As of Monday, I will have officially turned 20 years old. The departure from teenage-hood suggests new responsibility, on top of impending exams and three important pieces of coursework. I have also calculated I will be attending fabric at least 7 times in the next 6 weeks.

I'm aware that in my context that is slightly absurd, especially as I only recently vowed to reduce the frequency I visit fabric. The bottom line is I'm piss-poor, and despite the discounts I receive as a member, a night at fabric is never cheap. Add to this a determination to protect my mind and body as well as a general desire to use the club sparingly these days and I'm probably appearing a little foolish and rather hypocritical. But what can I say? fabric's programming this year continues to amaze and seduce in a way impossible to ignore. It's difficult to believe the club was in administration just last year, with its future ominously in the balance. But such is the institutional force of the fabric brand that it has made billing the biggest names in electronic music weekly, look so effortless and routine.

April and May arguably offer the most exciting run of line-ups at the club for quite some time. As usual, Saturdays continue to explore the leading trends of house and techno, especially with the return of Sven Väth and his Cocoon night in May, while Kill Em All is also back for the third time of the year on a Friday, alongside a highly anticipated BNR take over in Room One. There are even a couple of Thursdays and Sundays that are appealing. In short, the fabric programme over the next 6 weeks or so is not to be ignored, and here's our pick of of what's going on.

Saturday April 16th:
fabric with Magda, Sebo K, Kate Simko (live), Taimur Agha, Terry Francis, Ryan Elliott, Barker & Baumecker (live), Maratrax 11-8am, £19 on the door/18 advance/£10 fabricfirst/students
These days it requires something a little bit special for fabric to tempt me if there's no Craig Richards, and the 16th is the perfect example. Room One will be headlined by mighty Magda, who requires no introduction, for what I hope will be an extended set of her famously murky m-nus minimal. After the mind-blowing WYS! appearance from labelmate Gaiser a fortnight ago, I've been itching for more Minus and other than Ritchieeeee, there's nobody better than the pint-sized Pole.

Thursday April 21st:
fabriclive presents Adventures in The Beetroot Field with Carte Blanche, Tensnake (live).... 9pm-6am £10/12/10
It's not often you'll see us previewing fabriclive on SOTW, and it's even rarer for us to preview a Thursday, but the Easter weekend edition of ATBF is both. The line-up is extensive to say the least, with 22 acts billed for the three rooms, but there are two in particular that caught my attention. Carte Blanche's (DJ Mehdi & Riton) debut last year at Kill Em All was magnificent, so if that's anything to go by then their set on this night will certainly something to consider if you don't have to be up early on Friday morning. Add to that a live set from Disco-House maverick Tensnake and the weekend could be kicking off early in style.

Saturday April 23rd:
fabric with Craig Richards, Steve Bug, Jamie Jones, Andrew Weatherall, Slam (live), Russ Yallop, Subb-Ann (live)... 11-8am, £15/16/10
Leaving Room One on the 23rd could be difficult. Steve Bug and Jamie Jones on their own would make a night unmissable in most venues, but together alongside Craig Richards in fabric is a seriously hot prospect. Predicting set times has troubled me; It's very possible that Richards may close the night from 6am, with Jones and Bug preceding him- who starts first out of those two is something I'm still unsure of. But if you're brave enough to vacate Room One at all then there remains plenty of choice in the other two rooms, especially as Lee Foss's Hot Natured label takes over Room Three. Subb-Ann and Russ Yallop, who has also released on Crosstown Rebels, will surely tempt me and Chris away at some point.

Thursday April 28th:
fabric with Paul Kalkbrenner (live), Simina and Dominick Eulberg 10pm-3am, £12.50 for all (advance tickets only)
Like me, if you attended John Digweed's annual Christmas rave at fabric last year you were probably very disappointed when you discovered Paul Kalkbrenner was one of the several weather related casualties of the night. Well, to make up for it he's back, but this time on a Thursday (another one) where he will deliver one of his legendary live sets of acquired, chilled-out techno. A word of warning: Despite the night being promoted by and held at fabric, there will be no tickets available on the door, which means even immortal fabricfirst members like myself will have to cough-up the full price of £12.50 before the night. Do not make the same mistake as I did for when Nicolas Jaar performed at London Electronic a few weeks ago and assume there will be at least some tickets on the door. As far as I know there won't, and tickets are running out fast.

Saturday April 30th:
fabric with Craig Richards, Onur Özer, Benoit & Sergio (live), Marcel Dettmann... 11-8am, £19/18/10
By this date, I will have certainly attended fabric at least three times in the space of two weeks so I was actually hoping for mediocre line-up before this night was announced. Alas, it is not mediocre in the slightest, with the return of Craig Richards joined by Visionquest's finest live act, Benoit & Sergio and Turkish minimal maestro Onur Özer, who also happens to be one of my favourite minimal DJ's. Room Two also features Berghain resident and RA's no. 10 DJ last year, Marcel Dettmann- something I will definitely be sampling regardless of what's happening in the main room. I forecast this to be the one to avoid missing over the next 6 weeks.

Sunday May 1st:
WYS! Bank Holiday Special at fabric with Miss Kittin, Stephan Bodzin, Marc Romboy, Sei A, Perc... 11pm-8am, £15/16/10
One of many bank holiday Sunday's premier parties, for this occasion WYS! opens up all three rooms and will be just like a Saturday, going all the way until at least 8am. The main room is headed by French temptress, Miss Kitten who will surely have the gents in awe of not just the beats, while Room Two hosts one of Marc Romboy and Stephan Bodzin's tag-team sessions, accompanied by Turbo's Sei A among others. If you're stuck choosing what bank holiday party to go to, WYS! is a safe bet.

Saturday May 7th:
fabric with Tyrant (Craig Richards & Lee Burridge), Guy Gerber (live), Dave Clarke... 11-8am, £18/19/10
The headline act of which is half comprised of the resident DJ may not light as many fires, but anyone who has enjoyed a night at the mercy of Craig Richards and Lee Burridge will most likely tell you the same thing: they didn't stop dancing. Expect basslines you've never heard before on a soundsystem like you've never felt before- these two incredible DJ's are unstoppable when they're together. If Craig Richards's encyclopedic knowledge of music doesn't do it for you, then Lee Burridge's infectious energy will. The experimental Israeli producer Guy Gerber will also perform live in the main room, while Room Two welcomes the don of techno, Dave Clarke for what promises to be a blistering session of his signature sound.

Saturday May 14th:
fabric with Zip, Craig Richards, Agoria, Jozif, Francesco Tristano (live), Julietta... 11-8am £18/19/10
The fourth consecutively outstanding Saturday sees Perlon co-founder Zip command Room One for what I expect to be a very long, and utterly fascinating voyage of minimal. Perlon is possibly my favourite label, and despite several attempts I'm yet to see Zip. From what I gather, he is unanimously regarded as one of the scene's most intelligent, unpredictable and compelling figures, famous for his vast collection of the most obscure records and his idiosyncratic ability mixing the Perlon brand of minimal. For me, this is unmissable as like Villalobos, Zip represents everything that is brilliant about this beautiful, pared down sub-genre of techno. I'm expecting a late start for him in the main room, so it's just as well that Room Two is for once almost as interesting. Fabric 57's Agoria will showcase his taste for velvety French techno, while fabric regular Jozif will keep things housey. A live set from emerging Italian producer Francesco Tristano is certainly something to consider. His unique blend of classical and electronic music is certainly unprecedented, and could potentially be groundbreaking.

Friday May 20th:
Fabriclive presents Boys Noize Records & Kill Em All with Boys Noize, Housemeister, Shadow Dancer, Djedjotronic, Filthy Dukes and more TBC 10-6am £16/17/10
Ever since I first began my love affair with fabric, Boys Noize remains one of a only a few of my favourite DJ's I'm yet to experience there. It must have been a good few years since he was last booked but now finally the wait is over, as May 20th brings Alex Ridha himself to EC1, along with his record's finest members. Boys Noize is far from a new experience for me, but hearing those searing, sizzling, acid-laced basslines on fabric's soundsytem will be...

Saturday May 21st:
fabric presents Cocoon with Sven Väth, Christian Burkhardt (live), Dorian Paic, Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts (live), Sascha Dive, Craig Richards 11-8am £20/22/15
Last year, Papa Sven landed at fabric for the very first time ever, hand-plucking some of his legendary label's key players, such as Onur Özer and Ilario Alicante, to join his EC1 takeover. Despite dangerous overcrowding during the peak hours, it was a great success, with Väth taking to Room One like a duck to water, and Alicante and Dinky dominating Room Two's aggressive soundsystem. The line-up this year isn't quite as impressive (so far: there may well be more to come), but if Sven's in the house, it's gonna be a special night regardless.

In other fabric news...
While I patiently wait for both fabric 57: Agoria and fabriclive 57: Jackmaster to arrive at my door, a recent email sent out to fabricfirst members has confirmed some more fabric and fabriclive releases in the pipeline, two of which are highly exciting. To my delight, fabric 58: The Nothing Special will be the latest addition to the series mixed by Mr. Craig Richards, who I hope will use the mix to disclose some of those staple tracks he uses that have driven me to near insanity trying to track down. Meanwhile, September will bring fabriclive 59 mixed by Four Tet. To be honest, I couldn't have suggested a better candidate to mix a fabriclive. Kieran Hebden represents everything fabric is about, especially Friday's musical approach there and his mix will surely delight Saturday stalwarts as well as those more in tune with Friday nights.

To finish with, rumour has it that fabric are soon to launch their own brand of energy drink. The news was first broken by Resident Advisor, who quoted Cameron Leslie's thoughts about the surprising new venture, and Terry Francis who described how the DJ's as well as the punters need something to "Keep their heads together". However, confusion and skepticism arose because of the timing of this story's release: April 1st. It was featured on fabric's blog, and there has been no confirmation that is was a joke, so I suppose until we find out otherwise we should believe it. I hear some people aren't too happy with the idea, with accusations of fabric 'selling out', but personally I think it's quite an innovative and interesting concept. I haven't purchased a drink in fabric for about a year I think, but that could change if this is true...