V/A - FabricLive 39: DJ Yoda

DJ Yoda needs no introduction, yet the first track on this album is titled Intro. But listen closer, and it is in fact more the welcoming of a renowned hip-hop hero to the stage. Fabricated applause and cut and paste eccentricities abound, and immediately we are presented to the light-hearted humourist behind these technically excellent wheels of steel with the announcement “we are ready to put the paint on the fabric.” Further in, there's a twist to that old question from D-Nice – “who gets laid, the chicken or the egg?” and some rather bizarre child-talk from The Chemical Brothers about Sammy the Salmon and his salmon dance. There’s enough to give you a grin every minute: the rhythmic scratching, flawless mixing and wide array of tunes that bridge Salt 'n’ Pepper, Violent Femmes and Jurassic 5 put ticks in all the right boxes, but somehow there’s a mediocre feel to the music. It's happy and good humoured, but not enough to grab you or make you want to jump up and dance. Nevertheless, the force is still quite strong with this one. [Josh Coppersmith-Heaven]