★★★★☆
Daniel Avery sounds like he’s moving to every beat, feeding off crowd energy, turning every button push and cross fade into an aerobics class. Fabric’s route 66 selector is no idle focal point, though his hands don’t get carried away, trained to teach at tech-house central. With barely a discernible hook to grab hold of for the duration — the kind of set that you come away from buzzing, if completely unable to name a stand-out track or high point — the crowd are kept up for 76 eventful minutes. Featuring plenty of the DJs own stock (Avery’s “Naive Reception” ping-ponging between speakers), it pumps with relentless flavor without being manic, and funks with a tough outer shell that the spinner is unabashed about, eventually making it see the mix home.
Simian Mobile Disco’s “Supermoon” catches ears with its euphoric synth rockets to the moon, well set up by the party-feeding “You Think You Think” by Sneaker. After a literal pause trying to split the mix into sides, the second half feels less ‘interactive’ and with heads clamped down more. Avery’s “Water Jump” heavies up the vibe with bassy breakbeat leading into gruffness from James Welsh and Forward Strategy Group, and a deathly lull between Morgan Hammer & Matt Walsh swarms over the arena to turn the early grins into appreciative grimaces.
File under: Nautiluss, Justin Robertson, Erol Alkan