DJ Craze

DJ Craze is a far, far bigger name at the club than at the record store. That hasn't always been the case with the Fabric Live serious, which is probably why this latest installment feels more like a plausible night you could spend out dancing than any in recent memory. The mix starts with a run of strong hip hop tracks by the likes of Cool Kids and Bangers and Cash—acid bass underpinning most of them—before a classic funk break leads into the Miami Vice theme. Craze only hangs there briefly, after which he moves onto the Miami Jam Crew, the vibe gets dirtier and the beats more imperative, while electro sounds rule the next fifteen minutes or so, lingering especially on cheeky Vice Records darling Chromeo's "Bonafied Lovin'" and a Switch remix of Coldcut's "True Skool," featuring Roots Manuva caught in a very short loop and some kind of bent horn sample. Craze fades out after that, coming back with Earth, Wind, and Fire, in a ballsy change of pace, and what could have been a fun move if it didn't trigger ten minutes spent in the wrong kind of '90s pop universe—now we could be at the dance club on a cheesy cruise ship—before DJ Laz's tweaky 8-bit "Red Alert" clears the palette for another, welcome, run of dirty hip hop before the Chemical Brothers, Kanye West and DJ Assault unfortunately bring the cheese back to close this, in spots, brilliant mix on three lame notes in a row.

—Nathan Cunningham
03.18.08

A DJ who is both a great selector and a skilled cutter and scratcher is a rare and wonderful thing; one whose tastes are Catholic enough to include both current club figures and obscure old-school gems is a thing of wonder. DJ Craze has made a name for himself not only as a scratch DJ and a club DJ, but also as a drum'n'bass producer; however, on his contribution to the Fabriclive series he sticks to breaks and hip-hop flavors, creating a Miami-tinged fusion that incorporates sounds from Bangers & Cash, Chromeo, and Kid Sister as well as downright paleolithic entries from the likes of Miami Jam Crew and even (get this) Earth, Wind & Fire. The first two-thirds of the program are lighthearted party fare: the crazy funk of Tuff Crew's "My Part of Town" (punctuated by Craze's truly wicked turntablism), the complex and propulsive beat of Bangers & Cash's "Loose," and the brilliant "Set It Off" by N.O.R.E.. Towards the end things turn a bit darker, in particular with Deekline & Wizard's downright creepy "Keep It Pushin'." Throughout the program, Craze is careful to give the ladies plenty of rapping room, and that gives the album a particularly colorful feel. Very nice. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide