Balance Selections Podcast

Back in 2009 when UNER made his debut on Diynamic Records, the 'Raw Sweat' EP alongside Coyu, you would have been hard pressed to bet against the Spaniard becoming a global player. And as expected, he lived up to his potential, going on to become a recipient of Vicious Awards' Best Newcomer and Artist of the Year categories (Vicious Magazine is a Spanish dance music publication), while sponsorship deals with top brands like Native Instruments, Burn and Adidas showed just how marketable he became. But is the music any good? It sure is, and if you need proof, just go and have a listen to any one of his productions on labels like Visionquest, Cocoon, Cadenza and Cécille. And for a comprehensive understanding of what UNER is about, buy his 2014 debut LP release '432' (released on Diynamic), it really showcased his love for house, techno, melodies and vocal harmonies. The Spainard also play an important role in various party brands around the world, including Ants at Ushuaia, Ibiza (he is the resident), Carl Cox's The Revolution, Berlin’s Watergate, festivals like Sonar, and regular visits to the Americas: "The USA is a place where I have been going to a few times a year, and I am headed to San Francisco and Los Angeles at the end of July." For this Balance Selections mix UNER has called upon melodies brushed with percussion for inspiration. And he has put in some extra effort into creating this too: 'I started out with a normal mix but then playing and adding LIVE parts over the tracks as percussions, melodies and atmospheric sounds. So you could say that I almost did my own rework of every track on this podcast.' With a tracklist which feature acts like Eagles & Butterflies, Third Son and Fort Romeau, this should resonate with many Balance listeners. Interview and Tracklist: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-047-uner/ Soundcloud: @uner Facebook: www.facebook.com/unermusic

Romanian native BOg resides in Paris, where he is known for layering electronic beats to atmospheric, optimistic rhythms. His ability to weave together twinkling tapestries of scattered beats almost feels futuristic. The big break for the Romanian came in 2014 after he met John Digweed through the annual DJ competition, Burn Residency, all leading to BOg being signed to Bedrock Records. As one can expect, hanging out with a legend like Digweed has led to BOg progressing his skills swiftly, and word about the producer's forward-thinking productions are starting to get new fans by the day. And after his recent Innervisions-released collaboration alongside Tim Engelhardt, 'No More Words', you can expect his profile to flourish even more. The 46th edition of Balance Selections is a soulful journey across eleven tracks featuring artists like Doctor Dru, Andhim and André Hommen alongside a number of unreleased BOg tracks. With plenty of highs, BOg has shown with this mix that he is a talent to keep tabs on... Soundcloud: @bogmusicoff Facebook: www.facebook.com/bogmusic Interview + tracklisting: www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-046-bog/

Over the last 10 years Stelios Vassiloudis has released music under various monikers and aliases for labels such as Bedrock, Poker Flat and Audiomatique. Not only has he received support form high profile labels, but some of his most vocal supporters over the years have been luminaries such as Sasha, Josh Wink, Laurent Garnier and Steve Bug. A notable achievement in recent years for Vassiloudis was the release of his debut album on John Digweed's esteemed Bedrock imprint. Released to critical acclaim in late 2011, 'It Is What It Is' spanned across 2 discs of original compositions, and set the global stage for Stelios as an artist with a very unique production style. On his mix for Balance, the Greek producer has opted for a very upfront selection of tracks from artists such as Dauwd, Recondite, dubspeeka and more. No doubt this one will have you coming back for more… For more info: www.balancemusic.com.au

For podcast number 44, Mantzur has stayed true to form with another blinder of a mix which showcase his attention to detail: 'I'm taking my mixes and everything else I do really seriously, putting lots of effort into finding the right music that can complete the journey and express who I am and how I feel at the moment'. Featuring tracks from Dee Montero, Adam Port, and of course Mantzur himself, this is a masterclass from one of the game's top players. For more info: www.balancemusic.com.au

In 2012 Michael Dodman AKA Huxley solidified himself on the global scene through his breakthrough single ‘Let It Go’. The Hypercolour released track went on to become one of that year’s biggest singles, even Resident Advisor gave it their seal of approval with a 4/5 review and a ‘RA Recommends’ stamp. The track’s use of minimal elements for maximum results really showcased his impressive grasp on electronic music, and since then Dodman has become one of the scene’s most booked DJs and producers with further releases on Aus, 20/20, Defected, Rinse and more. It is easy to see why he is so popular as his DJ sets can traverse through the whole spectrum of electronic music, keeping it interesting but never straying too far from the right side of groove. Be it musically or philosophically (his Huxley pseudonym is inspired by famous philosopher Aldous Huxley), Dodman is a real explorer who is always moving forward, and of late he has adopted an harder edged sound. His Balance Selections mix is a perfect snapshot of what the Englishman is all about today. It connects the dots through various dance floor moods that keeps it interesting throughout for a satisfying listen. Soundcloud: @huxley_uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/huxleyofficial Interview + tracklisting: https://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-043-michael-dodman/

Ramon Tapia is an artist who goes about doing what he loves in a very unassuming way. With career that stretches back to the early 00′s, Tapia is an experienced servant of the global scene and a highly important cog in the local Dutch and Belgium scenes. Whether you are after a rolling techno set or an ice-breaker house set, Ramon Tapia is your man. The Dutchman’s booking schedule is prove of how popular he his with performances in the past week alone including countries like Egypt, Dubai, Beirut and Switzerland. One look at his discography reveals a producer who is very busy, and with over 130 remixes to his name, a producer who is very much in-demand. He has released a diverse selection of tracks on an equally diverse selection of labels stretching from Bedrock to Suara to house mainstay Strictly Rhythm and more. (In 2010 he also mixed a compilation for the New York-based Strictly Rhythm). Of late, his Say What? imprint has been a dependable vehicle for his own productions, his latest being a collaboration EP with Rik Watts. Balance Selections 42 is filled with main room igniters from artists like Steve Lawler, Jesse Perez, Sean Collier and Daniel Steinberg. Also included are two unreleased tracks from the man himself scheduled to drop later this year, plus music from new artists to look out for: ‘One artist who you should watch out for is Gallya, she really makes cool dark stuff and is featuring a lot in my record collection right now.’ No doubt you will enjoy this one… Soundcloud: @ramon-tapia Facebook: www.facebook.com/ramontapiaofficial Interview and tracklist here: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-042-ramon-tapia/

They don’t come more experienced in dance music than Omid Nourizadeh aka Omid 16B. For the last 20 years the Londoner has done it all: manage record labels; releasing on pivotal imprints; performing all over the world, and even compiling mix CD compilations. Back in the early 00’s you would’ve been hard pressed to find a DJ tracklist which didn’t feature a 16B remix or track. Surely, one of the more memorable moments of the whole Global Underground series has to be on CD1 of John Digweed’s Los Angeles outing: Madam’s frenetic ‘Penetration' (Madam vs. Bipath) mixing into 16B’s blissed-out remix of Electric Tease’s ‘Your Lovin’. His productions and remixes on prog house imprints like Hooj Choons, Yoshitoshi and Bedrock included the euphoric 'Driving To Heaven’ and the provocative beats of 'True (The Faggot Is You)’. His outing with Desyn Masiello and Demi as dance trio SOS lead to a mix compilation for Balance, for many a definite highlight of the whole series. Yes, the term legend can get watered down in today’s climate of click bait headlines, but in this case it is extremely justified. For this podcast Omid have opted to go with what he knows best, creating a journey through sound: 'My aim was to find a balance between what makes one move and shake through to being able to lay back and have a musical experience with a story!’ What a treat. Soundcloud: @sexonwax Facebook: www.facebook.com/omid16b Interview and tracklist: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-041-omid-16b/

Part of the highly regarded Kompakt family, Blond:ish have carved out their own niche thanks to their original sound and fun-loving approach to life. Better known to their parents as Anstascia D'elene and Vivie Ann Bakos, their productions have found home on labels which include Get Physical, Leftroom and Noir, and they have become a staple on the international club and festival circuit. Learning their trade at Cherry Nightclub in their then home town of Montreal (where they promoted and DJ-ed at their mid-week event called Blond:ish), it was a move to London which lead to a chance meeting with the Kompakt crew through a mutual friend. A series of releases later, in particular 'Endless Games' resonating far and wide, and the Canadians are now card holding members to one of the world's most prestigious imprints. You would be hard pressed to find a better 2015 LP debut release than their 'Welcome to the Present', an introspective musical journey into back-to-nature mysticism and spiritual groove. The release featured a host of shamanic and organic-sounding instruments, and, with its nod to philosopher Alan Watts, strongly alluded towards their holistic approach to life (and music). With our 40th podcast next up, the stars have finally aligned for the duo to deliver us a mix that was put together during some time off. ('We made it in Bali in between our yoga, meditation and spa days lol'). It even includes a fresh new production (the first track in the mix), spawned from a very recent recording session they had: 'We made it in a couple hours and just jammed along the groove track'. Featuring music from Ricardo Villalobos, Tuff City Kids, Dorisburg and more, this mix, as Blond:ish puts it, was made for times 'when you wanna get in the groooooove.' And they have absolutely nailed it.... Interview + tracklist: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-040-blondish/ Soundcloud: @blondish Facebook: www.facebook.com/blondish

Looking back at 2016, Jeremy Olander could make a case that it was his biggest year so far... He launched his new label Vivrant which saw 4 out of the first 5 releases make it to number one on Beatport, and he also took the brand on a label tour across 5 continents which included a sold out hometown gig to 1200 people alongside Henry Saiz, Finnebassen and Charlie Don’t Surf. His Talespin EP on Suara made it to number one on Beatport's Top 100 Releases chart, and the B-side, ‘Panorama’, sat at number one on the Progressive chart for impressive 35 days straight. On the remix front, Olander notably reworked ‘LETTERS’, the Sailor & I and Eekkoo collaboration released on Big Beat/Atlantic - a remix which is quickly approaching 1 million streams on Spotify. 2017 is well set to be even better: The ‘Damon’ EP is out now on his own imprint (the first release from Olander this year); upcoming is an collaboration EP with past Balance Selections compiler Cristoph, and a non-stop tour schedule is ensuring the Vivrant label owner is taking his sound globally. For this podcast the Swede has delivered a mix which feature an exciting amount of new Jeremy Olander productions: 'I’ve included a lot of unheard stuff to make it stand out and show people what I’ve been working on lately.’ Olander told us, 'Most of these I haven't played at any shows so I'm excited to try and gauge what people might like by the reactions’. And we can only think the reactions will be positive. Jeremy Olander has gone above and beyond to deliver something special. Interview & tracklist: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-039-jeremy-olander/ Soundcloud: @jeremyolander Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeremyolander

In 2015 Emanuel Satie carved a name for himself through a series of dancefloor bombs released on imprints like DTFD, Get Physical and Audiojack’s Gruuv. This good run of releases culminated in him being included in Resident Advisor’s 'Top Charted Tracks of 2015' (that would be the track 'Private Show’ on Get Physical, a track which Pete Tong championed as having 'probably my favourite bassline of 2015’). But Satie were only warming up, and 2016 saw him produce an even more consistent string of successful tracks. His rework of Late Nite Tuff Guy’s remix of DJ Le Roi & Roland Clark’s 'I Get Deep' hit number 1 on the overall Beatport charts and held strong in the top 5 for 6 weeks. Then there is his his debut single on Nic Fancuilli’s Saved Records, 'Come As You Are’, which got a fair rinsing across the scene’s biggest dancefloors. And the transformation from aspiring to full time global player was complete when Mixmag touted him as 'one to watch' 'in their 'Hot 6' feature. For the next Balance Selections podcast the Berlin-based DJ has crafted an immersive tech-house workout which rolls and rumbles in all the right spots. 'I wanted to build a journey out of old and new, but timeless tunes', Satie explains, and with tracks from acts like Reboot, Radio Slave, Photek and even Human League included in the mix, we think that he has achieved that quite expertly... Interview + tracklisting: https://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-038-emanuel-satie-2/ Soundcloud: @emanuel-satie Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emanuel.satie

Enrico Sangiuliano experienced the sort of rise that will serve as inspiration for many a bedroom producer out there. Well known in his native Italy as a class DJ, Sangiuliano played his local circuit for 10 years before the world took notice. After building on his production skills and developing his own sound, the Italian began getting signed to some of the world's top techno labels including Truesoul, Herzblut and Gem Records, but it wasn’t until 2015 that he gained traction on an international scale. His breakthrough track, a remix of DJ Boris’ 'Can You Hear Me', sat at #1 on Beatport’s techno chart for a staggering 14 weeks. Backing it up time and time again, the techno mastermind has almost spent more time in the charts than he has out of them. In 2015 Enrico sat at #8 for the world's best selling techno artist, a feat he then bettered in 2016 when he claimed the #1 spot. More recently he was asked to remix the Moby classic 'Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad', and in typical Sangiuliano-style, he delivered an absolute belter. Fast forward to today, and after taking a four-month break from production, Enrico has recently returned back to the studio. Ahead of his upcoming Australian tour, he’s told Balance that there is plenty of new music on it’s way, some of which can be found in this Balance Selections podcast. The mix is an hour slice from a set earlier in March at the huge Rotterdam Rave in Massilo, Rotterdam (where he shared the bill with acts like Alan Fitzpatrick, Dave Clarke, Joris Voorn and more). Be ready. This one goes off like a bomb from the get go…. Interview & tracklisting: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-enrico-sangiuliano/ Soundcloud: @enrico-sangiuliano Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enricosangiuliano/

Just Be aka Bushwacka aka Matthew Benjamin’s story arose from deep within the UK’s underground warehouse and illegal rave scene. Beginning in the 80s and 90s, he found it a space where he had unparalleled creative freedom to explore and develop as an artist. Just Be’s past has now seeped into the present, and as the years have gone by, we’ve seen him push boundaries of house, breakbeat, techno, downtempo and ambience alike. A collection of styles that have since lead him down a path to become the highly sort-after DJ/producer that he is today. Officially, Just Be’s career kicked off with a 14-year residency in London’s legendary The End, the abandoned train tunnel turned nightclub was a leg up in the dance world and propelled him into the international circuit. Since then, his time as a touring artist has seen him headline some of the worlds leading clubs such as Cocoon, DC10 and the now defunct Space in Ibiza. Clubs aside, Just Be is also no stranger to festival life. He’s featured on the dusty plains of the Black Rock Dessert for a sunrise set at Burning Man’s Robot Heart stage, The BPM Festival and many more. Fast forward to the present and Just Be now has 6 artist albums with another one on its way, 120 remixes and 160 tracks. To top it off he also has another EP soon to be released on Get Physical Music. In compiling this bumping house mix for Balance Selections, Just Be waited until the last minute so he could pick his favourite and most recent tracks from his collection, a mix where he’s managed to squeeze 18 tracks into his one-hour set. When asked about his podcast he told Balance ‘I haven’t actually put my own music on this mix. I meant to, but there is so much good music I had to pass on, and I just went with what felt right’ – and as usual, his feeling was spot on. Interview and tracklist: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-034-just-be/

Back in 2001 we can remember buying a Mixmag featuring a free covermount CD mixed by Timo Maas. The opening track on that mix was Ashtrax’s ‘Helsinki’, a gloriously lush electronica track which was uplifting and cosmic in equal doses: it really encapsulated exactly what people loved about forward thinking dance music. Forward to now, and Ashley Casselle (formerly one half of Ashtrax) is always making the sort of music which can make you dance and think at the same time. His recent output shines with a nod to the grand masters of Chicago House Music mixed with an ambience and atmosphere uniquely his own. This Summer a new track emerged and was introduced to the world on John Digweed's Transitions Show, 'Dayrise Stardust', featuring the voice of Nat King Cole, is perhaps a defining moment on this mix. Andrew Weatherall, Guido Schneider & Darius Syrosian have adorned their own podcasts, club sets and radio mixes with his new tracks, many of of which will see a release on the new Dayrise Enterprise label he's set up now. Casselle (as he's often known now) is a real veteran of the scene, and since the Noughties the producer/DJ has played at the world's most prestigious venues including Space in Ibiza, Giant in LA and Womb in Japan; toured the USA and Russia extensively; played on stellar lineups at the world's best events; had his own room at Bedrock, played at premium UK Summer events such as The Social Festival in Kent and made it into the ever controversial DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJ poll. He's even had his photograph in the National Portrait Gallery as part of a 'DJ coffee table book’. With this mix, the English selector has gone above and beyond to deliver one of the more intrinsic Balance Selections' journeys to date. With the help of a vocalist (the ever inquisitive Barbarella) drafted in especially for this mix, Casselle has managed to draw upon years of experience to craft something truly special. Trust us. This is first-rate.... Interview and tracklist here: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/ashley-casselle-balance-selections/

With 13 years behind them as a creative partnership Anthony Middleton and Luca Saporito AKA Audiofly have accumulated unparalleled experience through their endeavours and continue to put everything into maintaining their careers at the highest level. After a chance meeting in 2002, the two men have established a creative empire, which includes two record labels, a global party brand and fashion. The first label, Supernature, serves as a platform to represent both their musical vision and their ability to discover and nurture new talent, while Maison D’Etre is evolving into a vinyl-only platform, embodying the more traditional aspects of Audiofly’s ethos, On top of that, their party, Flying Circus, remains the jewel in the crown at many of the world’s biggest music events; WMC, Sonar Week, ADE and more, with a firm emphasis on quality over quantity. They manage to create and find the sort of tracks which force you to dance and pay attention to the finer details. If there is one superlative which consistently run through Audiofly's discography, it is the word 'deep, and with tracks from Dorisburg, Doubtingthomas, Kassem Mosse and more, you can expect more depth on their Balance Selections podcast... Interview + tracklist here: https://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-031-audiofly/

Summer 16 is shaping up nicely for Theo Kottis; with upcoming EP releases on Anjunadeep, Moda Black, and Sasha’s Last Night On Earth, plus a slew of festival dates scheduled – he is certainly living up to the hype, created by none other than Pete Tong. Coming from humble beginnings, he has learnt his craft amongst legends at renowned venues, including as a resident at Glasgow’s Sub Club. For Balance Selections 30 we are very pleased to welcome the Scotsman on board for a deep excursion into house and more... Interview and tracklist here: http://www.balancemusic.com.au/news/balance-selections-theo-kottis/