Jaden Thompson Brings a Bit of London Nightclub Fabric to Miami

Soon after opening its doors in 1999, Fabric became an essential part of London's nightlife landscape. Over the past 25 years, it's hosted every DJ imaginable and even expanded its brand globally thanks to its FabricLive — now known as Fabric Presents — mixtape series.

So, to celebrate its quarter-century milestone, the club is naturally taking the celebration on the road. On Saturday, April 13, Fabric25 stops at Club Space with Fabric resident DJ Jaden Thompson in tow.

When he was 19, Thompson became one of the youngest DJs to hold a residency at the club. Now, at 24, his talent continues to garner praise.

He's also no stranger to Miami, having spun in the Magic City many times over.

"I think I played every room in Space now — Floyd, the Ground, the Loft, and the Terrace. And then Jolene, which is Space's new spot. But, nah, I love Space. It's actually my favorite club in the world that I've played at. I think it's the club that I've been in the longest. I can stay there for hours, even if I'm just partying. I've done milestones like 12 hours. I'm just getting a time warp on the site," he says, jokingly adding, "Who even works in Miami? Nobody even has a job."

Club Space may be Jaden's favorite place to play, but he still has plenty of love for his home venue.

"Fabric is one of the first clubs I went to when I moved to London, and it already had such a precedent in Europe in the sense that it's a well-respected club. I knew about it long before I went there, and I was just excited to go. When I finally did go, it was just crazy, like from a raver's perspective. It's just all about the music. It's got a no-filming policy. Everyone's there to have a good time; there's no judgment. That's kind of how there are parallels with Space because it's all about the music. It's not about judging people; everyone's welcome there. There's very minimal lighting, and there are no screens; it's a very industrial club."

For Thompson, Space and Fabric are special destinations for ravers across the world.
"Everybody looks at their lineups, who they're booking," he explains. "I feel like a lot of Europe is looking at Fabric's lineup, and then a lot of North and South America is most definitely looking at Space's lineup. That already tells a lot about how important both clubs are to the community of dance music as a whole."

Despite the venues' similarities, Thompson still sees one major difference.

"The weather alone is a big factor in the dance clubbing experience. Being able to have good weather most year-round creates a good vibe for a party. People can go on a weekend and not have to worry about what they're wearing," Thompson says of the Miami climate.

Ultimately, what makes the London nightclub so special to Thompson is its commitment to putting the music above all else. "It's no messing about, no faffing, no confetti — none of this bullshit to draw people in. People that go to Fabric, they go for the music," he adds.

Saturday's lineup includes techno and house producer and Fabric regular Seth Troxler, Life and Death leader DJ Tennis, and Space's resident DJ Ms. Mada, making Thompson the only UK native on the bill.

"I'm really honored to be part of it — I'm happy to be a part of Fabric's 25th birthday as well," he says. "I just played at the club last weekend, so I got to see [Fabric's programming director Judy Griffith] and everyone. I'm just happy to be flying the flag for the UK."

Fabric25. With Seth Troxler, DJ Tennis, Jaden Thompson, and Ms. Mada. 11 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at Club Space, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; clubspace.com. Tickets cost $27 to $75 via dice.fm.