This Friday, London's legendary Fabric plays host to one of the labels of the moment and, more specifically, a fast-rising Texan's UK debut.
Rabit's standout appearance on Keysound's '
This Is How We Roll', as well as providing one of the standout releases of the year with his
'Double Dragon EP' on Glacial Sound, has seen him increasingly held up as one to watch. Perhaps it's the fact that he moves so effortlessly between the delicate synth arrangements of '
Sun Showers' and the sucker-punch percussion of 'Black Dragons', or maybe just the fact that he doesn't talk much and leaves the natter to the music - either way, he's got plenty of ears on this side of the Atlantic.
In the run-up to the aforementioned debut we caught a few words from the man himself and he - hours after hitting the tarmac, no less - hooked up with BM Soho counterman and, to quote
Etch, 'the Randall of our generation',
Parris, to record a special promo mix for the event.
Cop the mix below, and head over to the Fabric website to
grab advance tickets to guarantee entry to Friday's event.
Hedmuk: How does it feel to be making your UK debut in one of the world's most renowned clubs?
Rabit: It feels surreal, I haven't really had the chance to process it all because I've been so busy. But yeah, it feels great: I'm blessed to have the opportunity.
H: What else have you got planned for your trip across the pond?
R: A lot. I'm playing clubs in Dublin and Berlin, and one night in Bristol as well. I'll be getting in the studio with a few different people also, definitely set aside a week or two for that. And I'll be on Rinse FM for a guest spot too.
H: In your recent studio mixes you've drifted from hip hop, to synth-led soundscapes, to the off-kilter rhythmic blends of grime and UK funky, but what can people expect from a Rabit live set?
R: The same, but different. Variety...dynamics...feelings...
H: Grime has typically developed in very localised scenes and Texas most likely wouldn't be the first place that springs to people's minds when thinking about grime, but what sort of a scene is there for it in Houston, and the US more generally?
R: In Houston there is none. As far as the rest of the US, there are some parties that do well but even then the best turn out is for the US artists that have a little bit of grime to their sound. There's a big disconnect, there may be people that are into grime because Total Freedom put it in a mix but these same people wouldn't pay money if Wiley or JME came to town. There's a general lack of knowledge about the whole thing. I don't really care if there's a scene or audience for grime here: I'm not into making anyone like anything, it's either for you or it's not.
H: Are there benefits, do you think, to being perhaps more isolated from what's going on in the UK? Do you feel any less pressured to confine yourself to certain or singular genres and influences?
R: Possibly. I'm not sure, do producers in the UK feel confined to having a certain sound, because they have to represent or something? I just do what I like. There's never pressure. The only pressure is to make that shit bang harder than the last one.
H: With an appearance on the This Is How We Roll compilation, and now joining the crew for this Fabric takeover, can we expect to see more link-ups between you and the label in the near future?
R: Possibly. I'm featured on Logos' full length, 'Cold Mission', that comes out mid-November. The link up with Keysound has been fluid so far, I'm just rollin' with it.
Download:
Rabit Vs. Parris - Keysound FabricLive Promo Mix
Tracklist:
Grovestreet - Mook
Chemist - Blocks
DJ Eastwood - U Ain't Ready (Dubbel Dutch Refix)
Acre - Symbols
Wen & Parris - Time
E.M.M.A - Glitter
Dubbel Dutch - Deepa (Vocal Dub)
DJ Tev - Ready Or Not (feat. Gutta)
Rabit - Black Dragon
Strictface - Taipan Showers VIP
Plasticman - Shallow Grave (Wen Remix)
Epoch - Windmill (feat. Afiya) (138 Mix)
W.
