Fabriclive.44

Commix | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 10, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Fabric
• ASIN: B001JRY1OY
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #232,348 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Life We Live

2. Sometime Sad Day

3. Creatures of Habit

4. The Reckoning

5. The Causeway

6. Murderation

7. Justified

8. Buried

9. Can't Get Over You

10. Dangerous

11. Bellevieweviewed Mix]eviewed Mix]

12. Suppression

13. In Denial

14. Bear Music

15. Nu Sunrise

16. Common Origin

17. Old School Ting

18. No Future

19. Yendi

20. Photograph

Editorial Reviews

COMMIX have become champions of the drum and bass world, with a boundary-breaking, highly diversified sound. The Cambridge duo of GUY BREWER and GEORGE LEVINGS have released dancefloor anthems, classics and remixes on just about every desired label in drum n bass: METALHEADZ, HOSPITAL, SOUL:R, GOOD LOOKING, 31 RECORDS, C.I.A., V RECORDS and CREATIVE SOURCE, among others. From the deep, soulful feel of their first productions in 2002, Commix has since developed an expansive range of styles, which is a divine representation of their collective influences: the duo creates genre-bending drum n bass that reflects everything from bleepy electronica, spaced-out outergalactic funk (a la SPACEK), abstract minimal techno and the severe sub bass of dub. In 2007 Commix were the first-ever artist to release an album on GOLDIE's seminal Metalheadz label. The album 'Call To Mind' carved itself a niche outside of the sometimes rigid confines of drum n bass, with healthy collaborations from THE NEXTMEN and STEVE SPACEK, proving that Commix are willing to experiment with their sound. Peppering their productions with a more musical mainframe, whilst striving to fully explore the deepest driving recesses of percussion, the album encompassed beat explorations far beyond drum n bass.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Mix!, April 30, 2010

By 

F. Hoffmann "flh" (Toronto CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fabriclive.44 (Audio CD)

Disillusioned by the recent excesses in Drum N'Bass - with its techy, wobbly, faster-than-180bpm-jump-up-tracks as pushed by the likes of Andy C, DJ Hype, Pendulum, Subfocus, Noisia on the one side, and the thrash-metal like tracks coming out of North-America and Eastern Europe on the other side - I decided to give the Fabriclive-mix by Commix a chance. After all, the duo itself criticized the state of DNB in a recent interview. When I put the CD into my stereo for a first listen I expected the typical bombastic intro. Instead, jazzy, loungy music, with piano underlined by a gentle old-school jungle-beat and a wonderfully organic sub-bass, were streaming out of my speakers - no doubt a great start. After about 4 minutes a very upbeat, jump-up style beat rises from the depths of the sub-bass, and suddenly we are in the middle of a very danceable DNB-track. Fortunately it is not the typical jump-up stuff, but a Rufige Kru aka Goldie track - and Goldie is a great producer with a preference for more atmospheric music.

The first highlight of the mix comes at the transition between this track and the next. Melodies merge seamlessly, while the beat changes abruptly to a very old-school jungle-beat. In fact, track 3 by dbridge is a fantastic old-school track - a bit slower than the newer stuff, very atmospheric and dark, and underlined by a great sub-bass that will stress your speakers. The next track by young-star Alix Perez goes in a similar, though somewhat lighter and jazzier, direction. An insanely dark DubStep-track leads into the middle, and the hardest, section of the mix.

It features the sound mostly coming out of Hospital Records these days, predominantly represented by the likes of Logistics and Calibre. This is 180bpm, very danceable stuff - but fortunately, techy and wobbly sounds are completely absent. Instead, the sound is moody, dark, almost trip-hoppy in the post-"Mezzanine" sense. It culminates in the highly energetic remix of Commix' "Bellevue" - another highlight of the mix.

What comes after this is my favorite part of the mix: Commix now turns to a type of DNB that has gotten some attention recently, a sound that is pushed by Commix, Instra:mental and DBridge. It is very minimal, dark, far below the 180bpm-line, quite experimental, and driven by old-school jungle-breaks - Amen, Apache etc. It is like turning the time back to 1997 and leading jungle into the direction it should have taken at the first place. Not surprisingly, Commix mixes an old Photek-track into this section. Fabriclive 45 ends with the wonderfully melancholic "Photograph".

After the first listen my first thought was "Wow, this is one of my favorite mixes ever - maybe even my favorite one", and I am writing this as a long-time listener to DnB. Anybody who likes the more subtle, melodic, and experimental side of DnB should get this CD. If you like the last part of it I also highly recommend Fabriclive 50 by DBridge and Instra:mental.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quality DnB, December 17, 2009

By 

Christopher Nelson "Addicted to Bass" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fabriclive.44 (Audio CD)

I'll make this short and sweet. There are a bunch of different sub-genres of drum n' bass out there, but the way I see it, there's really two overarching types: the RAM Records, make-your-head-explode (in a good way) dirty/nasty/filthy kind, and the Blame/High Contrast/Hospital Records chill, sometimes melodic type that is perfect background music for just about anything you can do during your day.

Commix, to me, falls into the second group. Some would call it "intelligent" in the same vein as LTJ Bukem. I think it's a little heavier than Bukem traditionally has been, but it's a decent comparison.

Bottom line: This mix is awesome. If you want a very well-mixed, thoughtfully programmed DnB mix that won't shatter a few teeth when you throw it on, this is the one for you.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great D&B, great for driving., January 27, 2010

By 

Audrey - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fabriclive.44 (Audio CD)

I really enjoyed this CD, it was the first I had heard of Commix. I was thoroughly impressed with the superior mixing skills and the unique drum and bass loops. I must say though, it does get old pretty fast. I still listen to it in the car (you're driving experience will be forever enjoyable with this music!), but not much else where. Still great CD and will surely satisfy those D&B fans out there.