There are very few compilations that get me excited, DJ mix albums are a different thing, I’m talking a collection of tunes played edge to edge. It’s definately an album genre completely oversaturated with shit, last week I saw adverts for three different Ministry of Sound compilations in one ad break. Anyway, even the stuff I should like, don’t really work as LPs. Label previews or samplers are often filled with tracks of artists that weren’t quite good enough for their forthcoming album and often if you’re in the know then the tunes have already been out for months . Of course there are some exceptions – Hyperdub 5, Warp 2010, Mary Anne Hobb’s Wild Angels – but often they’re aimed as introductions to a sound, but what if you’re already into that sound? I think the format needs a bit of reimagining. And so enter fabric.

Elevator Music Vol 1 is fabric’s latest venture. The albums documents the sounds that fit between funky, garage and dubstep that seemed to have defined the latter part of ’09. It’s a collection of producers operating around 140 bpm bass music that could well have come from dubstep but are a million miles away from the aggressive wobbling bass – techno, skwee, house, garage and grime are all as much of an influence. Basically it’s what we’ve been most excited about this year and going into the next. Every tune on the album is an exclusive, not yet released which absolutely key. The producers fabric have asked to contribute are spot on, I can easily see these artists dominating end of year charts this time next year; Om Unit, Julio Bashmore, Vista, XXXY, Hot City and standout Mosca’s Gold Bricks, I See You alongside some names you should be familiar with, Starkey, Untold and Rusko. Check the video above for a minimix of all the tunes.

The albums out January 18th and if you pre-order it you also get entry to fabric on January 8th for what must be FABRICLIVE’s most forward thinking line-up in a while. Todd Edwards, Hudson Mohawke (Live), Rustie (Live), 2562, Headhunter, dBridge, Instra:mental, Joy Orbison, Untold, Shortstuff, Hot City, xxxy, Mosca, Vista and more.

Everything you need to know and to pre-order is here.