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Chris Fortier :: Balance 007
| quote: | www.progressive-sounds.com
With this, the seventh volume in the long-running and acclaimed Aussie DJ mix series, Chris Fortier has really pushed himself to craft a mix that goes in, as he wrote on his own website - "the most adventurous directions musically possible". In short, that means that Chris has dug deep into his record crates and pulled out the past, present and future sounds of techno, house, and electro, and blended them into a cocktail of bleeps, beats and bass that never loses its groove. It's a perception-shattering mix that, could be described as a landmark in Chris's illustrious career, but it's not surprising considering what he's accomplished so far.
Chris's DJ roots can be traced back to Central Florida in the early 1990s. As one of the pioneers of a dance music scene that mirrored the burgeoning UK scene, Chris's residencies at the legendary Aahz nights (which served as a platform to bring the mighty Sasha and John Digweed to America for the first time), established the city of Orlando as the dance music benchmark for the rest of the U.S in the years to follow.
As the mid-90s dawned, Chris took advantage of the growing U.S. market by being one of the first American DJs to tour the country, and, eventually, the world. While some U.S. DJs boast about playing the globe, few can genuinely claim to have covered as many international air miles as Chris Fortier: since a Bedrock/Babelicious UK tour with Digweed back in 1997, Chris has been touring relentlessly for the past 8 years. Amongst other things, Chris was a resident of The Cross in London and the hallowed Twilo in New York (R.I.P.).
Keen to establish his production pedigree, Chris set up Fade Records in 1993 and, with partner-in-crime Neil Kolo, he recorded under the truncated name of Fade. With a string of hits for labels across the globe, their 'Fade Sanctuary' remixes became indispensable in every DJ's box, a trend that hit an incredible peak in 1998 when Fade's haunting, soul-bearing remix of Delerium's 'Silence' became a worldwide chart smash, going number one in four countries, and turning Sarah McLachlan into a part-time dance diva.
In 2002, Chris mixed the third volume of Bedrock's 'Compiled and Mixed' series. Rather than take the obvious route and feature well-known artists, Chris decided to be subversive (just like smuggling moody progressive house into the pop charts) and used the huge Bedrock platform to showcase the work of then up-and-coming artists such as Meat Katie, Jay Tripwire, and Randall Jones. Naturally, the mix received glowing praise.
Now, in 2005, Chris is officially into the second decade of his career, but he hasnt lost any steam. In fact, his batteries were so well charged that he couldn't contain his Balance mix to two CDs he made a third one without being asked to! But that's a treat for all those who buy the album, because it means you get an extra 70+ minutes of Chris's handiwork, and there's nothing more exciting than seeing (or hearing) an artist at the top of his game.
And what about the mix itself? For Chris's fans, Balance 007 might seem like a head-scratcher at first: on the one hand, it features some established artists like Carl Craig, Hardfloor, Bent, Slam, Rabbit In The Moon, Anthony Rother & Agoria; on the other, its full of obscure tracks you'd never expect to find on a Chris Fortier mix CD. It'll definitely come as a surprise to some of you, but you don't have to know anything about Chris to marvel at its charms. If there's a consistent theme in it, it's the skill of the construction the choice and arrangement of the tunes, and quality of the mixing that'll keep you hooked.
As the best DJs do, Chris has re-edited and tweaked most of the tracks to suit his needs: whether it's that techno gem here, or that punk-funk workout over there, Chris has managed to blend a host of disparate styles into one seamless mix that doesn't let up for a second. To be fair, it's not really melodic, but it's so damn groovy and properly underground that the best word to describe it would be, as vague it is, "quality". |
Tracklist
Disk 1
1. Global Communication - The Deep (40oz Re-Edit)
2. Floppy Sounds - Entertainment (Carl Craig Blue Minature Morph Mix)
3. Error Error - It Hits My Hair (Falling Deep)
4. 2 Dollar Egg - 4 Rooms (Fahrenheit)
5. Alex Smoke - Pingu
6. PJ Davy - Sella Dor
7. Agoria - Klub
8. Lindos & Moth Break Free (Linus Mix)
9. Kobbe & Nitro America (Kelly D / 40oz Dub-Edit)
10. Rabbit in the Moon Timebomb (Original Mix)
11. Slam This World (Wighnomy Dub)
12. D. Diggler Raetselrausch
13. 1 Up Yeah Dance To My Record Bitch (Kiki & Silversurfer Mix)
14. !!! (Chk Chk Chk) Hello, Is This Thing On? (40oz Re-Edit)
Disk 2
1. HD Substance Minimo
2. Vector Lovers Futures in Plastic (Claro Intelecto Mix)
3. Mathew Jonson Love Letter to the Enemy
4. Jussi Pekka Propaganda
5. Rene Breitbarth Cooling the Plasma
6. Connors & Klingler Feat Fay Sephirah Usage
7. 2 Dollar Egg Naxos
8. Nicholas Wood Get Lost
9. Floppy Sounds - Open the Door (Fan-Dancing Vampires Mix)
10. Patrick Zigon vs David Phillips Confusion (Dark Forrest)
11. Borut Margon Sound of Ignition
12. Lucas Rodenbush Atmos
13. Lucas Rodenbush Submerged
14. Bent As You Fall (Micah Mix)
Disk 3
1. Sinewave Sinewave
2. Leigh Dickson Praise
3. Anthony Rother Synthetic
4. Rare People Ocean (Transparent Sound Mix)
5. Mathew Jonson Behind The Mirror
6. Direct Let It Ride
7. Hardfloor Skillshot (Mr Velcro Fastener Mix)
8. Pascal FEOS Computer Controlled
9. Fraud Star Work That
10. Eddie Richards Dark 1.3
11. Effective Force Illuminate The Planet (Diamond Bullet (Act 6: Virtual Power)
12. Funk Harmony Park My Truth (Royal Sapien Main Room Mix)
13. Ramiro Mussoto Raio
14. David Gilmour Girls Crackhousewarmingparty (Rub n Tug's Did Someone Say Crack? Mix)
Release Date: Monday, May 09, 2005
Chris Fortier is playing:
Private Function, Friday April 15th @ Platform One (Melbourne)
Sweet Chilli, Saturday April 16th @ Suzie Q's (Sydney)
Plastik, Friday April 22nd @ Monkey Bar (Perth)
You can listen to his set from Perth @ Metro City from last year at www.djchrisfortier.com in the media section.
Nice!
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www.myspace.com/djslade
www.sladedj.com
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