Various - A-trak - Fabric Live 45

try and fathom how a mix with a tracklist that lurches from boys noize and baltimore edits to aeroplane and todd terje remixes to a nine year old scene-altering uk garage anthem actually fits together. it is this that makes this one of fabric's most distinctive and jaw-dropping mixes yet - rarely has there been a disc that so epitomizes the style and ability of the dj in question. a-trak loops, layers, scratches, doubles-up, re-edits, re-tweaks and does god knows what else to make this mix both cohesive and breathtakingly brilliant. a-trak started early. winning the world dmc championships at the age of 15, he was a child prodigy, propelled straight into the big leagues. in the twelve years since, his career has taken countless twists and turns. from being q-bert's dj of choice, to hip hop's hottest property, to kanye west's official tour dj and unofficial tastemaker, to genre-hopping dj par excellence to fool's gold label boss (home to home to the likes of kid sister, kid cudi, and sammy bananas) and icon for a generation of kids that are turning a blind eye to any boundaries between hip hop and electronic music. for years, a-trak was a straight-up hip hop dj. having years earlier skipped the queue by winning the dmc's, he later met kanye west at an in-store and became his tour dj, playing to millions of people around the world, rubbing shoulders with everyone from jay-z to pharrell to nas - and in the process earning himself an incalculable amount of kudos in hip hop circles. meanwhile, he was developing a reputation on his solo tours, and with his mix cds, for being one of the world's best dancefloor-rocking mash-up djs, spinning hip hop with bits of electro, dancehall, baltimore, bootlegs and more, building bridges between hip hop and dance music. though a-trak set's musical repertoire has expanded, he still mixes, cuts and scratches like the world champion hip hop dj he once was, and tours the world causing havoc on dancefloors throughout in the unmistakable a-trak style.