INTERVIEW | fabric founder Keith Reilly
INTERVIEW | fabric founder Keith Reilly
From London to Tokyo... Keith Reilly Embarks on a New Journey (1)
fabric is a London club located in the heart of the city. It draws patrons not only from London but from around the world, all seeking its cutting-edge sound and atmosphere. While the club has long been known for remaining exclusively in London, this appears to be changing. fabric founder Keith Reilly shares his vision for the future and the club’s first overseas office in Tokyo.
Photographs by JAMANDFIXText by TOYODA Koji (OPENERS)Translation by TANAKA Junko (OPENERS)
The World's Most Influential Club
Adjacent to Smithfield Meat Market in East London lies a venue that buzzes with young energy whenever its doors are open. While London pubs and bars typically close before midnight, this legendary club has become a sanctuary for music lovers and those seeking refuge from a night out. On Friday and Saturday nights, it truly brings a feast to Smithfield.
fabric opened in 1999 and has since been recognized as London’s premier destination for exceptional music, a superior sound system, and a vibrant crowd. Few clubs globally can rival fabric's sonic landscape, which spans house, techno, jungle, 2-step, dubstep, and other distinctive dance music genres originating in the UK.
“In London, we have so many different movements and scenes: dubstep, deep and dark minimal house. We’re still very much in love with techno, hip-hop, underground, everything. Our job at fabric is to be open, to embrace, to nurture and to provide a stage for all of these things,” says fabric founder Keith Reilly.
For over three decades, he has dedicated his life to discovering and showcasing new sounds, playing a pivotal role in the club culture scene in London and worldwide.
“During the last five to six years, we’ve been progressing a lot of things with dubstep in particular. But now, the dubstep guys are going back and bringing house. Now we’re hearing a lot of house music. So the whole thing is a very fluid, very organic, growing thing.
“We’ve Taken Inspiration from Japan”
Reilly supports the London club scene with a keen yet gentle eye. His philosophy is deeply influenced by Japanese culture.
“Japan has been in my heart since I was 14. I was baptized by Mr Ryuichi Sakamoto. He brought a kind of new level of what we call blessing lightness to music, and it changed everything. I can’t even begin to stress how important he’s been to my life musically. What inspires me most is that Japanese eyes and mind see things and they learn to master supreme delicacy. In the West, a lot of the things we do are very heavy-handed and clumsy. When we see something from Japan, even something like a small business card, we just look at it for hours. Not just the design aspect, this also can be said about a lot of other things about Japanese culture. And for most of the things and a lot of the things that we do, we’ve just taken and learned from Japan.”
KEITH REILLY | fabric founder Keith Reilly
From London to Tokyo... Keith Reilly Embarks on a New Journey (2)
Are There Plans for fabric Tokyo?
This marks Reilly’s first visit to the country he’s long dreamed of. He admits he’s unsure if he even wants to return to London. Known for his unwavering commitment to his fans, he has never missed a weekend at fabric. What could possibly sway him to relocate to Japan?
“My journey into Japan is to learn how to speak naturally (laugh). The truth is…we have set up a new fabric office in Japan. This is the fabric’s first step into the world. I think we really need to and want to learn more about the Japanese mind before we start doing things. As it grows, becomes influenced and learns from other things outside of fabric, I press dearly that I want that to be an eastern Japanese influence. I hope that fabric learns to grow in a different way, learns to behave in a different way as a company and learns to see and understand things in a more Japanese way. My hope and dream are that our will will become purer and better because of these influences.”
A British individual drawn to Japanese culture has finally realized his adolescent dream. The question now is whether his plans include fabric Tokyo.
“We have no plans to open fabric Tokyo so far. I do have plans for a different project which is a big art project with DIESEL in November. But most importantly, we want to establish ourselves here first and take a very organic approach. For me, it’s about exchanging ideas. There may be many areas to introduce to Japan; from some events or performances to music, fashion or just ideas. But I want that to just happen naturally and organically. As I said earlier, for us, our purpose is to learn about Japan. The understanding and the whole archive of it will embellish everything that we’re doing. I may decide not to go home (laugh).”
Undoubtedly, Reilly stands as one of the most successful figures in the global club scene. We eagerly anticipate witnessing the next chapter as his creativity converges with the Japanese creative landscape.
KEITH REILLY
Keith Reilly has been immersed in music and nightlife culture for over 30 years. He is the founder of the legendary club The Cage, which opened in 1979. Nearly 2,000 people passed through the club's doors on its opening night, without any advertising in glossy magazines. fabric opened in October 1999, following a nine-year search for the ideal space. fabric is located opposite the historic Smithfield Meat Market in Farringdon, London. During this time, it has become one of, if not the most influential nightclub in the world. Since 2001, fabric has also released highly acclaimed monthly compilation albums that alternate each month between its key nights: fabric live (Fridays) and fabric (Saturdays). Reilly is also one of OPENERS' bloggers (http://k-reilly.blog.openers.jp/
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