Deetron – Balance 020

A classy, glassy-clear, and accomplished pair of sets. I love this release. After the layered, processed and analogue feel of Henry Saiz's Balance 019 mixes, Deetron's offering may feel very different, but, after a while, I've found myself playing Deetron's mixes more and more, enjoying their airy, elegant quality and ability to reveal more and more after several listens.

I liked the concept of having one mix digital and the other analogue from the outset.

There's a subdued energy to the first - the digital - mix. It moves smoothly on, it's elegant, controlled, but intense - I can't quite put my finger on why, but it feels incredibly tight, but airy at the same time. I love the build up of the first three tracks for the vocal to kick in in track 4 "Loosing My Patience". It works so well! The set then moves on, keeping tight control, winding down and opening up to let in some emotions towards the end, until an absolutely unexpected and all the more brilliant and quirky last track by Savage Progress "Heart Begin To Beat", which I heard on the mix for the first time and fell in love with straight away. It's a track from the 80s, but it feels absolutely fresh and up to date with the rest of the mix and choosing it as an ending was a stroke of genius.

As to the second disc - the analogue mix - it feels direct, focused, and its flow is simply astounding. Deetron is a master DJ, judging from his mixing here, as the vinyls seem to merge into one seamless ride completely effortlessly. Excellent choice of tracks, energizing mixing, everything feels just right.

All in all, Deetron provided two top quality mixes that will reward on repeated listens. It may be important to say that it took me some three months to reach this level of appreciation - I own about a dozen mix compilations that I really love and, even though I didn't fully appreciate what I'd bought at first with this one, I simply couldn't resist playing the mixes whenever I needed something more focused, more accomplished and elegant. Deetron's Balance now occupies a unique spot in my collection.

I love the series for the variety and the personal touch each DJ brings to their release, and the fact that it introduces me to tracks I'd never have come across otherwise. Deetron's mix is no exception. It rates way up among the top ones.

Balance has really turned it on these past few comps and Deetron's mix is no exception. First off I love that he mixed disc 1 digitally and 2 was analog, its nice to see some people still like and respect vinyl. Both discs are great with the mix of techno and some tech house and his use of melodies is top notch. For me disc 2 is my favorite mix right now as the whole thing just flows really well and the fact that its done analog just makes it that much better. Now I don't know if he did what I use to when I first started recording mixes in the fact that if I messed on one mix I would do it over and then cut and past it back in the set and keep going. I say this because there is not one little slip in the whole mix and the fact that he uses 3 tables, if he did it live then he's DJ god. At any rate this is a great mixed comp and I can't wait to see who the boys at EQ (well that use to be the name of the label) have up for the next Balance album.