Diplo

Perhaps you have been under a self-imposed no-fun curfew the past eighteen months, or maybe you simply hate anything that isn't denser than a solid block of frozen steel, but otherwise you probably know and perhaps guiltily love some of the tracks on the new Fabric Live 24 featuring Diplo. Since the founding member of Philadelphia's Hollertronix released his first solo album, 2004's Florida, he has turned into a tastemaker of sorts, consistently releasing mixtapes that blend dance pop, Deep South crunk, postgarage grime, and baile funk, among many other things. Aside from bolstering Diplo's career, this fun offensive has substantially broadened the horizon of indie kids from Topeka to Williamsburg. This outing doesn't blaze any new frontiers in the same fashion that some of the Florida native's underground and self-released compilations do, but that doesn't thwart the party. Highlights include a hitherto unnoticed fluid connection between the contemporary R&B of Plantlife's "Love 4 the World" and electronic innovator Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker" via a flawless journey through old-school freestyle, Detroit house, and sick-ass hip-hop. A small caveat: He spins a few indie hits that have been played a few too many times this decade.