Rub-N-Tug: Fabric 30

Fabric gives NYC underground act Rub-N-Tug their big break with the opportunity to contribute to the venerable Fabric mix series. And for the most part, the duo (one half of which plays with über-scenesters A.R.E Weapons) provides a satisfying bridge between sloppy-but-titillating eclecticism and smoother tech-house. The beginning of the mix is a bit jumpy, careening from Claude Vonstroke’s heavy metal disco, to a short, effective electro-disco rework of Royksopp’s 2005-defining “What Else Is There”, to the less well-advised choice of the ’80s old school house of Curtis McClaine and the House. But things settle down in the mix’s second portion, and by then we’re having so much fun we don’t really mind. The highlight is Shit Robot’s remix of Dondolo’s “Dragon”, which makes us wait seemingly forever for the inevitable crunchy electro wave, all the while chanting that super-silly, super-addictive chant. Pinging video-game synths are ubiquitous throughout the mix, providing the populist glue to an otherwise slightly-too-diverse mix. Not Fabric’s best CD, but a solid collection of tracks, and an undeniably enjoyable soundtrack for your own not-quite-as-debaucherous-as-a-Rub-N-Tug-party party.