Robert Hood - fabric 39 CD

Many of today's 'minimal' enthusiasts may not actually be familiar with its creator - Robert Hood. Raised on Motown in Detroit, Robert Hood's family was enveloped in music: his mother recorded a 45' locally, his uncle managed jazz and R&B bands, his grandmother's first cousin was Berry Gordy, and his father was a jazz musician (piano, drums, and trumpet). Hood picked up trumpet in the school band but later turned to vinyl, obsessively focussing on the arrangements, musicality and instrumentation of the records he cherished. His interest in production guided him to a pawn shop, where he picked up some basic equipment and began recording demos. Unable to find someone able to do "some kind of political abstract MCing - a cross between Chuck D and Q-Tip," Robert laid down his own lyrics on his productions. A fortuitous introduction got a demo of his in the hands of Mike Banks and Jeff Mills. Enamoured with his lyrical styling, they took him on board as an MC for 2 tracks on a compilation they were putting together. As Robert's productions grew stronger, the incomparable Underground Resistance crew formed, putting political outrage to an experimental beat, and Robert found his place as a seminal member, the "Minister of Information." With UR, Hood forged a path for himself, creating a simple yet powerful sound that fully encompassed the Detroit ethos, but also pushed unparalleled levels of imagination.

"A set from fabric is the only way I want to go. This mix has to be about the club. I'd like it to be dancefloor orientated and to take the listener on a trip. Any project I do, I like to read like a book. I like it to tell a story, you know? Not to just be random songs or tracks. It has to have continuity to take you on a ride. It should have a concept and be able to translate and read as such. The DJ mix will be enhanced with live elements added to the mix. The live elements are just tracks or patterns, rhythm patterns that will be exclusive to the CD." Robert Hood

Being a visual artist as well - he is an illustrator creating pencil, charcoal and graphite renderings, Robert Hood is able to see music as an art form. On fabric 39 he draws emotive, scenic and rippling pictures through layered, hypnotic techno blends. The no-nonsense, trend-defying mix boldly stomps right through the unfamiliar and unforeseen. fabric 39 is intelligent music that moves and challenges at a fast, unrelenting pace, imaginatively mimicking the feeling of Detroit itself in all its industrial glory. Hood takes stripped-back minimalism and sets beauty to a beat, pours emotions through hi-hats, sings with undulating rhythms and gives machines a tangible feeling of humanity.