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Cover Art

Nick Warren ( http://www.balancemusic.com.au/?p=722 )

Balance 018
Balance Music ( http://www.balancemusic.com.au )

For new lovers of the Balance series you are about to be introduced to an artist/DJ who has been cultivating music for some time. Even under the guise of Way Out West, Nick Warren has been pushing alternative forms of accessible dance in the genres of techno, house and more recently party electro jams. Starting off with a slow build by dropping the enigmatic deeply rhythmic ‘Only’ by Ormatie, you can see the expressiveness and importance of the mix from the start. With a couple of deeper tracks behind you now, the beats yearn for a bit of a push and Fiord kicks into a slow mind warp with ‘The Tribe Has Spoken’. It’s  a game changer right away due to the fact it sticks out a bit from even the next track which drives a funkier electro vibe. Paul Hazendonk’s ‘My Addiction’ delivers the boost needed to keeping you hanging in through the  lull of the next couple tracks. Then along comes a  bumping track to save the mix. Nick Warren’s own ‘Buenos Aires’ comes into play with Terry Lee Brown Junior on the remix treatment. It’s packed full of bouncy tech party anthem pad stabs and solid kick drums pushed around by heavy b lines. Failing once again as the end draws near, I have find myselfnodding off and becoming disinterested in the final track selection as the dreary progressive sounds just do not perk my ears up.

On to the next disc (yes this is a 2 CD compilation) so hopefully we will be blessed with some improvements. Before diving in the negative aspects of the track selection I’ll disperse with the more catchy and actual tunes that will keep you awake. 3 out of 11 is not that great and very surprising. Beat Factory featuring Stamina, Steve Mill, Steven Libby carry the second part of Balance 018 with high hopes but even these tracks have evil temptations of luring you away with preogressive chord changes and electro tinges. If it wasn’t for the swaggering house style I would have ejected this a long time ago. It’s hard to understand that the once heralded Nick Warren has fallen to such a subpar level of musical inspiration.

By Marc 'Oxide' LaCasse
May 24, 2011

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