maroko, Apr 04, 2008
Who says it has to be banging in order to make you move? Great stuff from mr. Villalobos, especially when one takes into consideration it's a DJ mix consisting mostly of his own tracks. I am really digging Fabric 36, and have been giving it regular spins ever since I first bought it. First of all, the track selection and arrangement is immaculate. Due to Ricardo's superb mixing abilities, it sure is a pleasure to get lost inside his world of constantly shifting drum rolls, beats, melodies, and wicked & playful vocals, which are used to great effect on "4 Wheel Drive" and "Andruic & Japan", while the singing on "Primer Encuentro Latino-Americano" continues Ricardo' exploration of the south american tradition and culture through his music. Remarkable stuff! During the whole time, one idea is expanded upon the other, there is a constant sensation of progress and evolvement, but it's all meticulously glued into one large piece, so you can barely pin point the exact track positions! Each track is special in its own way, but it's only after you've gone through the whole thing that you can get the whole picture. And what a frame it is! The entire mix has an undeniable groove to it, and regardless of the fact it never really picks up in pace and reaches explosive climaxes and what not, it possesses true dance floor potential. It's a DJ mix after all, sure, but being composed mostly of his own material, it comes across as a note worthy artist album, and a gargantuan one too! In fact, I consider Fabric 36 to be up there with Thé Au Harem D'Archimède, his unforgettable 2004 release. It exposes the listener to both, Ricardo's production skills and his invincible powers when behind the decks. Being a combo of the two, and really taking the best out of all the tracks, while cutting and pasting them all together, Fabric 36 is an output well worth owning. Rather then covering old territory, Ricardo wants to push even further what he has accomplished thus far. And what better way to do it but perfectly blending his own production goodies into an out of this world mix? I'm loving it, and I'm sure you'll feel the same if you've admired even a fraction of the man's work up to now. Enjoy!
4.1/5 (