Balance Selections Podcast

There isn’t much music on the musical spectrum which Englishman Chris Barratt aka Eagles & Butterflies doesn’t draw inspiration from, and it shows in his productions which can range from downtempo to techno. This diversity has lead to the Englishman releasing on some of the world’s most celebrated labels including Get Physical, Innervisions, Noir Music and Southern Fried. Earlier this year he also signed a couple of productions to Bedrock records which included his re-work of DK8’s classic techno banger ‘Murder was the Bass’. There is no doubt that Eagles & Butterflies are starting to confirm that he is an artist with some serious longevity, and his Balance Selections podcast is one that will sit with the listener for while, emotive without ever being too obvious. Strap yourselves in…

Interview and tracklist here: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/podcast/balance-selections-023-eagles-butterflies/

You could say Chymera is a veteran of the underground electronic music scene; after all, he has been producing and releasing since the early 00’s. Known for pushing a more melodic and introspective sound which always float on top of warm and inviting techno beats, it is no surprise that the Irishman have had productions featured on past Balance compilations (2008’s epic 3 disc effort from SOS, and Funk D’Void’s 2012 release), alongside other mix series’ like Global Underground and Renaissance. The producer have a knack for earworm melodies which have found him favour with some of the more discerning techno labels including Delsin, Ovum, Figure, Outpost, and even Papa Sven’s Cocoon Recordings. A regular on the European circuit, the Berlin-based producer has this year alone featured in clubs like Tresor and Watergate alongside festival appearances. We are very excited to finally release his Balance selections podcast: A 60 minute deep techno excursion which is hypnotic and full of depth...

Interview and tracklisting here: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/balance-news/balance-selections-022-chymera/

‘Rumour has it that while Clarian was institutionalized at a human testing facility in the North Coast, he began song-writing as an occupational therapy to reconstruct visions of unknown origin.’ When an artist’s bio starts like that you know you are dealing with someone who is not operating on the same frequency as the rest of the pack. And in Clarian North’s case, he is so far left from centre he is pretty much off the chart. The Canadian has been moving and shaking at his own pace over the last 3 years or so, producing the sort of music that is uniquely his own but fresh at the same time. He first came to the attention through his Footprintz moniker (alongside Addy Weitzman) which resulted in multiple singles and one full length release on Visionquest Records. Since then Clarian has gone on to carve out a career as a solo producer with releases on labels like Life and Death, My Favorite Robot, Supplement Facts, Turbo, Natura Sonoris and many more. Last year’s ‘Mission To Bars’ release on Kompakt showcased his flair for aural drama, especially the epic ‘Space Noir’, and we can only imagine what else he will bring to the table in the future. His Balance Selections podcast is a suitably smooth leftfield/chill out/whatever mix which should soundtrack many an after party.... This one is pretty special.

Interview here: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-021-clarian/

We are going to Switzerland (by way of Argentina) for our next podcast to welcome techno artist Barem into the Balance Selections family. Best known for his releases on Richie Hawtin’s M_nus label, the producer has really made a name for himself with his warm, stripped back techno and house productions, a style which he feels encapsulates a feeling more so than an actual genre: “Minimal is not really a sound… it’s just a way of making music. It represents good taste, stylish sounds, the underground, after hours… Whatever native roots you have, whatever music you like or liked in the past, it all fits in there and it’s not dying in my opinion. It’s just arrived at the point where we’ve rediscovered how free and amazing the concept and the reasons behind it are.’’

But as with all good artists, career growth and change is essential to the soul, and last year the producer announced his departure from the M_nus crew to pursue new projects. And he did just that with the announcement of FUN Recordings, a new label co-founded by Barem which is already 2 releases deep with tracks from Barem, and fellow Argentinean producer and label co-founder, Alex Cabrera.

Having played at some of the biggest global events cites including Detroit Music Festival, Timewarp, Miami, Ibiza and ADE, there really is no doubt that Barem is considered a major player in the global scene – and the Argentinean has delivered a suitably quality mix which should keep listeners coming back for more.

Interview and tracklisting here: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/barem-balance-selections/

If you ask any house/techno promoter in Australia worth their salt to put together a lineup of the country’s best credible and underground DJ’s, you can bet on it that Melbourne’s Mike Callander will top that list. He is the man for any occasion, be it warming up for an international, taking the event home with a closing set, or even headlining the event, Callander is always technically proficient, never missing a beat. Cutting his teeth as a resident at the world famous, but now defunct, Honkytonks, he now resides at Australia’s most infamous haunt Revolver, alongside regular guest bookings all over Melbourne, Sydney and beyond. But it’s not just Australia where Callander has made a career; he is regularly invited internationally to play at global clubs such Rex Club in Paris and Berlin’s Watergate. (Get Physical’s DJ T personally invited him to play in Berlin for DJ T’s 20 years of DJing anniversary event.)

On the production front Mike is known in Australia as an well-respected producer who has had solo releases signed to compilations mixed by David Seaman and Phil K, one full length album under his belt (‘Antarctica’), and he also co-runs and founded the highly esteemed Haul Music label. Recently he released the first remix under his new Zero Percent banner (a project alongside The Presets’ Kim Moyes) for indie act The Jezebels (the remix can also be found on this podcast). And to top it all off he also co-runs the School of Synthesis production school alongside international production veteran and legend, Davide Carbone.

We can go on and on as Mike Callander really is that decorated, but in the end it’s all about the music so sit back and press play. We can’t be more excited to have one of Australia’s best (if not the best in our opinion) as our next guest…

Interview and tracklist here: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/podcast/balance-selections-019-mike-callander/

Back in 2006 one of the more popular Balance editions hit your local music store: Balance 009 mixed by Paolo Mojo. Spread over 2CDs, the release went on to receive critical acclaim and went on to become a fan favorite. In the time after his Balance release, Paolo Mojo has achieved many accolades, including 2 Essential mixes for BBC1, and travelling the world playing at pretty much every popular club the global scene has to offer. He is a former recipient of Pete Tong’s ‘Top Tunes of the Summer’ (twice), and he has been signed to a ‘who’s who’ of electronic music labels: Bedrock, Saved, NRK, Cr2, Toolroom, Renaissance, Great Stuff, Positiva, EQ Recordings, Factomania, Little Mountain, Curfew Nervous, Ego Records… the list REALLY goes on.

It has been a decade since the release date of his Balance, so the time seems right to re-visit Paolo Mojo and see where he is at, not only musically, but also physically: “For lots of reasons I decided to take the plunge and move to South America, a part of the world I love and know well. I’m currently located in Bogota although I continue to tour around - particularly the Americas at the moment, but I’ll be heading back to Europe in June to see family and do some gigs. I’m lucky enough to have a residency at one of the best clubs in the world as well, Baum in Bogota, which allows me to stretch my DJ legs 2 to 3 times a month in all sorts of styles.

This move was exactly what he needed to inspire him too, and it is looking like we are on the verge of receiving a whole batch of new Paolo Mojo music: “In the last two years I got a bit jaded. Things were the same, and I was doing more and more things in the studio that I wasn’t necessarily in love with. I needed to do something new and get back to what I’m all about. I finally have the space to write the new body of work I’ve been promising to do for the last 3 years, and that’s what I’m busy doing right now.

And that is exactly the appeal of Paolo Mojo - never stagnating, always transforming and taking it day by day: “I don’t know where the future will take me, but I’m happy to live in the moment again.”

We are very pleased to have Paolo back with a stunning podcast (which may or may not have been inspired by David Bowie), and should keep all the familiar fans happy whilst introducing him to a whole generation of Balance listeners. What a treat.

Interview here: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-018-paolo-mojo/

In his home country of Brazil they don't come much bigger than Gabe. Just one look at his social media stats will confirm an artist at the top of his game (160K FB Likes and 92K Soundcloud followers) , and his latest project, Gabe Live, has been a long anticipated shift in his career. Acquiring an enviable booty of hardware -samplers, a collection of keyboard and a small audio laboratory designed specifically for touring- Gabe has upped the ante when it comes to the live arena.

In his home country of Brasil, Gabe has played at festivals like Dream Valley, XXXperience, Tribe, and clubs like Field, Warung, D-Edge, and have guested at the likes of Eclipse, Rainbow Serpent and Ageha amongst many more. His renowned Wrecked Machine project saw him experiment with his passion for psy-trance, releasing two albums under that moniker. Receiving support from the upper echelon of tastemakers including Sasha, Solomun, H.O.S.H. and John Digweed, Gabe delivers music that appeals to fans globally. Recently announced as one of the acts at Tomorrowland Brazil in April, Gabe will also be making his way to Australia for a whirlwind tour which includes a slot at the CHI WOW WAH TOWN festival near Melbourne. In the meantime, we have been lucky enough to secure a mix from Gabe for Balance Selections podcast which should ensure his reputation as one of the world's best stay in tact.

Interview here: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/gabe/

Known as one of the Netherlands's most technically proficient producers, Secret Cinema is preparing to celebrate his 25th year in the music industry this year. Responsible for classics like 'Sonar System' (as Meng Syndicate), 'Mary Go Wild' and 'Watch me Now' (as Grooveyard), 'Timeless Attitude', 'Gung Ho' and 'Shake Ur Tek-Ass' (as Secret Cinema), Jeroen Verheij is still as relevant in techno as he was in the 90s. As an integral part of the global dance community, he has dominated main stages around the world, as well as all of the other global haunts such as Womb, Pacha, Air and Sankeys. To add to this, his label Gem Records has been garnering more international recognition with every release. Today Secret Cinema is regarded as one of the mainstay's of the scene, and he will be bringing his highly respectable reputation and extensive catalogue to Australia to kick off his worldwide Silver Tour, which will include performances at Rainbow Serpent Festival and Piknic Elektronik. To coincide with his 25 year anniversary, he has released a luxury box entitled SILVER, which includes his entire discography, DVD documentary and all new remixes from the likes of Christian Smith, Heiko Laux and Joris Voorn to name a few. Celebrate one of the scene pioneers with this Balance Selections podcast which ticks all the right boxes...

Interview here: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-16-secret-cinema/

Paco Osuna is one of the most renowned artists in the industry with a career spanning over 20 years. Blazing a trail for his fellow Spanish techno artists to become a vital cog oin the Spanish electronic dance music scene, Osuna has been recognised with several of the most important local music awards: Best Artist, Best Techno DJ and Dj of the year (Vicious Music Awards, from 2011 to 2014); Best Producer and Best Remix: Plastikman-Ethnics (DJ Mag Sp 2011). Production-wise Osuna has released techno on some of the global scene’s most legendary labels including Plus 8 and Minus (check the 2014 album release ‘Long Play’ on Minus), and he is also one of the most in-demand remixers going around. We can’t be more excited to have a legend like Paco Osuna on board for our final Balance Selections podcast of 2015. Enjoy!

Interview and tracklisting here: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/balance-news/balance-selections-015-paco-osuna

Never one to be pigeon-holed, Jay Tripwire is an artist that effortlessly straddles the line between being a crowd-pleaser and an underground favourite. For over 2 decades now the Canadian producer/DJ has entertained and educated global crowds with his ‘signature fusion of deep Detroit textures and intricate rhythms’. He is an always an in-demand remixer with an average of 10-15 remixes per year, and in 2010 the producer was honoured by Future Music by being named alongside Frankie Knuckles, Larry Heard, Charles Webster, Atjazz, and Tom Middleton as being one of the most influential innovators in-house music. On the verge of releasing a new album, we are extremely pleased to have an underground mainstay like Jay Tripwire deliver us a 2 hour Balance Selections journey …

Interview and tracklisting: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-014-jay-tripwire/