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BUY + LISTEN |
CHRIS FORTIER - BALANCE 007 (STOMP/EQ) |
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For the seventh in the series of the Australian DJ mix compilations, Chris Fortier sought out tracks with a variety of sounds and production styles that have a continuous strain of similarity within each track. Fortier has integrated his selections into a seamless mix and never stays in one place too long. Progressive meets Tech House. Deep, chunky, funky, entrancing, and full of positive. A mix of old and new, established and obscure. This mix grabbed me instantly and didn't ease up. CD one starts out subtly and begins picking up with PJ Davy's "Sella Door". Other standouts on CD one are Kobble & Nitro's "America", Rabbit In the Moon's "Timebomb", Slam's "This World", and the final track "Hello, Is This Thing On" with its driving swarm of sounds that drew me in till the end. CD two continues the entrancement. Deep progressive jumps in at the gate with "Minimo" by HD Substance - a deep and minimalist vibe. Track two by Vector Lovers was an instant favorite with sounds drifting by in distance space. In track three things get even deeper with "Love Letter to the Enemy" and then deeper yet with "Propaganda". Energetic calm is where the vibe continues and remains until a more tribal feel comes in with "Con Fusion" and its phatt synth line that rides over the top. Right up until the end with Micah's mix of "As You Fall" by Bent (one of the few vocal tracks on the compilation and features dreamy female vocals) the stability and energy of the mix remains. And remain it will in my media player. (There is also a version of Balance 007 containing three CDs, however the third CD was not available to me, therefore this review is based on the two CD release.) -- www.djchrisfortier.com -- review by Jules Mari
By making me constantly check the credits to be sure I couldn’t find the names ‘Sasha’ or ‘Digweed’ anywhere in them, only then was I sure that Chris Fortier had truly succeeded in grasping the torch (and running away with it) left by the two former pin-ups of Progressive. The first of the three disc collection (a wee bit much, wouldn’t you say?) begins with a dark, tribal pair of mid-tempo chuggers, complete with evil growls and scary hoots & hollers. The disc begins to get a bit bouncy with track #4, “4 Rooms” by Alex Smoke, and goes full-blown techy House by track #7, “Klub” by Agoria. As expected, Chris’ mixes are seamless, airtight, and at the very least, more-than-credible displays of his prowess behind the turntables. Disc 2 and 3 continue with the same genre-shattering exhibition, with appearances by everyone from techy Lucas Rodenbush to twisted Floppy Sounds; and sicko ‘Evil’ Eddie Richards to kitschy David Gilmore Girls, surely making this set an instant favorite with fans. Mathew Jonson and 2 Dollar Egg keep the middle of disc 2 veering from one direction to the next, while chunky Hardfloor and trancey Pascal FEOS rips up the middle of disc 3, helping to carry the futuristic and moody tempo going. Points come off for the unbecoming, badly-lit & oddly-angled cover photography that makes Mr. Fortier look more like Mr. Frodo. (Call ME next time!)-- review by Carl Noone, Jr.
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