Balance Selections Podcast

By Balance MusicMusic

Balance Selections Podcast episodes

November 01, 2017 Balance Selections 056: Monkey Safari
Being in a production duo with your brother seems like it could potentially be a recipe for conflict, but for Germany’s Monkey Safari this couldn’t be further from the truth. For these two siblings there isn't time for bickering, their name an easy clue into their sunny disposition. Even their bio states that ‘their mandate remains the same, sending sunny vibes to make even the darkest dance floors smile.’ And that they do with ease…
They can’t be locked down into one sound either, their discography feature a wide variety of labels from Minus to Bedrock to Solar Distance. (And don’t forget their own imprint Homage who recently signed tracks from Blond:ish and John Tejada). On the collaboration front they can count studio sessions with the likes of Moby, Guy Gerber, Josh Wink and more, the demand by artists to collaborate with them getting stronger by the day. And for good reason too, they currently seem to have the midas touch (their recent release ‘Oxy’, featured as part of John Digweed’s ‘Bedrock Frequencies’ compilation, reached #2 in Beatport’s Progressive House chart.) They also have a brand new album 'Odyssee' which just got released on their Hommage label after a consuming production effort: ’It was a very long process for us, hence the title.’
Monkey Safari will be heading to Australia late in November for a weekend’s worth of dates which includes Strawberry Fields festival (check last week’s Balance Selections with Tim Engelhardt for another Strawberry Fields featured act): ‘We’re playing Ricardo's in Sydney on Friday, Strawberry Fields Festival and XE54 in Melbourne on Saturday, and a secret garden party in Perth on Sunday.’ And just in time they have delivered a fresh Balance Selections mix. Forget about what you think you know of Monkey Safari, with tracks from Ben Klock, Recondite, Tale of Us and more, they once again prove with this mix that they are brilliantly illusive to pin down.
Interview + tracklist: https://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-056-monkey-safari/
Soundcloud: @monkeysafari
Facebook: www.facebook.com/monkeysafari
1 hr 8 min
October 24, 2017 Balance Selections 055: Tim Engelhardt
There is no doubt that Tim Engelhardt is considered one of the scene's most talented up-and-coming electronic music stars. If you need proof just have a look at his discography: He released his first track at the age of 14, and since then he has gone on to release over 20 singles and EPs before the age of 20 (he is currently 19 years of age).
It was the music of fellow Cologne resident Robert Babicz which inspired Tim’s journey into electronic music, and in a serendipitous twist of fate the revered engineer also took Tim under his wing, further inspiring Engelhardt to continue producing. All of his productions have a big emphasis on melody, and it’s this unique melodic sense he possess which has seen labels like Innervisions, Poker Flat, Traum Schallplatten and Babiczstyle all sign Tim Engelhardt tracks.
This Balance Selections mix drops just in time for his upcoming Australian tour which includes a highly anticipated slot at Strawberry Fields festival alongside acts like Sebastian Mullaert, Andrew Weatherall, Daniel Avery, Monkey Safari, Frankey & Sandrino.... you get the idea, it's a big lineup. And you won't be disappointed with this effort, it's filled with glorious Tim Engelhardt originals alongside cuts from artists like Trikk and Toto Chiavetta. The future of dance music sure is looking good…
Interview + tracklist: www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-tim-engelhardt/
Soundcloud: @timengelhardt
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tim.engelhardt.artist
1 hr
October 20, 2017 Balance Selections 054: Finnebassen
Finnebassen might be one of the more well known house cats to come out of his home country of Norway. He is a naturally talented musician who won’t shy away from playing live guitar on his productions, always favouring a hint of nostalgia to permeate his tracks. A regular performer in his hometown since 2008, it was only from 2012 onwards when the rest of the world sat up and noticed.
Then again, how you could you not pay attention to the Norwegian’s amazing run of nu-disco and house flavoured productions. His release on Electronique Digital ‘If You Only Knew’ reached number 3 on the Beatport Nu Disco Chart, and the Noir Music-signed track 'Touching Me' reached the number one spot on Beatport’s Deep House chart. Not to mention releases on labels including The House of Disco and even major players like Warner Music.
Gig-wise Romania and Belgium are all scheduled for the Finnebassen treatment later this year, alongside appearances at Berlin's Watergate, Amsterdam ADE, and a tour of Brazil in November.
As the first Norwegian artist to do a Balance Selections podcast, Finnebassen does not disappoint. And with tracks from Minilogue, Red Axes and Trikk, this mix will soothe many ears.
Interview + tracklist: https://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-054-finnebassen/
Soundcloud: @finnebassen
Facebook: www.facebook.com/finnebassen
1 hr 1 min
October 14, 2017 Balance Selections 053: John Acquaviva
Canada’s John Acquaviva is one of those behind-the-scene players whose influence spread far and wide. He is a businessman, artist and punter in equal spades, and have dedicated 4 decades to the global dance music industry. As a co-founder of Beatport and Final Scratch, he has helped sculpt the dance music transition from analogue to digital, and from vinyl to CDJs and laptops. (’I think of it as a horse and buggy age in that once you have a car, which in DJ life was both Final Scratch technology and Pioneer perfecting CDs, it’s hard to go back.)
A chance meeting in 1989 with fellow Canuck Richie Hawtin, lead to the creation of one of the most pivotal techno imprints, Plus 8 Records (which released music form artist like Cybersonik, Speedy J, Kenny Larkin and Plastikman). They followed that up in 1993 with the more house and tech-flavoured Definitive Records, which, almost 25 years later is still relevant as ever.
Today, Acquaviva calls himself a vinyl collector, insatiable entrepreneur, executive film producer and label owner. Yet above all, John Acquaviva is the quintessential performer at heart. His DJ career has surged forward with sets at BPM Festival, Space Ibiza, Output in Brooklyn, Bellevue in Zurich and Crobar in Buenos Aires to name a few.
With tracks from Henrik Schwarz, Matthias Tanzmann, Artslaves and more, this is a deep and body-moving tech workout with one the scene’s most reliable and longest-serving pioneers.
Interview + tracklist: https://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-53-john-acquaviva/
Soundcloud: @jacq
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JohnAcquavivaOfficial/
1 hr 1 min
September 22, 2017 Balance Selections 052: Oliver Huntemann
Oliver Huntemann... Need we say more?
One of the true pioneers, you can trace his roots all the way back to the early 90's as a early member of Humate, work your way through his many accomplishments and end up at today where he is still as relevant as ever. Not only has he added his expert touch to some of the globe's biggest acts (from Underworld, to Chemical Brothers to Depeche Mode), but his label Ideal Audio has been releasing deadset quality since 2008 (and that includes his album H-3). The German is also extremely sough-after as a collaborator, and his co-productions with Dubfire in particular, resulted in some of that year's biggest dancefloor bombs.
Of late, Huntemann is constantly releasing quality through his label Senso Sounds, which has grown exponentially in popularity. And as the legend tells us, there are plenty more to come: 'The priority for this year is set on the release of my new album 'Propaganda‘, coming out on Friday 13th of October. The singles 'Poltergeist‘ and 'Rotlicht‘ are already rotating very well and ’m very excited to have the whole story soon available for everyone. Beside this I have just signed great new singles to Senso Sounds from my buddy Hatzler, Brasilian DJ Alex Stein, German producer Carlo Ruetz and some cool tracks from various artists for the succesful Senso Sounds Level Series.'
Currently on tour in Australia, we count ourselves lucky that Oliver has found the time to craft a podcast which throbs and pulsates in all the right places. With tracks from Andre Winter, Tale of Us and of course, Oliver himself, this is the sound of a true techno craftsman.
Interview + tracklist: www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-052-oliver-huntemann/
Soundcloud: @oliver-huntemann
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OliverHuntemannOFC
1 hr 3 min
September 17, 2017 Balance Selections 051: Christian Smith
For over a decade now Christian Smith has been at the top of his game, and as one of the world’s leading exponents of techno, he has made his mark as a DJ, producer and label boss. Born in Stockholm, he had his formative years in Frankfurt, after which he spent some time in the USA before moving to Sao Paulo. Currently residing in Palma, Mallorca, you can say that his love for music is on par with his passion for experiencing different cultures, a lust for life which translate into his music and the success of his label, Tronic.
Since 1997 Tronic has been the go-to label for serious techno action, releasing tracks from the likes of Chus & Ceballos, ANNA, Paco Osuna, Loco & Jam, Kaiserdisco, Enrico Sangiuliano, Nick Curly and more. It recently celebrated it’s 200th release too, an impressive feat indeed, and is currently the number two best-selling techno label on Beatport. Tronic will also house his upcoming album which is slated for a release in October, a project which will feature collaborations with Victor Ruiz, Harry Romero, 2pole, Wehbba, Drunken Kong, and John Selway: ‘I am very pleased with the outcome of this project. Its mostly club tracks, but they all fit together nicely’. An enticing prospect.
Considering that majority of Christian’s online mixes are live recordings, we could’t be more happy to finally tease the label boss to create a special studio mix - and he shares the sentiment: ‘It’s very rare that I actually do mixes at home. I tend to use live recordings only, so this was a special one for me.’ On his Balance podcast you will get to hear some of the unreleased collaborations from the upcoming album, alongside another side to the producer: ‘I prepared a mix that’s still very much me, but also slightly more musical techno.’
interview + Tracklist: www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-051-christian-smith/
Soundcloud: @christiansmith
Facebook: www.facebook.com/officialchristiansmith
1 hr 1 min
August 31, 2017 Balance Selections 050: Phil K
In 2002 the fourth instalment of the Balance Series was mixed by Melbourne favourite Phil K, its combination of the then in-vogue tribal house and nu-breaks regarded by many as one of the highlights in the series. Not long after he was tapped by DJ Mag to be a part of their DJ World Series campaign, and he compiled an 11-track cover mount CD which showcased Australian breakbeat producers. Depending on who you converse with, this mix is considered one the best breaks mixes ever compiled (and in this writer’s opinion it is a very valid argument).
Phil is also part of production duo Lo-step (alongside Luke Chable) who in 2007 released their criminally underrated debut LP Because We Can on Global Underground. More famously, their music found heavy support from Sasha who signed ‘Burma‘ for his classic Involver mix. (On that note too, Phil has teased us with the promise of new Lo-step music: “Before the end of the year a couple of new Lo-step remixes which I can’t talk about yet…”  )
But when it comes to technique he has few rivals, and this is one of many reasons Phil K is considered one of the best in the world. In his hometown of Melbourne (and for those in the know around the world), Phil is revered as the DJ’s DJ, a technician who’s curiosity and love for new technology is only upstaged by his ability to tame each new item and employ it into his sets as if it’s been around for years. Even Pioneer has acknowledged his innate understanding of technology, and they approached him to help with the development of a prototype for the DVJ-X1 (the first visual and audio live mixer).
What we are getting at is that Phil K is a deadset legend and there aren’t many on this planet that can claim the skills or natural talent that he possess. Needless to say, we are ecstatic to finally have Phil compile us a mix, and in light of our mini-milestone of 50 podcasts, just in time too: He is an artist who has played such a vital part in the Balance narrative. With this mix he has delivered a engaging 2 hour extravaganza which in true Phil K style traverse breaks, house, techno, and whatever else. Featuring a mouth-watering selection of forward-thinking artists including Objekt, Pangaea, Kowton plus tracks from Phil’s new production alias Digital Stars…
This is something else...
interveiw + Tracklist: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-phil-k
Soundcloud: @peaking
Facebook: www.facebook.com/djphilk
2 hr 6 min
August 14, 2017 Balance Selections 049: Pig&Dan
A chance meeting between two airplane passengers turn into one of the most enduring techno/house production duos of our time... What would the odds on that be?
Well, apparently not that bad, as that is exactly what happened between Dan Duncan and Igor Tchkotoua when, unbeknown to each other, they booked the same flight in '99. That chance meeting set a series of events in motion which has turned them into one of today's most popular techno acts.
In the early 00’s their Submission Record label released bomb after Pig&Dan bomb; each release’s minimal and uniquely coloured artwork catching your attention in the record store, the music on it arresting your attention on the dancefloor. Straddling a fine line between techno, progressive, house and whatever else they felt inspired by, those early days set them up for a promising career which payed dividends: Labels like Yoshitoshi, Cocoon and Herzblut all came knocking and the gig invites started to flow in.
Today Pig&Dan can easily be considered underground mainstays, and their increasingly tougher techno sound has become a firm favourite with audiences globally. Their label, Elevate, has been responsible for some heavy Beatport chart toppers; just check their latest production ‘Obsession’ which is currently doing serious dancefloor damage. Adam Beyer’s popular Drumcode imprint have also been releasing Pig&Dan productions of late, and as Dan Duncan informs us : 'Next in line is 'La Bruja' which is our newest track about to drop on Drumcode's new A -Sides compilation this August.’ No doubt that will be another bullseye...
Ahead of Pig&Dan's Australian tour (Dan Duncan will be flying the flag solo this time around), the duo have delivered a mix with the tough-as nails beats reigned in just a touch: 'In this mix we wanted to project a bit smoother and more melodic side to our sound. Something that's not so peak time and spread our musical wings just to show our versatility.’ Featuring brand new collaborations alongside H.O.S.H. and Monika Kruse, this mix is 100% proof of why Pig&Dan is in such high demand...
Soundcloud: @pig-and-dan
Facebook: www.facebook.com/piganddan
Interview + tracklisting: www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-049-pigdan
1 hr 1 min
August 07, 2017 Balance Selections 048: 16 Bit Lolitas
If you are a dedicated electronic music fan, there really is no need to give you too much of an introduction into the world of 16 Bit Lolitas. For those that are uninitiated, welcome to a whole new world.
The Dutch duo of Ariaan Olieroock and Peter Kriek have been around since the early 00's, releasing the sort of productions which always reserved space in many revered DJ bags. They received worldwide recognition with tracks like ‘Murder Weapon’, ‘Nobody Seems To Care’, ‘Sedna’ and remixes for the likes of Sander Kleinenberg and Armin van Buuren.
Where many early-00's prog producers faded away, 16BL endured its heyday to stay as relevant today as they were a decade ago. Lately, the 16 Bit Lolitas have been focusing some of that energy into their side project, Cubicolor; a project with Tim Digby-Bell which of late has been gaining some serious momentum, even seeing them receive some attention outside of the club scene (they 'are currently working hard on the new Cubicolor album').
For their Balance excursion the Dutch boys have kept to form with a beautifully crafted selection of tracks and remixes from artists like Patrice Baumel, Trikk, Audiofly, Adriatique and more. And needless to say, 16BL have delivered a masterful mix.
Soundcloud: @16bitlolitas
Facebook: www.facebook.com/16bitlolitas
Interview + tracklisting: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-048-16-bit-lolitas/
1 hr
July 24, 2017 Balance Selections 047: UNER
Back in 2009 when UNER made his debut on Diynamic Records, the 'Raw Sweat' EP alongside Coyu, you would have been hard pressed to bet against the Spaniard becoming a global player. And as expected, he lived up to his potential, going on to become a recipient of Vicious Awards' Best Newcomer and Artist of the Year categories (Vicious Magazine is a Spanish dance music publication), while sponsorship deals with top brands like Native Instruments, Burn and Adidas showed just how marketable he became.
But is the music any good? It sure is, and if you need proof, just go and have a listen to any one of his productions on labels like Visionquest, Cocoon, Cadenza and Cécille. And for a comprehensive understanding of what UNER is about, buy his 2014 debut LP release '432' (released on Diynamic), it really showcased his love for house, techno, melodies and vocal harmonies.
The Spainard also play an important role in various party brands around the world, including Ants at Ushuaia, Ibiza (he is the resident), Carl Cox's The Revolution, Berlin’s Watergate, festivals like Sonar, and regular visits to the Americas: "The USA is a place where I have been going to a few times a year, and I am headed to San Francisco and Los Angeles at the end of July."
For this Balance Selections mix UNER has called upon melodies brushed with percussion for inspiration. And he has put in some extra effort into creating this too: 'I started out with a normal mix but then playing and adding LIVE parts over the tracks as percussions, melodies and atmospheric sounds. So you could say that I almost did my own rework of every track on this podcast.' With a tracklist which feature acts like Eagles & Butterflies, Third Son and Fort Romeau, this should resonate with many Balance listeners.
Interview and Tracklist: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-047-uner/
Soundcloud: @uner
Facebook: www.facebook.com/unermusic
1 hr 3 min