Groove Armada - FABRICLIVE 87 (2016)

FABRICLIVE 87 represents the kind of house music - and importantly party music - that Groove Armada might drop in a typical Room 1 set, on a night where the vibes of the dancefloor align perfectly with the music of the DJ. The mix opens with a strong salvo of contemporary house, creating an uplifting mood from the outset with productions from The Revenge and Move D, before bedding in with groove-heavy cuts from the likes of Reset Robot, Nicole Moudaber and Hexxy, the latest project of Hercules & Love Affair's Andy Butler. Showcasing tracks on their favourite UK labels, such as Freerange and Saved, the duo punctuate the mix throughout with the classic US house sound of Strictly Rhythm and KMS, rekindling memories of their musical initiations, and paying respect to artists they've followed throughout their careers. A brief deviation into the electro-inspired rhythms of Chicken Lips and Brassfoot opens into an ecstatic closing sequence, featuring Bicep, Rick (Poppa) Howard and their own 2012 Hypercolour cut 'Stevie Latenight', as befitting for a sunrise on the South Downs as for the lights coming up in Room 1, and leaving the listener thirsting for more after seventy minutes of kinetic beats, rhythms and grooves.