If London is the mecca of the global electronic dance music scene, then surely Fabric could be considered the Kaaba. At least one pilgrimage to the monolithic nightclub is a requisite for international house and techno heads during their lifetime.
But even for those who have never made the trip, the beloved Fabric mix compilation series serves as a gospel for the club and the world-class DJs who grace its booth every weekend. The growing list of luminaries enlisted to curate and mix the series over the years includes Derrick Carter, John Digweed, Andrew Weatherall, and Ricardo Villalobos.
And it was only a matter of time before Cassy Britton joined the ranks. After all, the Berlin-based DJ has emerged as one of the chief tastemakers on the international tech-house scene -- universally lauded for her prowess as a selector.
See also:
-Miami's Labor Day 2013 Party Guide
"It was intimidating and scary," Cassy tells Crossfade, recalling the first time she played Fabric. "It's a temple or shrine for DJs, and then again, it's a big-city club, and then again, a very personal family affair. There are so many aspects to the club, and mainly because of [promotions manager] Judy Griffith and [resident DJ] Craig Richards and obviously the owner, Keith Reilly. The people who work there know what they are doing. [But] it took me a long time to feel comfortable performing at the club."
It's still hard to define what makes Cassy such an adept selector, with a command of dance floors that's rivaled by few. As far as underground house and techno go, she seems to be blessed with an intuitive knack for knowing which records will hit people's pleasure zones and for programming DJ sets that even she can't fully explain.
"Everything can turn me on sonically," says Cassy. "I love records with drive, no matter what kind of drive. Records with drive make sense to me, no matter how many BPMs or how hard or soft. It's hard to pinpoint. It's certain sounds, sometimes drums or just a beat. I love so many different types of music, it would be hard to pinpoint it."
Fans of Cassy's club sets can expect to be transported to the Fabric dance floor when they hear her new Fabric 71 mix, which boasts plenty of deliciously obscure, deep, and jacking selections.
"I wanted to play tracks that were special to me and would represent a certain spectrum of music within a certain spectrum of music, if that makes sense," Cassy says. "Almost all of the artists I have chosen for the CD have performed at the club -- this is how amazing this club is. It invites a range of artists, no matter how known or niche or broadly recognized they are. This club is about electronic music, and so is my CD, even though it's mixed with a few house and mainly techno tracks."
But lucky for you, Miami, you don't have to rely on Fabric 71 and your imagination to experience a Cassy DJ set. Just go to Story nightclub on August 31, where she'll be spinning in the flesh during a stop on her summer world tour.
Cassy. With Ms. Mada. As part of Underground Story. Presented by Link and Miami Rebels. Saturday, August 31. Story, 136 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. The show starts at 10 p.m., and tickets cost cost $30 to $40 plus fees via wantickets.com. Ages 21 and up. Call 305-538-2424 or visit storymiami.com.
Follow Crossfade on Facebook and Twitter @Crossfade_SFL.
