Get the Balance Right

The often ambivalent relationship between techno and technology is evident on Joris Voorn's new mix CD for Balance. On this new release, on what is fast becoming an obsolete format thanks to podcasting and guest mixes, Voorn has taken a similar approach to Hawtin's 'Transitions'. Splicing together elements from multiple tracks, he creates a new one and then blends all of  these newly created tracks together to form two 70-minute long mixes (it's a double CD). While Voorn choses some great original material -  Basic Channel, Aphex Twin, Carl Craig - the end result is dull, lacks flow and feels like the individual qualities and identity of the selected music have been squeezed out, lost somewhere in the quest to showcase the fact that running five or six tracks together simultaneously somehow equates to innovation. In this instance, I feel that technology is more of a hindrance than beneficial. I'd much rather put up with raw segues and hear great individual tracks -  like the first installment of I-F's 'Bootleg' mix; the second one is due tomorrow, time permitting. Maybe it's because I feel that in Voorn's mix, the role of the producer has been diminished, that he/she has been relegated to the status of humble loop creator for Voorn to manipulate and that the underlying maxim of 'let the music play' has been forgotten. That's not to suggest that using technology is detrimental to making a great mix - listen to any of the online sets from Surgeon and Rob Hall for proof that this is as often not the case  - but when a selector decides to highlight the clever-clever aspects of digital technology instead of the inherent quality of the music itself, that's when I switch off.

Comments

[Sotek]

That's exactly why I didn't bother with this compilation. I knew it will suck...

[dynamitesoul]

i was curious about it...
and disappointed at the end

[Dave A]

Right on... nothing more boring that someone demonstrating their technical superiority rather than just getting the groove going...

[smn]

Absofuckinglutely. Both mixes are awful, so "clean" that they are completely devoid of any feeling whatsoever.

I have absolutely no problem with DJs embracing the latest and greatest and trying to push themselves creatively but these mixes just don't work. Maybe it's just early days and DJs haven't figured out how to use this technology effectively but I don't think so.

It's form over function, process over substance, and the process is sucking all the life out of the original material, as witnessed in the second mix here when Radio Slave's incredible Tantakatan is reduced to a couple of bars, pasted in to the mix for a few seconds and then promptly deleted. What a waste!

I believe Voorn's got talent, but there's none on display here unfortunately.

[dj yt]

Nail on the head here.

I really like Voorn's own albums. I really like a lot of the tracks in the mix.

But this is the dullest thing I've ever heard. Give me a Frequency 7 mix anyday... or just some good old fashioned vinyl mixing.

[Hum3]

I don’t think that dance music is best served by making it perfect.

The audience are humans and not machines, and there should still be some room for human error, because you’re presenting music for humans to dance to. And so it should not be perfect. The presentation of it should be … I think it is most unique when it is at the capacity of the person that’s presenting it. And shows all the limitations; it shows the potential; and I think electronic music is best served in that kind of setting.

When you put it in a computer that can quantize, and keep everything perfect, it becomes something else I think. It’s not the discotheque anymore, it’s kind of like a cheap thrill…. It becomes an even cheaper thrill.

This is what the majority of DJs want, what the majority of producers want to have: the ability to phase themselves out of the scenario.

- Jeff Mills (quote from interview with The Wire Magazine)

[that dude]

you guys sound old.this more of a production than anything else, and had to have taken a good bit of time to accomplish.rather than throwing out a mix cd that anyone could have made, like alot of people do.there is actually some creativity involved on this.

"Right on... nothing more boring that someone demonstrating their technical superiority rather than just getting the groove going..."

this is a mix CD made for people listening at home, if it was some sort of live mix recorded from a club then it would be a much different story.

i love hearing the human elements as much as anyone else, the slight fuck up if you will that is not a big deal at all.but knocking a mix because it sounds clean is ridiculous.

you guys must have hated metawuffmischfelge as well.

oh well, everyone here is in the minority mostly because it is getting nothing but good responses everywhere else.