set to do the next "FabricLive" at that time, and sad too because "Blow" worked infinitely better than "Blaze N Cook" in the mix. With that in mind it's crazy to think how much better Spank Rock's could've been if there wasn't so much licensing bullshit. That is probably why Fabric can never, ever invite DJ Yoda into the "FabricLive" series, despite him being a longtime member of their DJ stable.

Lots of interesting stuff about the Spank Rock "FabricLive" there...I didn't know that was Darko, Rockswell, and XXXChange singing along with 'I'm Ready', or that they actually had to recreate the world's worst guitar solo from 'Owner of a Lonely Heart'!! That bit with 'Switchupswitchupswitchupdateit' going into 'A Bit Patchy' was pretty ingenious, I'm with you there. Overall, pretty crazy how many sacrifices those guys had to make for the mix...but I would've been pretty f*in' pissed if it was only 54 minutes long!! I remember Joe Ransom's "FL20" a) sucked and b) was only 60-some minutes. Quantity equals quality, that's what I always say.

nono.. "owner of a lonely heart" is original.. the guitar dude had to recreate JT's 'Like I love You'. Hahah!

Another chalk up for more hate on LaCrate, Hah.
(theres talk that he's making problems with Diplo & co.)

Anyways.. if anyone wants some REAL spankro stuff.. get the Pase Rock - Live In Miami mix that is doing the interweb rounds if you know whats good for you.

Pase Rock - I'm So Disco (snippet)
Chaka Khan - I Know You I Live you
T Ski Valley - Catch The Beat (Disco Mix)
Spank Rock - Sweet Talk (Smalltown Romeo remix)
Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
Cassie - Me And U- (Eli remix)
M.I.A. - Pull Up the People (Eli Refix)
MC Lyte - Paper Thin (remix)
Eric B. and Rakim - I Know You Got Soul (remix)
Pase Rock f. Amanda Blank - Sexy MF
Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks (Eli refix)
Robin Thicke- Cocaine (Spruce Lee remix)
Uffie - Hot Chick (Feadz edit)
LL Cool J- 3 The Hard Way (Eli remix)
Rod Lee - Dance My Pain Away
Luke- Breakdown
Pase Rock and The Posse - Lindsay Lohan's Revenge
GQ - Disco Nights (Rock Freak)
Brass Construction - Got Myself Together
Kraftwerk - Computer Love (Eli Retouch)
Metro Area - Miura
Stevie Wonder - Another Star
Shaun Escoffrey - Days Like This (Spinna remix)
James Brown - PAPA (Eli remix)
Stevie Wonder - Fingertips Pt. 3 (Pase Rock remix)
Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You
Earth People- Dance


BOOMTOWN!

Thanks for the mix, it's downloading as I write this. Definitely looks more like what I anticipated the Spank Rock FL tracklist would.

Lacrate making problems with Diplo & Co? That's a shocker. Judging from the amount of name-dropping himself he does in mixes ("BALTIMORE baby BODYMORE MURDALAND OWOWOWOWAARON...Lacrate") I bet he's a real turd in real life.

From your blog:

"owner of a lonely heart" got approved. but we weren't allowed to re-edit it in any way so, i had to hire Tyler Pope to come in and re-play the guitar parts for that and the justin timberlake song.

So it looks like this dude Tyler Pope really did have to lay down that awful guitar riff from "Lonely Heart" that plays while it's going into 'Dundun-dun'.

Very well written review - get the album tomorrow so will be interested to listen to it having read above comments.

quote:

---

Posted by dave_rinehart
I bet he's a real turd in real life.

---

From what I gather.. he's saying that he's somesort of founder of "gutter crack music" aka Baltimore Club.. and just making shit with everyone else in the game. He "allegedly" doesnt make any of his own tracks and they are ghostwritten by Samir. Stuff like that.. but I dont wanna start stuff on him.

Oh.. and thanks for picking up my incomprehension of my own blog post

I was really big into Lacrate when I first heard him - that Science Faction 'Bmore Club' mix on Breakbeat Kaos. But after picking up more stuff by the likes of Rod Lee and Lil' Jay, etc. Aaron Lacrate definitely comes across as the Eminem of Baltimore "club crack" or whatever...i.e. the white dude making black music safe for white people. If you've heard his Gutter Radio podcast it's funny to here that chick off Radio 1 saying "No Ableton business here, oh no no" - who would've suspected that?! I like his sloppy style, personally, but I'll be damned if dude doesn't suck as a DJ.

Gave that Pase Rock mix a listen and it's fresh for sure. The Blaqstarr mix from the Mad Decent podcast - that's cool, too. Thanks

Look out for Devlin & Darko - Fabricdead 33.3 (The Remix Mixes). Hahah! It'll be somewhere in May.

Blaqstarr is awesome! Heheh
Its cool to see that someone else is into this sorta thing. I was starting to think i was a bit of a loner on this house-based site! (which i like very much, btw. mwah Paulie mwah! Hehah)

For real? FabricDead 33.3, huh. Guessing that's internet-only - should be interesting. Speaking of CyberSpace, did you see that gnarly Lindsay Lohan "baby rat" video on their site? Funny as hell. On the FabricFirst site they have an hour-long promo mix by the boys, which after reading Alex Epton's diatribe had me wondering if it was the original 54-minute mix he turned in...it's awfully similar to the final version...

I think there are plenty of people creeping around  that are into mash-up, Bmore, ghettotech etc. just maybe we're the only ones who are "out" about it, hehe.

You should listen to that Blaqstarr podcast if you haven't yet. He's bangin'. And the Pase Rock mix is dope although his MCing barely registers. The Eli mix of Cassie's 'Me & U' is a major highlight.

I havent listened to all of the Pase Rock mix yet.. its not very work friendly.. seeing as I have been moved out to The Pit (and we're not allowed to wear headphones because its unsocial or something). Yeah.

the Pase Rock mix is sic, really feelin it. Dont doubt the spank Ro boys tho there killin it at the mo.

As for the mix its taking in alot of genres and is gonna appeal to loads of peeps.

Check their mix theyve just done for tim sweeneys show, nice lil excert in it when probs start occuring with the serrato!

hey fellas glad to see things are getting discussed...... we have made more than a few mixes before this which have been equallay as wierd and jarring....and none have any of us play 60 or 7o minute club set , so to do that for us would be wierd.... any genre for that long is alot....the album had two tracks that were club tracks....( when i say club i mean Baltimore club)...far left and chilly will... we have made more than a few mixes before this which have been equallay as wierd and jarring... voila ..and... couche tarde.....heavy metal mimosa....check them on our pages hit me at the bbc soundsystem myspace to get some ......keep it moving devlin..

I am down with that fabric dead snippet on BBC.
Chyeeeah.

let's go party in Montreux again !

got this album the other day
i actually really like it apart from owner of a lonely heart which i think kinda ruins it a bit which is a real shame
very brave for putting it on the mix but i really aint feeling it at all
but apart from that shocker of a tune i love this cd