DJ Format / Various

Though primarily a hip-hop producer, Format has always given his beats a huge dose of nostalgia by heavily sampling every portion of old funk records to give his numbers an upbeat flavour. So it should come as no surprise that the majority of the tunes that make up his Fabric mix range from Jimmy Smith to Nina Simone, focusing more on what ingredients are picked apart by Format and many others when it comes to their high energy production. This mix does start off with a handful of hip-hop jams including a California all-star line-up including Ugly Duckling and Lyrics Born that quickly switches to funk purveyors Cut Chemist and Nostalgia 77 to bridge the almost non-existent gap between funk and hip-hop. From then on we’re treated to the sweet sounds of Ella Fitzgerald giving a fantastic rendition of Cream’s "Sunshine of Your Love,” and Ellen McIlwaine’s energetic live version of her "Toe Hold” cover, which blends rather well with Karachi Prison Band’s "Put Some Grit On It.” Things get a little questionable near the end, with John Murtaugh’s space-aged "Slinky” and Ananda Shankar’s psychedelic sitar, all capped off with Edan’s "Rock N Roll.” Regardless, Format’s chapter for the Fabric series is well worth a few listens for those who like their crates deep.