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Rounding off their first dozen in the series, Lee Burridge has been sequestered to compile a three disc mix for issue number 12 in EQ's long running line of compilations, Balance. Marked as an industry standard in current and future music, Lee Burridge has endeavoured to take Balance in a new direction and a whole new sound.
The list of predecessors in the Balance series has only helped to fuel this new Balance CD. With the previous few incarnations mixed by DJs like Luke Fair, Paolo Mojo and Jimmy Van M, there has been an ever present House inclination, now Lee Burridge has compiled a superb foray on not only Techno and Minimal, but also moved Balance into unchartered territory.
As opposed to many other mixes, Lee's knowledge of ageless music is reinforced throughout this compilation, deciding on Ripperton's Techno number '10A' to kick the first disc of, it isn't long before the 'Bergwein' seamlessly flows in. The tunes slowly become more percussive with deep rolling basslines and lush sounds Lee Burridge continually manages to blend songs brilliantly. Choosing amazingly beautiful songs like Jacek Sienkiewcicz's 'Good Luck,' the atmosphere and progression of the mix is unlike that of any other compilation.
Cleverly Lee moves the mix in yet another direction with the dark techy sounds of 'The Back Door' and 'The Angry Ghost,' two well known tunes which fit together perfectly and flow smoothly towards 'Steppenwolf,' by H.O.S.H. Nearing the finish of this first CD, Burridge manages to build the mood very quickly with 'Dragon Loop,' before the penultimate wonder of 'Adios Ayer.' Picking a downtempo song to close a disc of Balance is one thing, but choosing one made over eight years ago is another, which is why this final tune is just such a magical way to end this first journey.
After the huge surprise Lee had with his final track of the first disc, it's hard to expect what's to come and with the minimal sound scape of 'Orion,' the second CD is already well under way. Moving solidly it's difficult to single out songs, although the Gurtz mix of 'Magda Had A Little Troll' is a great mover which merges inanely with 'Elevator' from Phage & Daniel Drier. A slight bit more linear the first disc, Burridge adds some great variety with Superflu's 'Lady In Pink.'
Picking the tempo up a bit with 'Bubblebath,' the effect is immediately negated by 'Over That,' which in turn works wonders when followed up by Tigerskin's 'Plagiat.' With plenty of long and impeccable transitions, Lee Burridge offers a cheeky mashup of 'Claridad' and Marc Houle's 'Bay Of Figs.' As the atmosphere and level of energy is ever growing, Lee purposely holds of going over the edge by closing this CD of with Martin Buttrich's deep, rolling techno tune, 'Programmer.'
Many a good compilation has been ruined by an unnecessary third disc, its make or break as the increased paced and energy is immediately present with 'Dubbel Problematik,' which intros with a titbit of the next track, '51 Poland Street.' Using the Extrawelt Tool as a small break, Lee Burridge instantly gets back into the driving Techno tunes like 'Rolling Brooklyn,' with its squeaky riff and tough percussion is accompanied brilliantly by Ananda's 'Trommelstunde.' Moving away from the harder techno sound, 'Antioxidation' holds some electro riffs amongst samples of the forthcoming tune.
Minimalising with tunes like 'Cliché,' there's no lack of surprises as Lee Burridge keeps the mix moving nicely with 'Samba,' from Paul Ritch. The second helping of Alexi Delano & Xpansul they deliver a nice tune with 'Vegetotherapy,' following that deep and rolling ideology it features some nice 303 sounds. Moving towards the end of this Balance, Lee remains consistent using his last few tracks to build up for 'Just Electricity' by Patrice Baumel. A more melody based techno tune then the prior ones; it is a very unique song and one that is very fitting of this diverse and unique Balance, well chosen by Lee Burridge.
I was once told; the fundamental arsenal of any DJ is comprised of three simple attributes, skill, track selection and their ability to surprise, Balance 012 is the epitome of a DJs capabilities. Taking Balance into a new age, with a new sound, Lee Burridge has proved an excellent choice by EQ, as this twelfth instalment is set to be a highly memorable and successful compilation.
4.5/5
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Last edited by Dj_Es-Dva on Aug-03-2007 at 02:34
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