Born and bred in Cambridge, the spiritual home of fellow drum and bass producers Logistics and Nu:Tone, Commix, aka George Levings and Guy Brewer, were the last of the Cambridge trio to announce their arrival on the drum and bass scene, but when they did it was well worth the wait.

Their debut album, Call To Mind, was released on Goldie’s Metalheadz imprint and showed drum and bass could be ‘experimental’ and ‘different’ while still maintaining it’s dancefloor credibility.

Their debut album caught the attention and imagination of almost every drum and bass promoter, DJ and punter around the globe and Commix have picked up where they left off with their debut Fabric compilation.

Commix are on a mission to restore the nobility of the drum and bass genre by attracting interest from circles outside of the drum and bass industry and they have taken a big step towards achieving their objective with Fabriclive 44.

Both Levings and Brewer are heavily influenced by the sounds and styles often associated with tech-house and minimal music and these influences have been blended seamlessly into a stylish and sophisticated brand of drum and bass that is hard to ignore, let alone dislike.

Fabriclive 44 is a collection of beautifully aggressive beats, emotive atmospheres and deliciously different vibes covering the very best in deep and experimental drum and bass from producers like Spectrasoul, Calibre, Instra:mental and, of course, Commix themselves.

Each break, stab and pad has been meticulously crafted to have maximum emotional impact on the listener and straight from the very first beats of Commix’s own ‘Life We Live’ and Rufige Crew’s ‘Sometime Sad Day’ you can tell this isn’t going to be your average drum and bass compilation.

If you think drum and bass can’t be good unless some stoned Rastafarian is spitting shit you can’t even understand into a microphone with a ‘skankin’ bass line before that track is double dropped into some really ‘techy shit,’ then the quality of this music will probably go right over your head, but fans of the gloriously experimental Photek and No U-Turn days will be more than impressed with this compilation.

The flow of this compilation is smooth and seductive and is a perfect example of how drum and bass can work in a ‘minimal’ context.

The perfect rolling vibes of Spectrasoul’s ‘Buried’ and ‘Supression,’ as well as the Alix Perez and Instra:mental tracks, testify to the talents of a new wave of drum and bass producers that are breathing new life and energy into the genre.

Also worth mentioning is the inclusion of Jonny L’s ‘Common Origin’ and Photek’s ‘Yendi,’ a couple of older tracks that show there is drum and bass that can stand the test of time and still make an impact long after it has been forgotten by the masses.

Fabriclive 44 is one of Commix’s finest accomplishments to date and whether you are a drum and bass enthusiast or just a fan of techno with an adventurous streak this compilation will deliver on so many levels.

Commix have delivered something that will stand the test of time and brought the most imaginative and experimental aspects of drum and bass to the fore, which will, hopefully, inspire more drum and bass producers and DJs to do the same.

Rating: 4.5/5

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Tracklisting
1.    Commix – Life We Live
2.    Rufige Crew – Sometime Sad Day
3.    D.Bridge – Creatures of Habit
4.    Alix Perez – The Reckoning
5.    Data – The Causeway
6.    Logistics – Murderation
7.    Commix – Justified
8.    Spectrasoul – Buried
9.    Calibre – Can’t Get Over You
10.    Lynx & Alix Perez ft. Kemo – Dangerous
11.    Commix – Bellevue (D.Bridge’s Belle-reviewed Mix)
12.    Spectrasoul & Ben E – Suppression
13.    Calibre – In Denial
14.    Commix – Bear Music
15.    Oak – No Sunrise
16.    Jonny L – Common Origin
17.    Breakage – Old School Thing
18.    Instra:mental – No Future
19.    Photek – Yendi
20.    Instra:mental - Photograph