Fabric

Fabric may be on the verge of Puberty, but the club matured long ago…

Photos: Mark Oxley, Angelo Palombini

On the weekend of 19th October 2012, fabric officially turns thirteen. Rather than shying away from the fact that there are certain triskaidekaphobic people out there who go the extra mile to avoid anything that involves the number that’s one more than a dozen; they’re celebrating the fact that they’ve officially entered puberty, by programming a suitably special line up for the Friday and by opening the doors for another 32 hour marathon on the Saturday to house sets from residents Craig Richards and Terry Francis alongside a slew of impeccable special guests, many of whom will be playing multiple or extended sets.

“We realise we’re in something of a minority in looking forward to our thirteenth anniversary but there’s no real concrete proof where the superstition arose around 13′s defamatory level of unexplained unluck”, comments Fabric.

Continue reading “Fabric is 13” »

Artizan Music call in US deep house sounds of Demarkus Lewis…

When asked to detail the bond he shares with deep house, Dallas born and raised Demarkus Lewis remarks: “trying to describe my passion for the deep is almost like trying to describe why sugar tastes so sweet”. Well, if there was ever a slogan to capture the spirit of house fans, then, this is it!

Continue reading “Fabric Takeover – Demarkus & Artizan Music, Get Physical, Slam” »

Arnaud Le Texier warms up for Melt Music with G-Sounds 06…

Arnaud Le Texier is an artist with plenty of knowledge and substance behind him, having been on the electronic music scene for over 10 years before even commencing with his Safari Electronique label in 2005.

Continue reading “G-Sounds 06: Arnaud Le Texier” »

Maya Jane Coles plays 10 UK dates in February…

What a year 2011 was for Maya Jane Coles. Voted ‘Producer of the Year 2011′ by DJ Mag, named ‘Best Breakthrough DJ 2011′ by Mixmag, debuting at No. 9 on the Resident Advisor ’2011 DJ Poll’, scooping ‘Best Newcomer 2011′ at the Ibiza DJ Awards 2011, many magazine covers and the likes of Anja Schneider, Ellen Allien, Damon Alburn and Tricky all queuing up to offer their praise.

Well that was 2011 and this is most definitely 2012, where the bar is set to be raised once more for this rather unique 24-year old, British/Japanese producer. With Maya already lined-up with some interesting release projects to be announced, some huge remixes and of course – the big one, the release of Maya’s debut album.
Indeed, heralded in by a New Year’s Eve set that saw Maya take over the Room One decks at Fabric for the midnight hour and followed by the New Year’s Day party at Manchester’s WHP the next day. Maya will play in over 20 countries in the first 6 months of 2012 and has already been announced as the Sunday headliner at “Bugged Out Weekender”, as well as for festival appearances at “Field Day” and “Hideout” with many, many more international dates to be announced including a UK Tour, Asian Tour, Miami Dates and of course a return to the White Island of Ibiza.

Maya Jane Coles – Cutting It Fine /// Hypercolour

What will crown 2012 is Maya’s album and the only comment coming out of the MJC camp at the moment is that “…it truly does not sound like anything else you have heard before but, in what we would like to think is; in a very good way indeed…”

UK Tour Dates

03 Feb @ Stealth, Nottingham, England
04 Feb @ The Rainbow Warehouse, Birmingham, England
04 Feb @ Just Jack, Bristol, England
10 Feb @ The Arena, Middlesbrough, England
11 Feb @ Mint Club, Leeds, England
16 Feb @ The Twisted Pepper, Dublin, Ireland
17 Feb @ Audio, Brighton, England
18 Feb @ Fabric, London, England
24 Feb @ The Arches, Glasgow, Scotland
25 Feb @ Shine, Stiff Kitten, Belfast, N.Ireland

Maya Jane Coles |

fabric: Getting better with age…

Words: Hector Westropp

fabric… 12 years and counting… unlike so many clubs that start-up with a big bang but then fizzle out just as fast, it simply refuses to be forgotten. Is it luck, persistence or something else entirely? We thought having a look at what makes fabric tick might just provide some insight as to why it’s still one of London’s top venues after all this time and looks set to stay there for the foreseeable future.

You may remember some clubs of the past that started around the same time but have since fallen due to reputation or simply lack of money. All of these clubs ensured a great image, lots had great venues and trendy names. So why is fabric still here where other names have fallen?

Part of the reason is that back in ’99 fabric also gave the masses an alternative to the cheesy pop culture that was being forced upon them, and how they loved it! Couple the fact they only book the hottest DJ’s which offer something really great to give their audiences with its open-plan warehouse/labyrinth feel and you have something a bit different from your standard venue. We caught up with good friends of fabric; Ash Subhan aka Subb-an (Crosstown Rebels), Jonny White of Art Department (Crosstown Rebels) and Lee Foss (Hot Creations).

As Ash Subhan put it: “when I first started going five years ago I was always amazed how you could walk between all three rooms and not walk through any doors but how it worked. I think this is great. The sound sort of fades out from one room as you walk into the new sound from the next room.”

Okay, so the venue is cool, but what gives it that extra something to entice the biggest crowds and the best DJs from around the world?

Lee Foss provides some insight: “I think the things that make fabric great are the sound system and attention to detail/professionalism that put the artists automatically into a comfort zone. I know I’m not myself when things aren’t right or I’m not in my comfort zone, so to be at ease that everything is going to work and sound right, leaves you with only your job to do instead of someone else’s as well. Throw in the fact that it’s in London with the best music fans in the world and it’s got ‘great’ written all over it.”

Jonny White of Art department thinks: “It’s never any one thing that makes a club one of the great ones. There are so many elements that go into creating that environment that make a venue/night magic. from bookings, to lighting, to sound, staff, and decor… fabric‘s one of very few clubs that size with the right vibe… there’s a reason it is what it is and means so much to all of us.”

Everyone has great memories of fabric, if you ask anyone that has been they always smile that knowing smile that tells you they had a great time but aren’t sure how to explain why it was quite as good as it was. Maybe that is the missing link that draws people back time and time again, searching for that feel-good vibe that comes when all the elements are just right; the most capable DJs, a great atmosphere and space to do whatever you want. All that is really needed is to put your hands in the air and enjoy the music.

“…I will always remember the very first time I went around six years ago, I was only seventeen and it was the first time for me to ever experience a venue on the level as Fabric, and it was also the first time I was ‘musically’ introduced to Craig and Terry. To hear what they were doing in Fabric the first time round for me will always stay in my memory.” (Ash Subhan)

“Aside from our first time playing Fabric, which was a monumental moment in our music career, I would say the most recent Rebel Rave we had there in the main room with Damian and Maceo Plex. Had loads of friends with us and ended up partying with Anthony Rother, one of our major influences growing up in this industry… it was a really special night.” (Jonny White)

“My most memorable moment at fabric I guess would be playing there for the first time, just because it was something I’d looked forward to for so long… I’d held myself to a higher standard for that gig. It was memorable to me because playing there excited me and it went well. There aren’t that many things that excite me about work anymore so when they come along its nice to have that fresh feeling again.” (Lee Foss)

No matter what you say about fabric, it has shown time and time again that it is going nowhere, remaining an underground hotbed for some of the best in musical talent around the world.

fabric | Art Department | Subb-an | Lee Foss | Crosstown Rebels |

Fabric AIRLONDON takeover Saturday 24th September…

Most ardent party-goers boast a preferred club…Typically a venue which consistently entices the finest and freshest DJ talent to grace their hallowed turn-tables. We love those clubs, by God we need those clubs…Notably so, because of the undeniable inevitability that precedes a great DJ set; that subtle feeling which says ‘Don’t worry, tonight is going to be magic’. Fabric has always been one of those clubs, and this weekend promises to be no different…

On Saturday 24th September AIRLONDON descend upon Fabric’s reputable Room Three… With a powerful line-up boasting the formidable Kate Simko alongside the always deep, tribal and bassline fuelled Anthea (Freak n’ Chic, Cecille, Supplement-Facts and Tuningspork), the spotlight happens to fall-upon the latest addition to AIR LONDON’s growing roll of female mixologists. A talented conqueror of deep bass in its most raw “four to the floor” format, Laura Jones (Leftroom/Visionquest) promises great things from her inaugural set at Fabric. With such astonishing musical talent present in everything Laura seemingly touches, this AIR LONDON ensemble will irrefutably whet the palette of anyone lucky enough to be in attendance.

Add to this the brilliant style of Mr Jamie Jones, who will undoubtedly own the main room with a vengeance, the un-missable flair of Jesse Siminski, better known to you and I as “Heartthrob” and you really do have a night to get rather giddy about. Oh, and just in-case that wasn’t enough to influence where to spend your Saturday session this weekend, techno legend Danny Daze and all-round bad boy Daze Maxim will be making some big noise alongside the legendary residents Terry Francis and Craig Richards.

Thus, in concluding the forecast for this Saturday’s array of musical genius at London’s beloved Fabric, a prior warning from the team at Guerilla Sounds… Be prepared for those unmistakably breath-taking musical moments that will leave you with a beaming smile on your fulfilled face for days to come…

Laura Jones’ Fabric Promo Mix

The last 12 months have seen the unprecedented rise of Laura Jones. Captivating terraces, dance floors, after-parties and beaches across the globe, Laura finds herself back in London this weekend, and ready to deliver some serious deep house to the waiting masses. With a prospective tour of North America alongside the mighty Geddes also on the horizon, it is fair to suggest that Laura Jones is undeniably ‘one to watch’ as 2011 draws to a salubrious close. And so, in-preparation for this Saturday’s Fabric debut I introduce Laura’s exclusive Fabric promo mix…

With deep-house a personal preference of mine, I was inevitably always going be an advocate of this mix. The musicality behind her prowess is almost criminal; a truly funky blend of pure bass, flowing synth and trendy vocals stitched together with so much talent it makes even the most accomplished DJ’s eyes-water. The most prominent aspect of this mix is how effortless it all seems…What Laura achieves is truly a feast for the ears, with some really technical syncopation and genuinely awesome break-downs. Not overlooking the production quality behind that floaty, almost dreamlike sound-style that draws you in and makes time vanish, in conclusion I can only say how ridiculously excitable I find myself becoming at the prospect of Laura’s set at Fabric this Saturday… It really could just be one of the most unexpectedly memorable debuts of the year.

Words: Hector Westropp

Fabric – Laura Jones |

Since the moment he spun his first record, Damian Lazarus’s mission has been a clear and urgent one: to blow away the mediocre, the over-inflated, the obsolete; to seek out and celebrate the energetic, the important, the new. Always rebelling, always going places.

“…and to have fun in the process. Playing around with different styles and ideas is what I do best,” Lazarus explains.

Driven by an almost childlike curiosity, a vivid imagination and wicked sense of humour, he’s used his role as a DJ, label owner and now musician to nurture and share the most exciting and experimental music on the planet. Drawn to the darkness, but buoyed by the light, ever ready to embrace new ideas and different perspectives on music and the dancefloor, Lazarus is always ahead of the curve, with a wry smile on his face and a neat trick up his sleeve.

DATES

10 Jun @ Motion, Newcastle, England
11 Jun @ Rebels, Parklife Festival, Manchester, England
11 Jun @ Fabric, London, England
17 Jun @ Rebels, Sonar, Barcelona, Spain
18 Jun @ Rebels, Panorama Bar, Berlin, Germany
20 Jun @ Circo Loco, DC10, Ibiza, Spain
24 Jun @ Calypso, Tunis, Tunisia
25 Jun @ Cat Club, Brussels, Belgium
26 Jun @ Rebels, Glastonbury, Somerset, England

01 Jul @ Rebels, Fresh Weekend, Galicia, Spain
02 Jul @ Rebel Rave, Junk, Southampton, England
03 Jul @ Rebels, Hideout Festival, Pag Island, Croatia
09 Jul @ Circo Loco, Fabrik, Madrid, Spain
10 Jul @ Exit Festival, Novi Sad, Serbia

An insight into The Pushamann…

Having run his own successful London club night for just over two years and the recent launch of his NoN Music label, The Pushamann has come a long way from messing around on the decks in Kingston. And this is due to his unique blending of soul, funk and garage styles into his deep tech house sets.
The Pushamann has spent the last few years playing at some of the most crucial underground venues across London from the notorious Fabric to shoreditch’s East Village, spreading his infectious sound throughout the capital. Something that has clearly stood-out enough to attract the attention of Fabric resident, Terry Francis.

His Nature or Nurture night, which he runs with Terry Francis, is all about spreading this deep, infectious sound. Having been on the go for two years, recently celebrating it’s 2nd birthday at Fabric back in February, Nature or Nurture has already enjoyed appearances from some truly unique underground DJs such as Nathan Coles, Tim Sheridan, Hector, Kenny Hawkes and Moodymanc, whilst also boasting the rest of the NoN DJs each night.

The Pushamann is due to play some very interesting events to say the least, with this weekend seeing him join Nathan Coles, Eddie Richards, Terry Francis, Shaun Reeves and Peter Herbert for a massive Wiggle celebration down at Rivington Studios. At night which is sure to be one to remember, but if you’re unfortunate enough to miss the Wiggle 17th birthday, The Pushamann will be joining Lee Foss for Trouble Vision down at Corsica Studios on 11th June.

With such a growing profile and unique sound, Guerilla Sounds just had to get an exclusive from the man himself, to which he kindly obliged, as well as providing the next installment of the G-Sounds mix series, which perfectly follows on from Lewis Ryder’s series opener. A mix that is infused with a deep, funky and soulful vibe…

Tell us a little bit about how you first got into DJing?
Friends of mine were DJs when we were younger playing house and garage and we used to sneak into Club Coliseum in Vauxhall for Liberty on a Friday night to see EZ, Martin Larner, Matt Jam Lamont. It wasn’t until I was older I started DJing in a local pub playing anything I could get my hands on; funk, soul, reggae. I got a lot of my records from charity shops.
I didn’t start taking it seriously until a friend and I started a night called Soundclash 100 in Kingston on a Tuesday night every other week and we used to ram it. Don’t know why, we couldn’t mix.

And what would you say have been key influences in all this?
Club Coliseum in the early days and of course Fabric. I love all music but you hear a lot of garage in the music I play and make I think!

What DJs or Producers would you say have influenced or played an important part in your style and the music you play?
Craig Richard and Terry Francis at Fabric have always amazed me week in week out. They kill it every time for over ten years… Legendary.

How does it feel to be involved in the Wiggle 17th Birthday?
I played at Wiggles last birthday and had a wicked time. The crowd was well up for it and Nathan and Terry let you do your thing. Playing with Pete Herbert in the disco room is a bit special. Pete has made some great music over the years. I can’t wait. It gives me a chance to play some music that I wouldn’t normally play out.

How did the whole concept of your “Nature or Nurture” night come about?
We started the night off on a Thursday because of Terry’s commitments at the weekend and the concept was to get people in to hear DJs on the cheap, sometimes even free. We had some great guys play for us; Marc Ashken, Moodymanc, Hector, Inxec, Kenny Hawkes, Gamal Kaber, Santos Resiak.

How has Terry’s involvement influenced the general vibe of “Nature or Nurture”?
Terry plays a bit tougher than me so it works really well. I warm up, guests play, then Terry comes on. The flow of the night is always important.

Can you give us an insight into what’s coming up for the next “Nature or Nurture”?
We have a a series of events coming up over the next few months to promote releases on our new label N.o.N MUSIC and hopefully another date at Fabric towards the end of the summer.

Tell us a little bit about the concept of your NoN label?
It’s really an output for people who have played for us and friends. Terry will remix for us from time to time. Our first few releases are my tracks that I’ve had for while but I’m more interested in the remixes.

What do you have planned for the label in the near future?
We have remixes form Mark Chambers, Lewis Ryder and some original materiel from Zeitgeist and some more tracks from myself.

What DJs are really making an impression for you at the moment?
Sam Russo is wicked. He played for us at our last Nature or Nurture… Class!

The Pushamann | Nature or Nurture | Wiggle