Tis the season of takin’ it easy and enjoying the balmy breezes as the last leaves jump from the trees and the smell of wood smoke hangs heartily in the air. The summer hustle has packed its bags and headed to warmer climates, replaced by the transitional calmness of autumn. For those of us lucky enough to enjoy them, the changing of the seasons remind us that life is always in motion. And it’s that time of year when more than a few of us get nostalgic and turn inward with introspection or maybe step back to evaluate the larger picture of life and the world. I don’t worry overmuch about things I can’t control, but I think it’s important we recognize the things we’ve got to be thankful for. Here’s what I’m most grateful for this year. Continue Reading →
Sincopat is back with a solid new project that offers up a complimentary foursome of tech-house tracks with flavors ranging from emotional and melodic to dark and chuggin’ on the label’s Vomvo 02 (part 3) EP.
Darlyn Vlys & Hear ThuG’s “Atoms of Love” contemporizes that ’90s progressive house vibe — complete with layered breakdown — on this winning lead-off track. AFFKT & Mike Ravelli’s “Don’t Hold Back” continues the retro interpretation with a more tech-driven attack, fat kicks and pulsing layers that will crush a sweaty peak time dance floor in the basement of any industrial warehouse. “Confession” by ARTBAT & Thomas Gandey is a dark and heavy job that builds around simple yet surprisingly effective vocals. The package closes with Habischman’s “Groove Division.” It’s a slow build that one might even say is relatively uneventful, but its hypnotic makes the track work.
Great tracks overall, and Sincopat’s best release in a long time.
Stacey Pullen is perhaps one of the most underrated DJs in America. He’s from the old school — a Detroit pioneer and one of the few remaining names that can claim to have been around almost as long as the founding fathers of techno themselves. But his Balance 028 mix is something different. It’s not exactly the eargasm I got from Guy J, or the masterfully arranged opus Hernan Cattaneo delivered, or even the romping fun of Danny Howells or the chuggin’ tech-monster that Danny Tenaglia let loose on the world. And that’s why I love it. Stacey Pullen does his own thing; he’s true to himself and that’s why he’s a natural fit to carry the torch for the Balance legacy.
Disc 1 sets the mood with rEJEKTS’s “Strung Out In Reno” (Marc Ashken Remix) and slowly builds into Leman & Dieckmann’s “Stomp” and Folic State’s “Another (NoGo) Zone” (Gurwan Remix) before leading us down the path of earbud contentment with a few techy twists and tribal teases. There’s enough variety here to keep my ears interested, but it’s a pretty linear journey. The mix winds down with Sobek’s lush “Ubomi” and closes with Toby Dreher feat. Dirty Paul’s melodic and sexy “A Try” (Autotune Remix) and Huxley’s “I Want You” (Deetron Remix).
The second disc is a bit more dynamic, opening with Anderson Noise’s “UFO.” Pullen opens up his signature house/techno hybrid style and it really compliments the more straight-laced attitude of the first disc. We get to taste of a pair of Pullen exclusives (“Save Ourselves” and “I’m Coming,” which are both top cuts) before being dosed by Peter Gibney’s “Fine Lines” and seduced by Hoito’s trippy “Modern Kush.”
I almost want to say he’s got a no-frills approach to music, but that wouldn’t be accurate or fair. His sound is stripped down compared to a lot of the “EDM superstars” topping the lists nowadays, the ones that seem to put effects above the actual music. But Pullen certainly has a groove that all the cool bells and whistles and studio polish can’t capture.
That said, I’m not quite ready to put this on the shelf with my other favorite Balance compilations, but I certainly won’t hesitate to say this will fill that cold and relatively desolate span of winter months until the next club season kicks off in the spring. And that’s not to say it won’t eventually end up on my short list of great mixes. I’ve spun each disc back-to-back for several weeks and it’s really been growing on me. Like most of the other Balance albums, I hear something new every time I listen to it.
