Sinden – FabricLive 43 | Album Review

Saturday, December 6th, 2008 | Album Review, Music

Chances are if you’re older than 25 you might not have heard of this guy called Sinden. But for the past couple of years he and Switch have been getting the kids hooked into dance music. For a while it was looking like dance music in general was going to stagnate with an ageing crowd and no fresh blood since guitars made a come back. What happened is that the kids have just mashed it all together creating this danceable urban come indie sound. One slice of this pie is the sound put out by Sinden and the like. The sound is upbeat and littered with big drops and huge build ups. There are vocals, plenty of are wooshy noises and bleeps. It has urban influences yet is distinctly dance music. I’m not sure if this sound has a name. Some call it fidget house, others bassline. I’m not down with it enough to know what it is, but it seems like it’s a big amalgamation of everything.

His Fabric Live 43 release dots around through bleepy house, dub step and Baltimore breaks/Ghetto tech with a dash of 80s kitsch and a big dollop of acid house rave. It’s an interesting mix which is big on excitement. At times I’m thinking it’s extremely corny. The hip house style rap and vocals on the opening track is cringey but then it’s not supposed to be serious. It’s supposed to be easily accessible and danceable with no qualms about being underground.

There is a big afro Caribbean influence going on. Tracks like African Chant, Luanda Lisboa and Secousse bring in the frivolous fun of carnival and many of the other tracks have that Baltimore breaks rhythm. When it’s not the bouncy fun of the afro carribean tracks it’s the deep dark resonating sounds of dub step. Tracks from Skream, Caper, Joker and JME provide a momentary break in the high octane pace.

Another sound which Sinden is pushing is the comeback of garage under its cunningly rebranded name of bassline house. Sinden drops big wobbly basslines and pitched up vocals to a pacey 4/4 garage beat which is silly in every way possible, yet it is foolishly charming. You can see why the kids love it.

So the question is, is this CD any good. I’m afraid it’s a split decision. Its noisy brash beats and bleeps for me are you too in your face. The music is pretty obvious in its quest to excite the listener yet I find myself enjoying it the more I listen to it. Like I said before it’s supposed to be accessible danceable music leaving any snobbery at the door and Sinden has definitely done this.

Buy Sinden FabricLive 43 on CD

Tracklist (Click for MP3s):
1. Juiceboxxx And Dre Skull – Center Stage (Vicious Pop Records)
2. Yo Majesty – Club Action (Domino Records)
3. Aquasky Ft. Acafool – Have A Good Time (The Count & Sinden Mix) (Passenger)
4. Armand Van Helden – This Aint Hollywood (Southern Fried)
5. Scottie B And King Tutt – African Chant (Unruly)
6. Mujava – Township Funk (Sinden Remix) (This Is Music)
7. Tigerstyle Ft. Vybz Kartel, Mangi Mahal + Nikitta – Balle! Shava! (Sinden Remix) (Nachural)
8. Mixhell – Highly Explicit (Brodinski Remix) (BOYZNOIZE Recordings)
9. Buraka Som Sistema – Luanda – Lisboa (Fabric London)
10. Radioclit – Secousse (Instrumental Version) (Mental Groove)
11. Alan Braxe Ft. Killa Kella & Fallon – Nightwatcher (Show Me) (Instrumental) (Eye Industries)
12. Double S & True Tiger – From Day (True Tiger/Always) * Joker ‘Gully Brook Lane’ (Terrorrhythm)
13. JME – AWOH (Boy Better Know)
14. Skream – Fick (Tempa)
15. Zomby – Strange Fruit (Ramp)
16. Caper – Hybrid (Studio Rockers)
17. Project Bassline – Drop The Pressure (The Count & Sinden Remix) (Cheap Thrills)
18. Piddy Py – Giggle Riddim (Dress To Sweat)
19. Roisin Murphy – Overpowered (Hervé And Roisin In The Secret Garden Mix) (EMI)
20. Machines Don’t Care – Beat Bang (Machines Don’t Care)
21. Kudu – Let’s Finish (Sinden Remix) (Nublu)
22. M 83 – Couleurs (Gooom Disques)
23. SALEM ‘Redlights’ (Acephale Records)

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