Review | Balance 022: Funk D’Void 0

by Joey • Album Reviews, Listen, Reviews • Tags: , , , , , ,

They say some things can only really be appreciated as we age, like a nice glass of cognac, or a really soft bowel movement. I would put the Balance series in the same category – a certain level of maturity is required to appreciate its smoothness and complexity.

In fact, I distinctly remember listening to Nic Warren’s Balance 018 a year and a half ago, and being somewhat underwhelmed at first. Somehow, it stayed on my iPhone, though, and within a month, it had grown to become my favorite album of last summer. So it was with significantly more hype that I popped in Balance 022, this time by Funk D’Void, into my CD player, of all things, leaving little doubt that this album would be a throwback to another time and place.

Sometimes, though, that’s exactly what you need. Not to beat a dead horse (or a dead mouse, rather), but I’m still somewhat obsessed with the reviews Deadmau5 has been getting. Listening to Balance 22, I find myself thinking of The Guardian review in particular, and the idea that Deadmau5 shunned house music’s black, gay, and euro roots. Whether that’s true or not, there can be no doubt that Funk D’Void embraces these roots like an Ibiza nightclub – track after track harkens either to Chicago, Detroit, Amsterdam, or Berlin, and I’ll be damned if it isn’t about time for the old school to come back. It’s nice to hear black men with deep voices talk over deep basslines about peace and love; it’s nice to hear synths not afraid to soar above the clouds; and it’s nice to see tracks mesh into one another to create an organic whole. Simply put, it’s nice to see some soul back in progressive, considering the trend of mixing and producing like a robot has left me wondering if I hadn’t entered some sort of matrix as of late.

Standouts include Chris Malinchak’s “Razor”, the Drum dub mix of Moondymanc’s “Talker”, and the exclusive Joris Voorn track “RE-2001,” but really, it’s the whole 45 song mix taken together that produces the kind of old-school euphoria you used to feel when molly was called ecstasy, and people thought you were a freak for dancing all night.


Tracklist:
Disc 1
1. Hawkinson “Introduction (Funk D’Void remix)”
2. Monty Luke “Yesterday & Today”
3. Los Hermanos “Olmec My Brother”
4. Chris Malinchak “Razor”
5. Peter Dildo “Lucky Punch”
6. Arkist “Effingham PL” ***EXCLUSIVE***
7. Tonka “Orca (dub)”
8. Mike Acetate “Elevate (Shur-I-Kan & Milton Jackson remix)”
9. Soy Mustafa “Return Of The Annunaki (John Tejada Cinematic Edit)”
10. Moodymanc “Talker (Drum dub mix)”
11. Exercise One & Mathew Jonson “Lost Forever In A Happy Crowd”
12. Guy Andrews “Confuted” ***EXCLUSIVE***
13. Delano Smith “Wires”
14. Sam Matters “Weight Off My Mind”
15. Chymera “The Chase (Steve Rachmad Edit)”
16. Jesper Dahlback “Nyhus Part Two”
17. Pezzner “Only With Your Eyes”
18. Spirit Catcher “Sedona (Andre Lodemann remix)”
19. Vincent I. Watson “A Very Different World (Funk D’Void remix)”
20. Tony Lionni “Loving You”
21. Funk D’Void “Diabla (Psycatron Unreleased remix)” ***EXCLUSIVE***
Disc 2
1. Alucidnation “Suspended On Air”
2. Kolombo “Waiting For”
3. Lee Webster “Delve” ***EXCLUSIVE***
4. Pat Metheny “Electric Counterpoint (Fast)”
5. Lovebirds “Running Backwards”
6. Space Dimension Controller “Journey To The Core Of The Unknown Sphere”
7. Martin Patino “Hommage (Joash Remix)”
8. Outmode “Dark Journey (Toby Tobias’ Journey to the Light Remix)”
9. Vincent I. Watson “Celtic Beauty”
10. Joash “Assassin (Funk D’Void Remix)”
11. Joris Voorn “RE-2001” ***EXCLUSIVE***
12. Chaser “Bite The Bullet (Francois Dubois Remix)”
13. Tom Ellis “Go Through Me”
14. DJ Profile “Can U Sing”
15. Rhythm Maker “Alles Mainstream”
16. Patrice Scott “Tones & Things”
17. Robert Babicz “Out Of Order (Rob Acid Version)”
18. Soundstream “Makin Love”
19. Blackman “Headroom”
20. Phil Kieran “Prism”
21. The Reboot Joy Confession “1999”
22. Wasted Gaze “Untitled State Of Mind”
23. Francois Dubois “Sweet Spot”
24. Dennis DeSantis “You Say”

Balance 022: Funk D’void is out October 9th on Balance Music.

Funk D’Void on Facebook
www.balancemusic.com.au
Balance Series on Facebook
twitter.com/balanceseries

Joey

Writer at BeatDreams
I believe you can never really know a person until you smell them. Until that day, you’ll just have to know that I like it when my ears vibrate in fun ways, and I like it when it’s time to eat. I don't eat small round things, and I don't eat big hairy things. I don’t like fancy pants and I don’t like ugly children. I only run when I need the toilet. If I could live anywhere, I’d live in a sock. Stay away from me if you’re itchy.

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