They donât come more experienced in dance music than Omid Nourizadeh aka Omid 16B. For the last 20 years the Londoner has done it all: manage record labels; releasing on pivotal imprints; performing all over the world, and even compiling mix CD compilations. Back in the early 00âs you wouldâve been hard pressed to find a DJ tracklist which didnât feature a 16B remix or track. Surely, one of the more memorable moments of the whole Global Underground series has to be on CD1 of John Digweedâs Los A...
May 09, 2017â˘1 hr
Part of the highly regarded Kompakt family, Blond:ish have carved out their own niche thanks to their original sound and fun-loving approach to life. Better known to their parents as Anstascia D'elene and Vivie Ann Bakos, their productions have found home on labels which include Get Physical, Leftroom and Noir, and they have become a staple on the international club and festival circuit. Learning their trade at Cherry Nightclub in their then home town of Montreal (where they promoted and DJ-ed a...
Apr 22, 2017â˘1 hr 3 min
Looking back at 2016, Jeremy Olander could make a case that it was his biggest year so far... He launched his new label Vivrant which saw 4 out of the first 5 releases make it to number one on Beatport, and he also took the brand on a label tour across 5 continents which included a sold out hometown gig to 1200 people alongside Henry Saiz, Finnebassen and Charlie Donât Surf. His Talespin EP on Suara made it to number one on Beatport's Top 100 Releases chart, and the B-side, âPanoramaâ, sat at nu...
Apr 14, 2017â˘1 hr 5 min
In 2015 Emanuel Satie carved a name for himself through a series of dancefloor bombs released on imprints like DTFD, Get Physical and Audiojackâs Gruuv. This good run of releases culminated in him being included in Resident Advisorâs 'Top Charted Tracks of 2015' (that would be the track 'Private Showâ on Get Physical, a track which Pete Tong championed as having 'probably my favourite bassline of 2015â). But Satie were only warming up, and 2016 saw him produce an even more consistent string of s...
Apr 13, 2017â˘1 hr
Enrico Sangiuliano experienced the sort of rise that will serve as inspiration for many a bedroom producer out there. Well known in his native Italy as a class DJ, Sangiuliano played his local circuit for 10 years before the world took notice. After building on his production skills and developing his own sound, the Italian began getting signed to some of the world's top techno labels including Truesoul, Herzblut and Gem Records, but it wasnât until 2015 that he gained traction on an internation...
Apr 03, 2017â˘1 hr
Just Be aka Bushwacka aka Matthew Benjaminâs story arose from deep within the UKâs underground warehouse and illegal rave scene. Beginning in the 80s and 90s, he found it a space where he had unparalleled creative freedom to explore and develop as an artist. Just Beâs past has now seeped into the present, and as the years have gone by, weâve seen him push boundaries of house, breakbeat, techno, downtempo and ambience alike. A collection of styles that have since lead him down a path to become th...
Feb 21, 2017â˘1 hr 2 min
Back in 2001 we can remember buying a Mixmag featuring a free covermount CD mixed by Timo Maas. The opening track on that mix was Ashtraxâs âHelsinkiâ, a gloriously lush electronica track which was uplifting and cosmic in equal doses: it really encapsulated exactly what people loved about forward thinking dance music. Forward to now, and Ashley Casselle (formerly one half of Ashtrax) is always making the sort of music which can make you dance and think at the same time. His recent output shines ...
Dec 24, 2016â˘1 hr 37 min
With 13 years behind them as a creative partnership Anthony Middleton and Luca Saporito AKA Audiofly have accumulated unparalleled experience through their endeavours and continue to put everything into maintaining their careers at the highest level. After a chance meeting in 2002, the two men have established a creative empire, which includes two record labels, a global party brand and fashion. The first label, Supernature, serves as a platform to represent both their musical vision and their a...
Dec 04, 2016â˘1 hr 29 min
Summer 16 is shaping up nicely for Theo Kottis; with upcoming EP releases on Anjunadeep, Moda Black, and Sashaâs Last Night On Earth, plus a slew of festival dates scheduled â he is certainly living up to the hype, created by none other than Pete Tong. Coming from humble beginnings, he has learnt his craft amongst legends at renowned venues, including as a resident at Glasgowâs Sub Club. For Balance Selections 30 we are very pleased to welcome the Scotsman on board for a deep excursion into hous...
Nov 12, 2016â˘1 hr 10 min
At the start of 2015 Innervisions released a new EP from Rancido, a relatively unknown producer who, up to that stage, only had a handful of releases to his name. 'The Journey' EP featured 4 beautifully crafted tracks, showcasing Rancido's penchant for longing melodies and soft beats. It's these soft rhythms that demand the most attention; listen closely, tucked away between the grooves you'll notice the gentle pulse of Africa-influenced percussive flair. Taking inspiration not just from the mot...
Oct 12, 2016â˘56 min
In 2013 Daniel Bortz released his debut album 'Patchwork Memories', an 11-track selection of deep cuts bleeding with melancholy, black keys and nostalgia. Bortz's laser-precision production skills were in full flight here, and his ability to use very little elements to fill out each track is the work of a serious professional. The album was filled with the sort of low-slung house which could easily double up as a downtempo soundtrack to a lazy Sunday afternoon. Look into his back catalogue you w...
Oct 04, 2016â˘56 min
Chris Fortier delivered one of the more interesting Balance compilations when he dropped compilation number 7 in the series. It was 3 CDs deep and filled with the sort of moody, tech-filled music which on first listen was bewildering, yet strangely alluring. It featured many artists at the early stage of their careers (Mathew Jonson and Alex Smoke come to mind), and showed that there was more to the progressive house sound which was so prevalent back then: It even received a strong 4.5/5 on Resi...
Sep 24, 2016â˘55 min
An artist who has been going from strength to strength over the last year has been Newcastleâs Cristoph. With productions that are always epic-filled tech workouts (with a healthy nod to the past), itâs no surprise that his music is getting rinsed from a wide selection of DJs which include Hot Since 82, Leftwing & Kody and everyone in between. The considerable amount of time spent sharpening his mixing and production skills has definitely started to reap rewards, and DJ bookings have been co...
Aug 22, 2016â˘57 min
Nico Stojan calls himself a global citizen, which is a very apt description for this Berlin-native who is known for his residency at the cityâs infamous Bar 25. He has a lust and curiosity for life which translates into his music and DJ sets, making it hard for any punter to not engage in his performances or music. He is part of a very unique group of DJs who can be booked for the bigger festivals alongside the smaller outdoor events too, his sound very much suited for any occasion. His recent a...
Jul 20, 2016â˘58 min
For podcast number 24 we bring it down a notch to bring you the slo-mo groove of the underground. 40 Thieves is a San Francisco based dance music collective consisting of Corey Black, Layne Fox and Jay WIlliams (aka Jaswho?) who has been creating their magic since 2005. You might know know their remake of the obscure 70's disco classic by Hot Chocolate, 'Don't Turn It Off (feat. Qzen), which was named #2 in 2009's track of the year by DJHistory.com, and also landed at the top of Beatport's best ...
Jul 05, 2016â˘1 hr 13 min
There isnât much music on the musical spectrum which Englishman Chris Barratt aka Eagles & Butterflies doesnât 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 worldâs 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 DK8âs classic t...
Jun 27, 2016â˘1 hr
You could say Chymera is a veteran of the underground electronic music scene; after all, he has been producing and releasing since the early 00âs. 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 (2008âs epic 3 disc effort from SOS, and Funk DâVoidâs 2012 release), alongside other mix seriesâ like Global Underground and Renaissance. T...
Jun 09, 2016â˘1 hr 1 min
âRumour 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.â When an artistâs 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 Northâs 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 la...
Apr 22, 2016â˘58 min
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 Hawtinâs 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: âMinimal is not really a sound⌠itâs just a way of making music. It represents good taste, stylish sounds, the undergro...
Apr 12, 2016â˘1 hr
If you ask any house/techno promoter in Australia worth their salt to put together a lineup of the countryâs best credible and underground DJâs, you can bet on it that Melbourneâs 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, Honkyt...
Mar 25, 2016â˘1 hr 5 min
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 Tongâs âTop Tunes of the Summerâ ...
Mar 02, 2016â˘1 hr 47 min
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 count...
Feb 18, 2016â˘2 hr 11 min
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 a...
Jan 20, 2016â˘1 hr 1 min
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 tech...
Dec 16, 2015â˘1 hr 1 min
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 âsignature fusion of deep Detroit textures and intricate rhythmsâ. 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, Lar...
Nov 05, 2015â˘1 hr 52 min
One of the more ear-catching producers to come out of Spain of late has been the Barcelona-based Dj/producer Miguel Bastida. His sound is one crafted for the underground: Deep, rolling techno that is as moody as it is groove-based. Check out his productions on labels like Sci+Tec, Toolroom, Bedrock, Trapez and Deeperfect to understand why some of the sceneâs biggest hitters all approve of Bastidaâs heavy dancefloor gems (Paco Osuna, Dubfire, Riche Hawtin and Umek are just some of those on the Ba...
Oct 08, 2015â˘1 hr 1 min
Over the last 5 years German Brigante has risen through the underground techno and house fraternity to become a genuine headline booking. The Spaniard (he is only German by name) is known for a impressive back catalogue of tough and moody productions which always display an air of suspense about them. Proof of Brigante's rising popularity was most evident in 2103 with a series of releases leading him into RAâs most charted artists list that year through a very respectable placing at #57 (and sup...
Aug 18, 2015â˘1 hr
One of the more enduring house labels over the years have been Tsuba Recordings, a label incubated in the UK and celebrated world-wide. Known for pushing and releasing the more underground side of house, Tsuba has developed into a label that is pretty much played by everyone who loves a good groove, with producers like Detroit Swindle, Spencer Parker, Sebo K, Galcher Lustwerk and more, all boasting a Tsuba guernsey. Just have a listen to âKung Fu Cantonaâ, arguably the labels biggest track (it d...
Jul 16, 2015â˘1 hr 15 min
If you walked into any club worth its salt back in 2009, chances were pretty high you would encounter one of the most outrageous tracks to be released that year. Patrice Bäumelâs âRoarâ (on Get Physical records) was a perfect slice of techno/house/electronica madness, a track so woundly tied up that you could physically feel the anxiety rise up in your body in anticipation for what was about to happen. That release heralded a new force on the scene and can rightly be considered as Bäumelâs break...
Jun 20, 2015â˘1 hr 14 min
Australian DJ /producer Uone is the next guest to step up for a Balance Selections podcast. Known for his fun and energetic DJ sets, Uone has become a regular on lineups for some of the more upfront global festivals and events. With a sound that initially drew on elements from all genres of the electronic sphere, he has now found his niche in producing and playing deep, chunky and twisted tech house - and it is with this resolve that he has managed to carve out a name for himself on the internat...
May 08, 2015â˘1 hr 20 min
