I've been trying to chase down this mixed compilation for a couple of months now. Ever since I saw that The Herbaliser (Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba) contributed a mix towards London nightclub's Fabric label. Known for their trip-hop, downtempo, and jazz infused instrumental hip-hop tracks, The Herbaliser got signed to Ninja Tune back in 1995, and since then been a resident for the label's staple sound. Their last appearance was a 7" single on Skyline Recordings, as well as a track contribution (Gadget Funk) towards a 2008 triple CD sampler from Ninja Tune, You Don't Know: Ninja Cuts. For the FabricLive.26 mix, The Herbaliser took a step back from downtempo sound to make a party mix. And what a mix it is. The turntable skills are flawless, but it is the track selection that makes this an instant gem for me. I feel it is my duty to take you on a quick tour of this genre-spanning collection of classics. We start off with ragga track by Million Dan, moving quickly into dirty UK hip-hop, then a track by RJD2 and a label mate appearance by Dynamic Syncopation. Blufoot and Yungun add some North London rhymes followed by a classic Hurby's Machine with Antoinette. On track 8 (out of 24), we break down into James Brown! From here on The Herbaliser rock the tables with some funk, electro, and of course, soul. We've got J Rocc, old-skool breakbeat track from Demon Boyz, and even a 1971 soul disco from The Jackson 5! The Roots kick in with Boom! at track 21, and Dynamix II treats us to an '87 vocoder electro classic. We barely finish with some crunk from Diplo, as Bugz In The Attic contributes the last broken beat. Whew! It's a doozy! Thank you, Herbaliser, thank you!
herbaliser.com | myspace.com/theherbz
fabriclondon.com | myspace.com/fabricfamily
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