The Balance series comes roaring back after last year’s S.O.S. misstep with this sprawling double-disc masterpiece from rising superstar Joris Voorn.
This is the best compilation in the Balance series since the James Holden installment back in ‘04. Dutch producer Joris Voorn pushes the envelope of electronic dance music by blurring the lines between DJ and producer. Over 26 tracks he spreads out elements of a hundred different tracks using the best sounds from each one to build up entirely new compositions. While there are others doing this, no one dissects these tracks like Voorn to create luxurious, wide-open musical spaces that add a previously unknown level of musicality to dance music. As a DJ, Voorn sojourns through innumerable genres, even those outside the dance floor, to allow this beast of a mix a chance to stop and reflect. Thankfully, those pauses are never glaring despite some extended workouts as each piece is so intrinsically bound to the mix as a whole that none ever seem out of place. Voorn’s bursting sound palette and creative techniques sound as if they are in constant battle with his relentless imagination on Balance 014 as he wrings out every last drop of quality from each loop and snippet. The results are stunning but hard to categorize and define beyond the trite superlative of “best one yet.”
Sean-Michael Yoder
File under: Sasha, Carl Craig, Lee Burridge