VA - FABRICLIVE 79: Jimmy Edgar (2015)

Born and raised in East Detroit, a diet of Prince, 80s R&B and techno provided the crucible for Jimmy Edgar’s life in music. Ever precocious, from his mid-teens he was building his foundations as a DJ, playing at raves in the city alongside some of techno’s founding fathers, as well as conducting ambitious experiments with rudimentary recording equipment, and by the age of just 18 he’d signed to the electronic music institution, Warp. Later recording for K7! and Hotflush, and advancing his considerable DJ talent during a spell residing in Berlin, in 2013 Jimmy established the Ultramajic imprint with fellow electronic auteur Aden, and it is fresh material from the label that provides the backbone for FABRICLIVE 79.

Commencing with a nod to his hometown forebears, with Terrence Dixon and Patrice Scott contributing deep Detroit cuts to the opening minutes of the mix, we’re soon reveling in a slew of unreleased Ultramajic material from Crystal Bandito and Jimmy himself, including a typically no-nonsense collaboration with LA native Truncate and the snare-driven ‘Walk Show’ featuring the deeply-missed Chicago footwork icon DJ Rashad. It’s here that the many facets of Jimmy Edgar really shine through: DJ, producer, and label curator. The mix picks up an unmistakable strut, before momentarily taking a breath with Danny Daze’s deep house blending unexpectedly into the ghetto-tech of DJ Godfather & DJ Starski. A pair of unyielding Kris Wadsworth cuts sandwich another Jimmy Edgar exclusive in the mix’s final stretch, ensuring that, despite its author’s nomadism through the years, the music of Detroit runs like a seam through FABRICLIVE 79.