Pangaea - FABRICLIVE 73

With the last few years having inarguably paid witness to the most transitional, and potentially divisive period in the history of the UK's much fawned-­over hardcore continuum, Kevin McAuley has become a voice synonymous with a singular brand of off-­kilter, sub-­heavy dance music. Under the name Pangaea, he has released on some of the most reputable labels to emerge in recent times, as well as the Hessle Audio imprint that he helms alongside long-­time friends, and fellow FABRICLIVE contributors, Pearson Sound and Ben UFO. As a trio they've been at the forefront of a scene that's accelerated at an unprecedented rate as of late, making their enviable ability to stay ahead of the curve all the more impressive with a roster that boasts the indisputable talents of James Blake, Peverelist, Blawan and more.

Having grown up in a rural area of the South West of England, it was a move to Leeds that was to see McAuley's early interest in music develop into something far more substantial, becoming engrossed in the emergent sounds of dubstep and co-­founding the city's first ever night to be dedicated to the genre.

In 2007 he helped establish the Hessle Audio label as a means with which to draw together original and boundary-­pushing music that wasn't being represented elsewhere, and after appearing as the imprint's sophomore release he has gone on to craft eight more critically acclaimed EPs, including appearances for the esteemed Hotflush and Hemlock Recordings, as well as his own more recent Hadal series.

"I've never been happier with where I am and where I'm going as an artist. A lot has changed musically in the past few years, and having felt adrift at times it now feels like all my musical experiences have led naturally to this place." Pangaea

It's here, four years after his first appearance in fabric's third room, that he steps up to deliver a mix that's as visceral as we've come to expect from the prodigious youngster, and one that exemplifies the fiercely unique approach he's taken towards his work thus far.

Tracklisting
01 Pangaea - Recreational Slumming [unreleased]
02 Lee Gamble - Plos 97s [PAN]
03 Reeko - Momentum [Pole]
04 Hodge - Resolve [Punch Drunk]
05 Shifted - Untitled B2 [Avian]
06 Mystica Tribe - His Temple [Syncom Data]
07 Manni Dee - Romantic Self [Black Sun]
08 Tripeo - Untitled #5 [Tripeo]
09 MGUN - Blunt Run [Berceuse Heroique]
10 The Sun God - Maum [Bio Rhythm]
11 Stenny & Andrea - SEA (The Time Gate) [Ilian Tape]
12 Psyk - Arcade [Mote-Evolver]
13 Mumdance & MAO - Truth [Keysound]
14 Adam Jay - Refraction [Starkstrom Schallplatten]
15 Pearson Sound - Starburst [Hessle Audio]
16 Kobosil - Osmium [Unterton]
17 Pev & Kowton - End Point [Livity Sound]
18 Forward Strategy Group - Clean Neckline [Perc Trax]
19 Speedy J - Something For Your Mind (Exposure Remix) [Plus 8]
20 Bleaching Agent - 37ml [Mira]
21 Truncate - Bodega V2 [Truncate]
22 Marco Shuttle - I Wanna Dance… In Outer Space [Eerie]
23 Drumcell - Disturbance (Pfirter Remix II) [CLR]
24 Imaginary Softwoods - Crystal Pond [Amethyst Sunset]
25 Alex Falk - PTR [Proper Trax]
26 Oscar Mulero - 46 (Antaganists Mix) [Warm Up]
27 Astronomical Telegram - Near-Heart Object (Stanislav Tolkachev Heavy and Unusual Remix) [Reaktivate]



With his productions having traditionally shared an affiliation with the darker end of the sonic spectrum, it comes as no surprise to find the confrontational palettes of Psyk and Shifted sitting alongside the gauzy textures of Lee Gamble and distressed junglism of Pev & Kowton, over the course of a compelling 76 minutes.