What with the current musical climate being as it is; genres and scenes flying past the window like there's no tomorrow, it's nice to get hold of an album that knows what it's doing while being happy where it's doing it. Fabriclive.38 is that album. It's not a complex mix where you sit there and have to think about where it's going or what it's trying to say. It's a textbook balance of rap and hip hop where the lyrics aren't dissing your mum right in your face but also where the beats don't overcomplicate themselves to point where vocals are just yeahs and oohs on a loop.

Even if you don't recognise some of the tracks on Fabriclive.38, you can be sure the mix is never without a natty beat backed up by head/car/desk rattling bass that will ultimately take you from afore mentioned mundane place into a crowd that are all experiencing right here, right now... if you let it. Now, the lack of progression may be frowned upon by some but you've got to give Craze a pat on the back (if it's not on the dial*) for stepping up and saying 'let's enjoy what's sounding good right now for awhile'. You only have to pick out the tracks 'I Rock' and 'Blacks Mags' by Chicago pedalers The Cool Kids as evidence that Craze is serving up wholesome beats and rhymes happy to ignore the pretentious, often unwanted, calls for groundbreaking and original material. The Cool Kids do in fact call themselves 'the black Beastie Boys'.

Half way through Fabriclive.38 it all gets a tad more dance-orientated and for anyone who shared with us the experience of seeing Craze live at the album launch party, it'll do nothing but bring back happy memories of vibrating along to, for example, Switch's remix of 'True Skool' by Coldcut ft. Roots Manuva. It's a refreshing change and it is obvious that a lot of thought has been put in to make sure wherever this mix is playing, there will be at least three body parts unable to stop nodding/tapping/twitching to the beat.

As for speculation, I enjoyed the live set thanks to the inclusion of a number of classics mentioned in David's review but I have to say if that exact mix was out on CD it would get slightly wearing after awhile. However, I hope to see this CD stand the test of time and be something of a benchmark for future DJs who want to know how to keep it real on the decks but also keep it moving on the floor.

8/10

* as seen in the live show; where he turned around, leant back and mixed it up by wrapping his arms round so he could scratch while using his back to move the dial.