Fabrikate’s first album, Bodies, is a ten track collection of influences that stretch from disco and dance to electronic and house. For DJNL’s first ever music review, I chose the Montreal-based music-duo’s first official album and from start to finish, here’s what we heard.
The duo first started getting attention back in 2014 when they remixed The Weeknd’s hit single, Often. On Bodies, they’ve working it out on their own, lining up ten terrific tracks that easily roll together, creating an ambient sound that blends musical styles with ease.
Bodies kicks off with “Want You To Know”, a soul-infused track that sets the tone for the rest of the album. This musical style continues to build with “In My Life” while the track deepens with a house edge. A heavy 90’s beat runs through “Some Hearts” and invokes the musical style from groups like Technotronic and (early) Moby. It helps that we are living in a world that perpetually borrows from the 80’s and 90’s, two eras where musical creativity was at a high and Fabrikate makes good use of that nostalgia.
The album moves along with “Philly” and “Good Times”, taking on an 80’s vibe with a heavy does of electronic synth. Listening to both these tracks, I was reminded of why I loved the Discovery era Daft Punk and the Drive soundtrack so much (Fabrikate has said that 80’s action soundtracks are a major influence on their work and I love them for it). Bodies most obvious dance track is “Took A Long Time” but like the rest of the album it remains ethereal and sophisticated with a creative blend of modern beats and retro-house.
The last four tracks on the record feel like a cool down, returning us to a more ambient space. The laid-back lounge feel of “Reach” is jolted back to life with “Bodies” (reminding us that at its heart, this is still a dance album) before once again winding down with “November”, a breezy track that leads into a final wink at the 80’s with “Atari”.
Bodies is an album that should be listened to in its entirety from start to finish but each of the tracks still stand strongly on their own. The album is a fantastic debut that hopefully has laid the foundation for more cross-over, boundary blending music. Fabrikate may not be reinventing the musical wheel with Bodies, but they sure are taking it for an exciting spin.
Bodies is available now for purchase or streaming at your favourite source.