- Alex Ridha has spent most of the last year collaborating with Skrillex as Dog Blood, and he plays the kind of festivals that attract teenage Americans decked out in neon rave gear. These two factors don't make him a typical candidate for the FabricLive series, but here we are. In truth, Ridha is a DJ with deeper taste than his productions might suggest, and one who still keeps his ear to the underground. Fabriclive 72 is proof that beyond all the mainstream success and dodgy records, Boys Noize is still an interesting artist—especially if no-bullshit rave music is your thing. That said, it's certainly not without its flaws.
The first transition in the mix—Mr. Oizo and Marilyn Manson's "Solid" into the disco bliss of Ridha's "Starwin"—makes it seem like you're in for a wild ride. But au contraire: despite the mix's variety, Ridha stays on a very linear tack throughout. If you don't glance at your player you might not even notice the move from Special Request to Anthony Naples to Tracques' obnoxious "Thawck." Elsewhere, we go from Dog Blood's dirty electro to Worthy & Eats Everything. By the time the Chemical Brothers' distorted tsunami of a remix kicks in, you'll be begging for a break, and that's when the CD goes through its most interesting stretch: I-F, Kölsch and Apparat swoop in with regal melodies and catchy basslines, and then the mix is over.
In his 31 tracks, Ridha covers more ground than many other DJs would in two or three sets. It's strange, then, that so much of it falls flat. The track selection is commendable, but the tunes fly by so fast that very few of them make much of an impression. Where most DJs would add colour, Ridha flexes his muscles and adds another hectic build-up. Instead of the sidechained-to-hell EDM bacchanalia some might have feared, Fabriclive 72 is single-mindedly aggressive in a way that just isn't all that interesting.
Tracklist01. Mr Oizo feat. Marilyn Manson – Solid
02. Boys Noize – Starwin
03. Costello – Pegasus
04. Jimmy Edgar – Shout
05. Surkin – Warehouse
06. Feadz – Go On Girl
07. Pilo – Ghettocoder
08. Kingdom – Femme Litre
09. Gingy & Bordello – All Day (Robert Hood Remix)
10. Four Tet – For These Times
11. Randomer – Meat & Dancing
12. Kowton – TFB
13. Boys Noize – Anoid (Demo Version)
14. Craze – Selekta (Valentino Khan Remix)
15. Dog Blood – Chella Ride
16. Worthy & Eats Everything – Tric Trac
17. Djedjotronic – Kaikō
18. Gesaffelstein – Aufstand
19. Aden – Luft
20. Special Request – Wall To Wall
21. Anthony Naples – P O T
22. DJ Deeon – Work This MF
23. Tracques – Motor
24. Dave Clarke – The Compass
25. Tom Rowlands – Nothing But Pleasure (Boys Noize Pressure Fix)
26. Alesia – Andrea
27. The Chain – Maje
28. Boys Noize – XTC (The Chemical Brothers Remix) / Spank Rock – DTF DADT (Acapella)
29. I-F – Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass
30. Kölsch – Goldfisch / Boys Noize – XTC (Acapella)
31. Apparat – Arcadia (Boys Noize Reprise)