Fabricklive.27
Label: Fabric
Length: LP
Media: CD
Format: Album
WorkNameSort: Fabricklive.27
Matt Ford’s alias is only somewhat less dull than his rather common birth name. But as DJ Format, the Southampton, U.K., selector’s Fabriclive.27 boils over in rare vinyl sides that would presumably incite an eBay shitstorm. After the funky, scratch-happy breaks of his own ‘33% B-Boy,â?� Format tunnels through some hip-hop from Lyrics Born, Bristol’s Aspects crew and others. Mr. Lif and Edan (his first of two appearances here) spit rapid eloquence on ‘Get Wise ’91,â?� and following an overlong jazz slowdown from Nostalgia 77, Format quickly shifts, um, formats, to sizzling soul burners. Standouts include a turn from Ruff Francis & the Illusions, and Ella Fitzgerald and Marsha Hunt taking on ’70s rock classics. Like Fabriclive-rs Diplo and Scratch Perverts before him, DJ Format ventures brazenly into variation, with multiple rare organ-and-Fender-lick-fired soul nuggets.
This article appears in May 31 – Jun 6, 2006.