Balance 014 [Import]

Joris Voorn | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 7, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Alternative Distribution Alliance
• ASIN: B001R4MEG6
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,676 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime, April 16, 2009

By 

disco_stu_likes_techno (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Balance 014 (Audio CD)

There has been a growing trend of DJs using technology to layer multiple tracks over one another create a unique sounscape. For Balance 014, Joris Voorn has layered 100 tracks over 2 discs to create one of the finest compilations out there (ever).

My expectations for this release were very high, as I am a huge fan of both Joris and the Balance series, and my expectations were easily surpassed. These discs are ideally suited for home listening (especially with headphones), as they are not your standard "club" discs. The thing that impresses me most about about Joris is his ability to take you on a journey. The flow of both discs is impeccable, building appropriately and with beautiful highs and lows, and not a boring moment in between. For those people who want a label of the type of music (i.e. progressive house, techno, etc.), all I can say is that there are many styles of music (techno, minimal, tech-house, ambient, downbeat, and even a splash of reggae) layered on top of one another that the result is difficult to pigeonhole into a particular genre.

I realize this review sounds like a plug, but I can honestly say that I haven't come across a compilation like this in long time, if ever. Do not hesitate to pick this one up.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Voorn raises the bar for all DJ's in all genres, June 25, 2009

By 

Brian J. Skuse - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Balance 014 (Audio CD)

In this mix we get to experience a producer/DJ who is as meticulous as he is creative. Taking one look at the set list and it seems dizzying - how is this guy going to make this work? The answer is through razor sharp mixing, well practiced programming and a finely tuned ear for all types of music. This type of DJ walks into a record store (when they existed) and didn't just go to the Techno section, but spent hours in the chicago house, rave, jungle, soul, hip hop, jazz, classic rock, acid jazz, experimental electronica, progressive house, etc (you get the idea). This guy just loves music and it shows. Although primarily known for his proclivity towards techno production - this mix shows he can branch out and joins the ranks of DJ/producers who can weave intricate mixes that go beyond genre restrictions such as Laurent Garnier.

This mix may turn off people looking for more of a pounding, epic energy with build-up, break down, 4/4 formula. This type of mix is epic in another way - its not predictable and if you listen the whole way through it will definitely expand your appreciation for electronic music across many genres and raise your standards for what a tremendous mix is.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not entirely successful, but an intriguing cerebral dance music journey, with fine use of new technology, July 2, 2009

By 

Christopher Culver - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Balance 014 (Audio CD)

I had never heard of Joris Voorn before, but this entry in the Balance series came with a lot of buzz, so I thought it was a safe bet. Voorn mixes a combination of techno and deep house, with a few overtures to progressive. What makes his soundworld really special is that he weaves so many tracks into the mix, and in fact this two-disc set features a full hundred, far beyond DJs like Sasha or John Digweed whose Abletone explorations are content with just a few more than the mix CDs of old. It is therefore not reasonable to list a series of individual components like one would with another DJ, but rather the odd combination of sounds.

Disc one starts with a sample of a confrontation between two men, and then some deep house motions resembling infernal clockwork. Above this rises a loop of a Japanese woman speaking some phrase, with each iteration sounding slightly different. The deep house groove is occasionally broken by moments featuring horns. In disc two, Voorn even lets the sense of pulse fall nearly completely with a wash of horns and strings, though the techno oddities are still present with a sample where a woman talks of attending the University of Illinois. The climax of the second disc, and of the set as a whole, come with a rasta woman vowing revenge on someone who has wronged her man, and then Thom Yorke's vocals from Radiohead's "Nude" weaving through the mix.

Voorn's disc does meander at times, and I find my attention wandering through a few lengthy portions, though in making a recording like this meant for headphones instead of booming speakers, Voorn could have tightened things up quite a bit more. Nonetheless, Voorn's entire aesthetic fascinates me, and I do look forward to what he comes up with next.