Reviewed: fabric 28th April

Where do we begin? One of the finest institutions in British dance music history, combined with some of the most iconic names in the industry over the last half a decade and beyond.

On Saturday night we took to the floor at fabric for an extended helping of Ellum boss Maceo Plex, whilst at the same time indulging in constant smatterings of Alan Fitzpatrick’s ‘We Are The Brave’ label showcase.

In true fabric fashion, room one was steadily building an impressive level of energy with Terry Francis at the wheel as we arrived. Its safe to say we haven’t seen a queue like that outside the club for quite some time, the hype around the event perfectly matched what was going on inside the club as we swiftly found out once we made our descent to the bottom of those famous fabric stairs.

Getting things moving in room 2… We Are The Brave’s latest signing Leonardo, fresh off the back of his recent (and aptly named) ‘Lifting Spirits’ EP. Ironically, he was doing just that from the word go as the undeniable sound stamp of the label was present from the very beginning.

It was quite clear from the early stages that this was going to be yet another one of those ‘special’ nights, that feeling amplified instantaneously when Maceo took to the booth. From the early onset stages of his mammoth set it was evident that he was taking no prisoners whatsoever, frequently handing out servings of some of his greatest works over recent years including his renowned ‘Conjure Dreams’ on Drumcode which received a roaring reception (and rightly so, a track of that caliber only ever goes down one way).

Throughout the course of Maceo’s set, the levels of energy in the room were constantly evolving (in the best way possible) as he took everyone on a journey. If you ever needed a reminder of the level of artist you need to be in order to feature on the fabric mix series, this was the most unsubtle of hints… with peaks and troughs of Deep House, Melodic Techno, dark mysterious Tech and organic, classic House inspired sounds, it really was a palette of creation throughout the entirety of Maceo’s takeover.

Following Leonardo in room 2 was Reset Robot, the Portsmouth based DJ/Producer delivered a live show which has no doubt set the bar for anyone following his footsteps in the ranks of live performances at fabric. His unique and refreshing sonic signature was more than well-received, featuring some of his more recent work and unreleased jams that really pushed that new Pioneer system in the room to its absolute best!

As we headed back into room 1 to catch some more of Maceo, he had reached the fist-pumping level of personal enjoyment. The high energy segment of his set was really something else and it was clear to see that he was indulging just as much as every single person on that full capacity dancefloor. It can be quite overwhelming in some clubs when the crowds of people are that large, but the music just seemed to take people to a place where they didn’t have a care in the world and that was such an enjoyable moment to be a part of.

One last little breather in room 2, or so we thought… Closing off the show was Alan Fitzpatrick with a steady flow of relentless energy and fluid brutality. Alan is an artist that needs very little hyping up, and what we digested at that time was living proof of that statement. Keeping the tempo high, the techno-heavy and the vibe vigorously enslaving, we found ourselves compelled to stay for the entirety of his set before returning to Maceo. Working his way through some of the best recent releases along with various unreleased weapons, it really was something else (the energy in the room was a pure reflection of that).

Following Alan’s almighty smackdown, we headed back to room 1 to catch the last of Maceo’s set. As the night was drawing to a close the level of emotion in the music was reaching a blissful peak, then came a moment that will live long in the memory. Maceo rolled out his famous collaboration with Gabriel Ananda – ‘Solitary Daze’, a track that is celebrated for its intense levels of captivation and feeling, this really was the cherry on top of the night for us and something that will no doubt have already been the topic of a lot of conversation this week alone.

A night that was never in doubt, one that couldn’t disappoint if it even tried, one that wasn’t to be missed and somehow exceeded all expectation… fabric, Maceo, Alan et al, take a bow!

📸 Onlybynght