- As much as I tried to get into Balance 013, after six weeks of repeated attempts, it just hasn’t happened. Maybe it needs more time: it takes a while to form an impression of these daunting, three-disc Balance entries – first you listen track by track, then disc-by-disc, and finally you form an impression as a whole. Jimmy Van M’s Balance 010 made the task more manageable by dividing the set into downtempo, midtempo and uptempo discs, but the lines between discs on Balance 013 are tenuous at best, but worst of all it just never really hits a groove.
It’s not because of the mixing: SOS—Desyn Masiello, Omid 16b and Demi, collectively—take a thoughtful approach to their transitions, which are seamless and elegant for the most part. Their selection, too, can rarely be faulted, cutting a wide swath through tracks by EDM pioneers Aphex Twin and Speedy J, ‘80s fixtures The Cure and Bryan Ferry and youngbloods Dusty Kid and Michael Ho. And they most assuredly try to hit a groove, time after time: If the crashing thunder and rain that kick off disc one are any indication, this is supposed to be the most atmospheric disc of the three. Accentuating this vibe are tracks like the heartbreaking ‘Slow River’ by Smith & Selway, the “beatless mix” of Chymera’s ‘Umbrella’ and the Seafeel remix of Cocteau Twins’ ‘Cherry Coloured Funk’, all of which drift along blissfully unmoored to a 4/4 beat. Strange, then, that they’re separated by long periods comprised of workmanlike house, with the irritating disco of Aeroplane’s ‘Caramellas’ and cheesy vocals of Imagination’s ‘Just An Illusion’ (despite it being the Lindstrøm dub) being the worst offenders. With that wicked start and the aforementioned great tracks, this should’ve been the chilled-out disc you can put on and close your eyes to, but it’s too stilted to take lying down.
Disc two works significantly better and comes out best among the three. Fans of Masiello will likely think the same, as his trademark re-editing and genre-hopping skills are in top form here (better than on his own Balance 008 in fact). A mix that kicks off with a special-made, club-ready version of The Cure’s ‘Lullaby’ could go anywhere, so the trio take the idea and run with it, switching up prog, acid house, breaks and techno without missing a beat. As the only one of the three discs with nary a vocal track (unless you count a Queen sample on Corporation One’s ‘The Real Life’), disc two is thoroughly late-night/heads-down fare and all the better because of that.
SOS try to capture the same vibe on disc three, but it never really takes off. The fuel’s there: highlights being the anthemic prog of Dimitri’s ‘Here She Comes (Elektrokid Remix)’ and Martin Buttrich’s screwy, bass-heavy take on Loco Dice’s ‘City Lights’. Like disc one, though, the sequencing’s all wrong: ‘City Lights,’ for instance, makes for enormously awkward bosom buddies with Michael Ho’s ‘Kiss The Wasp’, yet they’re carelessly slapped together. The mix’s longest track, Michael Cassette’s ‘Shadow’s Movement’, also happens to be its worst, which is never a good thing. And like the third Lord of the Rings movie, disc three gives a satisfying finish (on Bastian’s fittingly titled ‘Game Over’) but then burns through four encores before mercifully fading out.
Above all other points of contention, Balance 013 should’ve had a clearer sense of purpose. That doesn’t mean SOS had to take the same tack as Jimmy Van M did, but had they mapped out each disc with rules in place, the total package would’ve come together much more nicely. As such, it feels airy and aimless; a clean-cut case that a great tracklist doesn’t make a great mix. SOS do a commendable job between tracks, but here they’ve failed to see the big picture.
TracklistDisc 1
01 Omid 16b - Seagull
02 AN-2 - Wide Open
03 Modern Heads feat Pig & Dan - Gliding (Hypnotherapy)
04 Omid 16b - The Final Choice
05 Christian Smith & John Selway - Slow River
06 LFO - Nurture (Surgeon Remix)
07 Speedy J - De-Orbit
08 Jody Wisternoff - Starstrings (Instrumental)
09 Aeroplane - Caramellas
10 Chymera - Umbrella (Beatless Mix)
11 Imagination - Just An Illusion (Lindstrøm Dub) (SOS Edit)
12 DJ Frtizo - Pimms By The Pool (SOS Remix)
13 Bryan Ferry - Don't Stop The Dance (12" Remix) (SOS Edit)
14 Jan Driver - Kardamoon
15 MC Sultan - Der Bauch
16 Brandy - The Ritual (Chateau Flight Remix)
17 Cocteau Twins – Cherry Coloured Funk (Seefeel Remix)
18 The Cure - Lullaby
Disc 2
01 The Cure - Lullabye (SOS Edit)
02 Dusty Kid - Luna
03 Josel - Digiboy (DJ Tarkan & V-Sag Remix)
04 Nima Gorji - Whatever
05 Spirit Catcher - Brain Candy
06 Kollektiv Turmstrasse - Wagnis
07 Marsmobil - Mangia Amore (Makossa & Megablast Remake) (Lucas Abadi Edit)
08 The Blacklight Society - 2028
09 Whizz Kidzz - Fly High (SOS Edit)
10 Aeroplane / Corporation of One - Aeroplane (Dub) / The Real Life (SOS Edit)
11 Sugar Caine Pres Bionik Phunk - Once In A Lifetime (Dub) (SOS Edit)
12 Marc Romboy vs Stephan Bodzin - Atlas
13 Slytek - Spin Out (Neon Skin Mix)
14 Ink & Needle - Six
15 Middleman - Dum Dum
16 Inner City - Big Fun (Edit)
17 Joeski - Caribe Elektrico (Outter Limits Mix)
18 Henrik B - Logos
Disc 3
01 Speedy J - Fill 17
02 Joash - Salome
03 Aeroplane - Pacific Air Race (Dub)
04 Paul Keeley - A Sort Of Homecoming (SOS Edit)
05 DJ Pippi & David Penn - Do U Feel It (The Piano Mix) (SOS Edit)
06 AFX - VBSRedlofB
07 Dimitri - Here She Comes (Elektrokid Remix)
08 Kid Massive - Release (Raoul Dub)
09 Levan - Miau
10 Ozze - Bend The Rules
11 Loco Dice - City Lights (Martin Buttrich Remix)
12 Michael Ho - Kiss The Wasp
13 Ytre Rymden Dansskola - Kjappfot
14 Kingpin Cartel - Moogie Nights (SOS Edit)
15 Michael Cassette – Shadow’s Movement (SOS Edit)
16 Bastian - Game Over
17 Alessi Brothers - Savin' The Day (SOS Edit)
18 Stereo Brains - Luna (Johnny and Peps Remix)
19 The Detroit Experiment - Think Twice
20 Omid 16b – Full Of E_mty