Fabric mixes often include a production or two by the DJ at the disc's helm. But on Fabric 36, Chilean-born, Germany-based techno/house DJ/producer Ricardo Villalobos dismisses the idea of featuring any other artist on the track list. Instead he has crafted 15 of his own tracks (some with collaborators) and blended each hypnotic moment into the next.
Moments is a better word than tracks for what Fabric 36 comprises. Because some of the entries don't break three minutes, the boundaries here are even more indistinguishable than usual. Outside of the obnoxious, random female-conversation samples on "Andruic & Japan," the album is an evocative arrangement of percussion sources. Hi-hats clap alongside rubbery, tight hand drumheads; crickets break up jarring pings on "Mecker"; and Jorge Gonzalez's odd chants suitably creep up on "4 Wheel Drive." Villalobos is revered for his minimal, genre-bending aural stunts; his DJ sets captivate truckloads of people that gather for his performances. But this album works well for an audience of one. Turn the lights down low and take this one in by yourself.
