SOS "Balance 013"

Imagine partying late into the night on a boat along the Thames River. Well, London-based DJ collective SOS (or SexOnSubstance), featuring Demi, Desyn Masiello and Omid 16B are known for that kind of spirit not only when it comes to throwing parties but also in creating music. For them, it is all about the entire trip, from start to finish. Their attention to detail and pure love for music is on full display on EQ’s Balance 013, which features many of their signature re-edits, underground treasures and a few left field surprises. EQ once again shows its commitment to integrity, innovation and entertainment.

Introducing Balance 013, is Omid’s previously unreleased ‘Seagull’, made using a simple four-track when he was in an early-90s band called The Reunion. Lush in ambience, it has a very Cure inspired sound to it, which helps to vividly introduce the compilation. From this alone, I’d love to hear more work from Omid’s band.

Disk one glides on an ambient, down tempo rhythm for much of its beginning. The tempo is interrupted when the Surgeon remix of LFO’s ‘Nurture’ hits… everything you are doing seems to stop and you tune in with precision to feel the beat kick in. This moment moves you with it. The up tempo rhythm is maintained with notable tracks like Jody Wisternoff’s flavorful Instrumental remix of ‘Starstrings’ and Speedy J’s breaks infused ‘De-Orbit.’

And how can I not mention the SOS Edit remix of Bryan Ferry’s ‘Don’t Stop The Dance’. I hope I am not showing my age by knowing this original but the SOS team has put a pretty deep dub on it. The fact that this track is in the compilation says a lot about Balance 013. In fact, I think it says a lot about SOS.

After rubbing up against the sound of the 80s for a bit, SOS begins to really trip things up, weaving and winding a rich tapestry of sounds from Arabian horns to tribal infused drum lines. By the way, if you like these tribal drums of MC Sultan’s Der Bauch, I strongly urge you to track down Jondi & Spesh’s ‘Psychedelic Bellydancer.’ Actually, I’d track it down anyway.

But back to the review. SOS build you up into this trippy, worldly atmosphere and then drop you off at a minimalistic remix of an all time favorite track of mine Cocteau Twins’ ‘Cherry Coloured Funk’. The exceptional remix credits go to Seefeel. I’ll let the fact that they end with the Cure’s ‘Lullabye’ speak for itself. I won’t however pass on the opportunity to say that SOS has given me hope. They have shown me that popular 80s artists can be convinced to allow proper remixes of their work. The SOS’s edit remix of the Cure’s ‘Lullabye’ showed me that these almost untouchable originals can have a new life breathed into them in a very respectable way. I’ll use the words of Demi to describe how SOS used Cure’s ‘Lullabye,’ to end disk one and starting disk two. ‘It made sense. As soon as it happened it made sense.” True.

Disk two picks things up up to a dancing sustainable rhythm. I much prefer disks one and three to disk two, but all disks do indeed stand out on their own. Each is special, each is essential. Notable tracks on disk two include Dusty Kid’s Luna, Jose;’s Digiboy and Slytek’s Neon Skin Mix of Spin Out. The SOS Edit of Whizz Kidzz’s Fly high is also pretty awesome.

Disk 3 slows things back down to an ambient crawl, quickly picking back up to dance floor levels with detailed and thoughtful progression. With 20 of the 56 tracks, there are almost too many notable tracks to point out, so I will limit myself to three so they stand out like they should. The SOS Edit of Paul Keeley’s ‘A Sort of Homecoming’ is pure Sasha/Digweed styled smooth grooving. The SOS Edit of Michael Cassette’s ‘Shadows Movement’ is absolutely stunning. Yes, I am a sucker for breakbeat driven breakdowns. And finally, the SOS Day Edit of Alessi Brothers’ ‘Savin’ is one of the freshest, hottest, funkiest tracks I’ve heard in a while.

I really appreciate diversity, not just track selection, but also in the manner that all these sounds are being strewn together. SOS, as a collective, has delivered one of the most well sewn together eclectic compilations in recent memory. I might even go as far as to say that this is a modern day Northern Exposure. With such a rich and diverse tapestry of sounds, just try to throw a label on Balance 013. I often think of this site as representing all music really, if it is forward thinking and pushing boundaries, then we should cover it. In my opinion, this compilation defines what Progressive-Sounds tries to cover.