Cut Copy - FABRICLIVE 29

Having built a substantial record collection, graphic designer Dan Whitford decided, on a whim, to design beats and samples. He soon found himself putting together a live DJ show, comprised of a pair of decks, a drum machine, synths and a sampler. One day, in a quivering strum of destiny, the sampler went up in sparks, but through the smoke came a clear vision of the future: rock n roll.

"I don't know if it was fate, but afterwards I thought I could get the sampler repaired and found myself pretty fed up with it. I decided I'd put a band together and do real garage, indie versions of the songs I'd been making. I guess that was the start of the band, doing Sonic Youth versions of dancy songs. It ended up being somewhere in the middle: dance music but with live instruments, more interesting than either would be on their own. It was a bit of blessing in disguise." Cut Copy

Long time mate Tim Hoey came on board with his guitar in hand and the two momentarily took on Tim's flatmate Mitchell Scott (and his newly purchased drums from Ebay), a random inclusion until they found a proper drummer. Three years on and Mitchell still holds down the beat for the now hugely successful trio Cut Copy (a computer command evident in their productions), who took their post-punk-meets-disco sound from Down Under to the top of the charts. "Bright Like Neon Love," their beaming debut album, led to the band's unique style being featured on a Kitsune Midnight compilation with their emotive "Future," scored them spots on transatlantic tours alongside revolutionaries such as Mylo, Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand and spawned several massive remixes. Seemingly resentful of any dull moment, Cut Copy have used their "downtime" recording their second album to set up their own label, Cutters, and throw wild parties under the same name in their home base of Melbourne. Meanwhile, Dan's graphic design career is still thriving, as he's responsible for all of the band's artwork (including their website) and various freelance jobs on the side. And of course there's the occasional DJ gig, though that's nothing new to him.

Like a reality TV star rushing a vanity biography to print, many bands take on a DJ career after making a name for themselves. Cut Copy rise high above the trend on "FABRICLIVE 29," a dynamic, fresh and conceptual approach to what will surely become a classic DJ mix. The 25 tracks bounce, groove, cut, pound, swell and throb together to form a compilation so infectious, every guitar-strapped indie kid will crave a pair of turntables and vice versa. This could be the soundtrack to the party no one's had the guts to throw, where Nu-wave vocals cling to punky guitar leads and swishy hi hats propel a four-on-the-floor synthetic stomp. Teasing in the scuzziness of Ciccone Youth and Grauzone, while keeping company with Goldfrapp's synthpop and a bottomed-out Justice remix (courtesy of Erol Alkan), Cut Copy engages the iconic 80s sound to dance alongside the filtered, French-Touch'd sounds of today. Brimming with foxy vocals, carefree and playful but never too kitsch, the mix frees sweetened space pop from any dancefloor confinements. The climbing basslines could make disco heels plod, tattooed arms flail and slicked rocker heads bang, each lost to the sounds of overdriven distortion panning from one ear to the next. The catchy mix is so bright - neon even - you'll find yourself madly in love, whether your heart lies in the disco or garage.

Tracklist:
1. Joakim - I Wish You Were Gone [Versatile]
2. Cut Copy - Future Unlimited [Modular]
3. Munk - Disco Clown [Gomma]
4. WhoMadeWho - Hello Empty Room [Gomma / Cut Copy - Future Unlimited [Modular]
5. New Young Pony Club - Get Dancey [alt< Recordings]
6. In Flagranti - Bang Bang [Codek]
7. Goldfrapp - Slide in (DFA Remix) [Mute]
8. Severed Heads - Dead Eyes Opened (Extended Mix) [SevCom]
9. WhoMadeWho - Out The Door (Super Discount Remix) [Gomma]
10. Daft Punk - Face To Face [Virgin]
11. The Presets - Truth and Lies [Modular]
12. MSTRKRFT - Work On You [Last Gang]
13. Casco Presents BWH - Stop [Radius]
14. The Faint - Your Retro Career Melted (Ursula 1000 Urgent / Nervous Remix) [Saddle Creek]
15. Soulwax - E Talking (Tiga's Disco Drama Remix) [PIAS]
16. Ciccone Youth - Into The Groovey [Ciccone Youth]
17. Justice - Waters of Nazareth (Erol's Dur Dur Durrr Re-Edit) [Ed Banger]
18. Grauzone - Eisbär [Welt]
19. Riot In Belgium - The Acid Never Lies [Relish]
20. Midnight Juggernauts - Shadows [Cutters]
21. Fred Falke - Omega Man [Work It Baby]
22. Daniel Diamond - Champu [City Rockers]
23. Roxy Music - Angel Eyes [EMI]
24. Cut Copy - Going Nowhere (Whitey Remix) [Modular]
25. Cut Copy - Dream Sequence [Modular]