Balance Selections Podcast

By Balance MusicMusic

Balance Selections Podcast episodes

August 09, 2024 Balance Selections 293: Rokazer
We head to Western Europe to spotlight Rokazer, a French producer and DJ who has been quietly crafting main room dance floor music for well over half a decade. It’s synchronous how the word "rock" is embedded in his Rokazer alias: he has a knack for creating rocking propulsive progressive aimed at making people dance. And mentioning main room masters like Eric Prydz and Deadmau5 as creative inspirations make his knack for driving basslines, sparkling percussion, and immersive melodic breakdowns make even more sense.
His discography boasts hard-hitting releases on labels like Mango Alley, Colorize, and Freerange, along with a 10-track full-length album on Golden Wings Music. Though his production output remains steady, Rokazer has taken a step back from live performances since becoming a father. He notes, "People often ask where they can see me in concert. I’d love to perform live in 2025, so if any promoters are listening, I'll be more available then!"
As his bio suggests, Rokazer delivers the "nectar of the French progressive house sound to ears worldwide," and if this mix is any indication, that nectar is addictively sweet. Featuring tracks and remixes from a stellar lineup of progressive house artists including Meeting Molly, Subandrio, GMJ & Matter, and Mike Rish, this is an energetic mix designed to elevate any mood.
@rokazer
1 hr 1 min
August 02, 2024 Balance Selections 292: Donatello
In 2011, Lithuanian producers Donatello, Arnas D and Kastis Torrau entered a competition to remix Sasha’s “Cut Me Down.” Their entry won and was released on Last Night On Earth. Currently, a YouTube upload of their wistful remix has amassed 17 million plays and 3,991 comments singing its praise. That’s impressive numbers for any dance music genre.
Since then, with a string of releases on notable labels like Get Physical and Renaissance, Donatello has become one of his country’s most prolific producers. After an enforced break from the industry due to the pandemic, he’s finally back focussing on music: “I hope to return to the studio this winter after a long break and create the works that have been in my head since the start of the pandemic.”
And it’s not a moment too soon. In an hour filled with depth and dynamics, the Lithuanian producer straddles an adventurous line between deep progressive and bouncey deep house. With tracks from Enamour, M.O.S., Dhany G, and Donatello himself, this mix is a timely reminder of what we’ve been missing during that enforced absence.
@djdonatello
1 hr 4 min
July 26, 2024 Balance Selections 291: Juan Pablo Torrez
Recently, we released a highly accomplished 4-track EP featuring Kamilo Sanclemente in collaboration with fellow Colombian producers. One of these collaborators is producer/DJ Juan Pablo Torrez, a well-known name in his native Colombia.
He is a radio host, producer, and label owner (Clubsonica, which was named "Best Record Label" in 2023 at the Colombian Dance Awards), and with over a decade’s worth of production experience, his hard work is starting to pay off globally. In 2021, his track ‘Leda’ was selected by Nick Warren as his favorite track of that year. And with major support from progressive DJs and beyond, it’s clear that Torrez is a name to invest in.
On this stunning 80 mix the Colombian producer showcase an intricate progressive house mix that sparkles with an emotive energy and main room appeal.
Featuring a special intro exclusively produced for this mix, Torrez pays homage to his Medellin community with a tracklist featuring Kamilo Sanclemente, Sebastian Valencia, Gux Jimenez and more.
1 hr 22 min
July 19, 2024 Balance Selections 290: Fretwell
Anyone with a passing interest in early and mid-2000s progressive breaks will know the name Fretwell. The Sheffield producer's lush take on the sound was signed to renowned labels including Global Underground, Bedrock, and Electrofly, the breaks offshoot of Baroque Records. Most notably, he contributed the exquisite "Faceless" to Anthony Pappa’s Balance 006.
Nowadays, he occasionally returns to production, with recent works including remixes for Pole Folder’s Reworck imprint and Aussie label Zero Tolerance Recordings (his take on the classic Digby & Oliver track "Human"). It’s clear the veteran still possesses the magic that made him such a reliable production force.
In his first DJ mix in over a decade, he delivers a fluid 80-minute set in which his progressive breaks credentials are well and truly on display. Featuring tracks from James Harcourt, Luke Chable & Steve May, Forty Cats and Framewerk, this one demands repeated listens.
@timfretwell
1 hr 21 min
July 12, 2024 Balance Selections 289: SisterSweet
Sistersweet is a DJ/producer from Moscow, Russia, and a resident of the local Digital Emotions crew. She is an active member of her community, spreading the progressive sound through her LUCHiSVETA radio show on www.megapolisnight.ru and support slots for DJs such as Kasper Koman and DJ Ruby. Production-wise, she is slowly building a portfolio with releases on labels like Balkan Connection, SkyTop, and AH-Digital, and upcoming signings for The Soundgarden and Higher States.
A Sistersweet mix skillfully blends progressive with the more organic strain of house, a fusion which is finding favor globally. That sound is on full display in this special conceptual mix, all with the intention of evoking ‘pleasant nostalgic emotions.’  
Consisting of unofficial remixes of stone-cold classics, she runs through contemporary takes from producers like Emi Galvan and Eichenbaum of well-known artists including Tycho, Moby, and Everything but The Girl. Watch out for the excellent Mike Griego remix of the Evolution classic ‘Walking in Fire’ and Sistersweet’s own special take on Satoshi Tomiie’s ‘Love in Traffic’.
@sistersweet
58 min
July 12, 2024 Modd, Metanoya - Interstellar Travel (PREVIEW)
There is a deep intensity within ‘Interstellar Travel’ that reminds one of classic prog acts like Chab and DJ Nukem. The chugging drums are hypnotic, thumping away like the sandworm thumper in Dune, while woodblock and xylophone melodies drift in and out like a sea breeze. Appearing from that breeze are majestic strings and a Celtic serenade that brings total satisfaction. It’s bold, beautiful, and extremely euphoric.
4 min
July 12, 2024 Modd, Metanoya - Thoughts On Infinity (PREVIEW)
‘Thoughts of Infinity’ starts conceptually big yet stays focused in its delivery. A picked, galloping bassline is pulled in every direction, accentuated by discordant effects. Yet somehow, the entropic movement remains centered, all thanks to a gently picked guitar which acts like a meditative balm. It works like magic: a dose of mindfulness for a chaotic mind on the verge of losing control. Another glorious winner to match any moment that needs a helping hand.
4 min
July 05, 2024 Balance Selections 288: Noel Sanger
Noel Sanger is a Florida native with a career spanning nearly three decades in progressive house and trance. Starting on classic imprints like Limbo and Release Recordings, he went on to work with artists like Erasure, Nadia Ali, John Taylor of Duran Duran, and Markus Schulz. Today, he runs Dissident Records, a label boasting tracks from artists like Kamilo Sanclemente, Jamie Stevens, Gai Barone, and more.
On this Balance Selections mix, the veteran shows his pedigree with a tight mix of contemporary prog. Featuring tracks and remixes from Lemon8, Michael & Levan, Stiven Rivic, Ruben Karapetyan, and more, this is 90 minutes of class.
1 hr 23 min
July 04, 2024 BALANCE EXTRA: Anthony Pappa (20 years of Balance 006)
🚨 To commemorate 20 years of Balance 006, Anthony Pappa compiled a special 2 hour mix, a 2024 rendition if you like of his revered Balance entry: one hour of lush prog breaks and one hour of hypnotic 4/4. 🚨
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Few DJs capture the imagination of prog punters like Australia’s Anthony Pappa. Known for his technical proficiency and ability to mix tracks with surgical precision, he is a generational talent who rightfully became a pivotal scene figure.
With a sound rooted in darker, rebellious tones, he fully embodied the underground at a time when the term still held weight.
Achieving what Pappa did requires a life filled with experiences. Given the way social media, marketing, and promotion have transformed the scene, his story is unlikely to be replicated.   
A pivotal part of our story, we dived deep with Anthony Pappa to discuss his career and his peerless Balance 006.
Check Balance website for full article and tracklist.
2 hr
June 28, 2024 Balance Selections 287: Rocío Portillo
Hailing from a lineage of creatives, Rocío Portillo is part of a new generation of South American producers making serious waves. Staunchly Argentinean, the influence of Hernan Cattaneo were always going to loom large on her musical development. And so it happened that she attended one of his Moonpark events which would seal her fate: "It was then that I fell deeply in love with electronic music." That love has led to total immersion.
Today, she is one of the country's rising talents, with releases on Mango Alley, Clubsonica, and Univack. In early 2021, she expanded her creative endeavors by forming a band with fellow Mendoza talents, Karim Sar Sar on saxophone and Valley (AR) on keyboard, guitar, and arrangements. This collaboration birthed a unique hybrid format, blending live performance with studio composition, where her distinct vocals play a central role.
Make no mistake: Portillo dabbles in a dark, driving progressive sound best described as underground. It’s designed for smoke-filled clubs where people dance, head down, blissfully unaware of their phones. Alongside unreleased Rocío Portillo productions, you’ll find a selection of underground talent like Juan Buitrago, Agustin Lupidi, and Claudio Cornejo. This is a stomping progressive mix that doubles as a showcase for the strength of the Argentine dance scene.
@rocioportillo
1 hr 45 min