EQ Recordings must have been pretty chuffed when they scored James Holden to mix Balance 005 all those years ago, but for that compilation to become as seminal as it did was something not even EQ could have foreseen. Phil K had already helped to score the label some Oz industry praise when his turn of hand landed the series a DMA nomination, yet Holden’s mix was a whole new ballgame – helping propel the ‘little Aussie series that could’ to international fame.

With success comes opportunity: since 005 it seems that EQ has had the freedom to choose any DJ they so desire and, to their credit, the choices have always been smart and interesting. Balance 015 is no exception, with the label turning to the UK’s Simple Records head honcho Will Saul. Being a purveyor of all things deep and techy, one would imagine a Balance from Saul to be just that. And it is… Sort of. Deep? Yes. Techy? Somewhat. Eclectic? Bingo.

There is a hell of a lot of music to digest here, and instead of opting for one disc for each sound, Saul has spread the genre love across all 3 discs – the result feeling much more like a series of live sets than a planned compilation for home consumption. His approach is ambitious to say the least as he strives to package together such a plethora of new, old and varied material. But does he pull it off? Well, yes and no.

Disc one is an eclectic pot of funky space disco that also flirts with a bit of indie and synth pop, with the occasional touch of house. Saul pulls off a superb opening 20 minutes that includes the unearthing of a lost gem – the Mellow Mix of Smith & Mighty’s Anyone. The road then gets a little bumpy with the clumsy, out of context placement of In The City by The Chromatics. Not long after is a rather dodgy transition from Todd Terje’s version of Balearic Incarnation into Cage & Aviary’s Giorgio Carpenter. Thankfully, Saul pulls his socks up for the second half of the mix which is carried out aptly, including a delicious throwback to some early 90’s house courtesy of Hercules and Love Affair.

Disc Two is by far the most linear of all the discs, offering up house in several of its incarnations: deep, minimal and tech. On an early morning dancefloor tip, it’s much more of a mix you’d expect to hear from Saul. Early highlights are Isolee’s Pillow Talk and Konrad Black’s downright funky and filthy Medusa Smile – the kind of thing you would’ve heard on an Ivan Smagghe electro mix years ago. Around three quarters of the way in, Saul’s own Mbira winds down the house section of the set as it fades into Burial’s angelic Shell of Light, where the mix then opens up into a section of atmospheric dubstep. Closing track The White Flash, a collaboration between Thom Yorke and Modeselektor, then finishes things off nicely, even if the emotion is a tad unwarranted.

Anyone who’s heard any unofficial mixes from Will Saul will be aware that the guy is often partial to dub… minus the step. The first section of Disc Three is just that; reggae-infused dubby basslines that are laced with dreamy soundscapes and ethnic vocals. What is then a surprise is how coherently an old soul track like the Black Science Orchestra re-edit of Patti Jo’s Make Me Believe In You can follow the dub that has preceded it. It’s a testament to Saul’s musical knowledge of how the term ‘deep’ can transcend genres. As the mix continues on into deep house territory, what is clear is that the focus of the third disc is not necessarily on the magic of track transitions, but rather on the tracks themselves.

While at times it feels as though Saul has bitten off a bit more than he can chew, hats must go off to him for having the balls to do something different and take on such an audacious project. Possessing moments of brilliance and others that are far from it, Balance 015 is a release that needs time to grow on you. When it does, you realise that it’s the imperfections that bestow the charm.