- Roman Flügel has long been a conductor of dance floor hypnosis. For most DJs, this means long transitions and letting tracks play out. But where fellow Frankfurt-area exports such as Ricardo Villalobos, Dorian Paic and Vera hypnotise with reduction and loops, Flügel does so with more musical means. This has never been clearer than on Fabric 95, his second official mix. Traversing minimal, modern deep house, techno and breakbeat, it sees Flügel dazzle with melodies and tones, changing the sound often without sacrificing flow.
Instead of blending similar styles, Flügel blends contrasting moods. This makes for unexpected transitions like, say, Ishi Vu's "Lucid Dream" into the Pional remix of Pale Blue's "Comes Home." The former is the kind of sunny beat track you'd find on Brainfeeder, but with a flick of the fader Flügel mixes it with Pional's deep acid burner, bringing the energy up while keeping the atmosphere introspective. The medley of DJ Normal 4 and FB Wibe's "Hu Strike," Karma's "Cha" and Ghost Culture's "Perseus" is similarly crafty, moving through gritty broken beat, dubstep and sunny house in the space of eight minutes.
But the best transition comes at the end. After the bleeps of Bartellow's "Amnesia," the flow stutters and the energy fades. Then, with a blast of bass, it locks back in with "Fascinating" by the resurgent techno artist DHS. It's the set's biggest tune, a sought-after bomb from 2002 that Flügel has probably owned for years. (The same went for Nail's "Optimus," which appeared in his Live At Robert Johnson set.) It's an appropriate final track for a veteran DJ with a unique relationship with melody.
Tracklist01. Genesis P-Orridge & Psychic TV - White Sky
02. RiRom - RoRic
03. Tuff City Kids feat. Joe Goddard - Tell Me (Benjamin Frohlich Long Journey Remix)
04. Roman Flügel - Troubled Mind
05. Koehler - Oblivious Pool (Invisible Dub)
06. Ishi Vu - Lucid Dream
07. Pale Blue - Comes Home (Pional Remix)
08. Lawrence - Clouds & Arrows (Roman Flugel Remix)
09. Two Of A Kind - Like This
10. Eamon Harkin - Are You Listening?
11. Red Rack'Em - Mad House
12. El Kid - Kachinja
13. Lanark Artefax - Touch Absence (Intimidating Stillness Mix)
14. Randomer - Juju
15. Rebolledo - WANT (Danny Daze & Shokh Fears Come Dub)
16. DJ Normal 4 feat. FB Wibe - Hu Strike
17. Karma - Cha
18. Ghost Culture - Perseus
19. Fetnat - Marbrahh
20. Solitary Dancer - Birth Of Saturn
21. Bartellow - Amnesia
22. DHS - Fascinating