“Face to Face”

In 2012, after years of merging psychedelic sunbursts to laptop music as Caribou, Dan Snaith debuted his Daphni alias, a dance music edit project that turned Afrobleep and soul rave-ups into dancefloor weapons. It’s been five years since Snaith’s first Daphni LP, Jiaolong, and since then, he’s only released a handful of tracks under the moniker. Snaith’s forthcoming fabriclive mix boasts 23 unreleased tracks and edits of songs from his formidable record collection and deep hard drive.

“Face to Face” is our first taste of the set, though the track is not nearly as direct as its title suggests. Wobbling like Jello right before it sets, Snaith’s skill is such that he can skill he ease into a beat, never feeling the need to zero in immediately. Amid tapped hi-hat and shuffling snare, Snaith dashes in studio laughter, a rattled tambourine, and a rubber-band bass figure, waiting three minutes before finally allowing a falsetto to utter the title. Funky and loose, “Face to Face” foreshadows what fun Snaith has waiting for us in the full set.