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(EQ/Stomp)
The CD many of us have been sweating on in ‘05 has finally arrived! Must take a deep breath, got to make sure I don’t set unrealistic expectations. After all I need not point out the rave reviews Desyn has been receiving for his many DJ sets floating around the net, especially his landmark October ‘04 BBC Radio 1 mix. Ditto Nikki Beach Miami Feb ‘05. Whilst his ‘04 BedrockOs_01 compilation release was good, I feel it wasn’t in the same league. The Radio 1 and subsequent sets are just beautiful, a perfect mix of his deepsexytechhouse style. What really grabs me is the shear diversity of genres he brings to the table, whilst retaining an overall funky, cohesive set. Desyn’s ‘Future DJ Hero’ tag is well deserved. Now for Balance008!
Upon first opening this double CD, I note the quality product that’s been put together. Sharp cover artwork, featuring a cropped snap of Desyn with the distinctive EQ Balance series tall, jagged font. Very cool! Lots of TLC has gone into the booklet including a very well informed written intro to Desyn, his labels, the Balance series and much, much more you NEED to know.
Will Saul’s Mbira tracks starts disk 1 off on a very mellow note, rolling nicely into the slow, bouncy beats of Newordinament’s tune Jerry Carla. Hang on…my ears have already pricked up. There’s a huge, deep groove introduced towards the end and it sounds awful familiar to the classic Axel F! This 80’s theme continues with Love Crisis by Williams combined with samples from Manchester legends New Order’s defining moment, Blue Monday. The drums at the start (with a few extra beats thrown in) is a highlight of CD 1, however it’s also interesting to note that Desyn wisely resists the urge to overdo this, instead using the 80’s samples selectively and stylishly. It’s still early but Balance008 is showing a distinctive and very cool personality.
This first section of disk 1 now builds to a climax, with Chelonis Jones from highly regarded German label Get Physical delivering an absolute gem in One on One. This track is very accessible and on this occasion, gets the Desyn re-mix treatment, combining Prince-like male vocals with a big pumping beat and great melody. Excellent stuff…turn it up! Wisely Desyn shifts gears, introducing the chilled and floating Flowers. It’s pleasant, but may have been better if it was trimmed in length to avoid the sense of unnecessary repetition. Several faster, subtle and bubbly tracks follow, including a remix by French legend, Francois K. This is all very pleasant listening for the home environment, but not Desyn at his engaging best. CD 1 nears conclusion with Derek Howell’s remixed-almost-beyond-recognition version of Soulsearcher’s Can’t Get Enough, followed by a personal highlight, Teardrop by The Idiots. For those who don’t know (myself included), The Idiots are a bunch of occasional collaborators one of whom is Desyn, and they release on his Sexonwax label. Teardrop is a real gem, making me wonder if he plans to push his production efforts further in the future with an artist album.
The start of CD 2 sees Desyn in top form. Orbital’s Halcyon+On+On starts with a subtle piano riff and sweeping female vocals, much like a Chicane track, then builds into a real stormer. It’s the sort of song I’d love to hear standing in the sunshine at a summer music festival and has given me great incentive to add more Orbital to my music collection. X by The Spirals follows, building on the tempo whilst retaining a real sense of flow and melody. By the third track it’s apparent that disk 2 showcases a distinctly more up tempo, dancefloor-oriented, style. It must be noted that across the 2 CD’s that make up Balance008, there is very little vocals. However, one of the rare inclusions is the mashed up track by Moloko and Killing Joke, an up-tempo tune with a very lively bass line underneath and nice female vocals over the top. This sing-along friendly has a very similar feel to Without Your Love by Andy Slate from Desyn’s Bedrock CD.
The second half of disk 2 contains some very solid tunes, of varying tempos and genres. It’s certainly a cohesive listen, but becomes a little stale at times. Dare I say there is a wee bit of filler in there, especially towards the end? I love it when a CD such as Sander’s Everybody 1 (disk 2) creates a journey, starting mellow, building to peak time then a slower, darker end. Balance008 doesn’t quite achieve this with the latter part of disk 2, but this is a minor quibble.
This is definitely one of the must have releases of ‘05, along with Luke Fair’s BedrockOs_03 and Danny Howells Global Underground 27 (disk 1). I feel Desyn’s is the best of these with Balance008 showcasing his unique musical taste and boundless enthusiasm. It is relatively simple and minimal in places, and whilst it doesn’t match the sheer funkiness of his Radio 1 sets, it has a cool and very likable personality with production that is to die for. I love it!
