inthemix | Music News | Various Artists - Balance 013, mixed by SOS

The Balance series of DJ mixes has spent the last six years establishing itself as one of the world’s best progressive music compilation series – if not the best. The series has sought to showcase a diverse and interesting range of talents and their latest release is no exception. The trio of Desyn Masiello, Omid 16b and Demi makes up the formidable SOS, and over the past four years they’ve gained a loyal following among fans who appreciate their ability to challenge perceptions about ‘progressive’ music, while also entertaining us (and by all reports, themselves) as part of the bargain. This is the thirteenth release in the Balance series, which is considered to be an unlucky number for some – but would it be unlucky for SOS?

The mix plays out across a three disc compilation, commencing with the ultra-smooth, laidback first disc and building the tempo and intensity throughout the mix. While there is a neat segue-way between the first and second discs with mixes of The Cures’ Lullabye bridging the gap, I get the feeling the first disc sits quite separately from the other two mixes. There are large sections of the first disc that contains no beat or none prominent enough to gain any notice, which means that much of the first disc is not exactly ‘dance’ music, whereas the other two discs definitely are. I am not a fan of atmospheric, ambient music, I actually find it about as interesting as cleaning the toilet, yet on this first disc SOS have managed to compile an amazingly well constructed piece of programming that delights the senses.

The album opens with the sound of an acoustic guitar playing soothing music in a rainstorm, and it’s utterly compelling listening. I know that I’m English, but for me the rain just ends too soon, it’s so beautiful. But this first mix is more than just a well constructed piece of relaxing music, it’s quite clear it’s been created by people that know their music (and possibly their music history) inside out. How on earth does a cutting edge electronic music mix include music by the Cocteau Twins, Bryan Ferry, Imagination and the Cure? How indeed – and more than that, how on earth does it work? The answer lies far beyond my limited abilities to explain it; trust me when I say it just does!

The second disc commences in a far more conventional manner for a dance music mix listeners, with quite a beautiful re-edit of The Cure’s song Lullabye. The boys are still in a laid back mood, but you really get the impression that an shift upwards in tempo has taken place, and a far more ‘progressive’ feel is in the air! This feeling turns into a reality far quicker than I was really ready for and from here, SOS use the first half of the second CD to create the best sequence of tracks in the entire three disc compilation. The programming and mixing is exquisite, in fact there are times where you can’t even tell when tracks have changed and the quality of the tunes is among the best I have heard in a long time. It’s not as dark and tough as the type of progressive music that I’d normally listen to, but it has a luscious and melodic quality that is just so appealing. Watch out for the quite stunning Tarkan & V-Sag remix of Digiboy and Kollective Turmstrasse’s Wagnis – pure progressive bliss. Also, the music historians amongst you will be happy that not all the eighties tunes were used up in the first mix, as the Talking Heads classic Once In A Lifetime gets a reworking here as well!

Now all this gushing positivity doesn’t mean that the second mix in this compilation is flawless; because let’s face it, nothing ever is. There are a few moments where I’m left wondering what is going on, especially in the back end of this mix when they dip back into the house bag (which at times might be masquerading as a handbag). It might be a truism that three heads are better than one, but there are moments where it seems like the DJs have different ideas about where they should be going. But we’re not judging diamonds here, and flaws are often just as interesting as perfection. At the very least, they can often make the good sound that much better.

The final mix here follows a very similar pattern to the second one, with another brilliant sequence of music taking up the first half of this final mix. I’m not going to dwell too much on the music itself, except to say that the programming and tune selection reaches stellar heights initially, but it somewhat loses my interest about two thirds of the way through by going back into some of the more atmospheric tunes that feel somewhat self indulgent and drab. But whilst things round off with a series of drips rather than a bang, this isn’t enough of an error to mar the overall feel of the mix. It’s undoubtedly one of the cleverest, well thought out and beautifully compiled mixes of the past couple of years. The depth of music knowledge displayed, along with the understanding of how it all connects together to form a sum that is greater than its parts, is a rare thing in music. I cannot recommend this CD highly enough, and if you get the opportunity to see these boys in a live setting… “Carpe diem” as Robin Williams once said!

Check out the extensive tracklisting here…

Disc 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 (Jhonny and Peps Remix)
19 The Detroit Experiment – Think Twice
20 Omid 16b – Full Of E_mty

Have a look at ITM’s recent interview with SOS, and while you’re at it take a squizz at this video of the crew playing last year’s Global Gathering festival in the UK…