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I know what you’re thinking. It’s about time we heard some new material from Balanced Records but can an album by the Electric Nosehair Orchestra as ‘conducted’ by DJ Brace possibly match up to past glories of Link Pins and Pleasure From Precision?

Well, as we have seen from other releases this month by RZA (as Bobby Digital) and Living Legends, all styles of old skool are back and DJ Brace is fills these 14 tracks with lost crate diggin’ sounds and other samples that you’ve never heard into a DJ Shadowy trip-hop way (yep, trip hop is also back) whilst leaving out the overused scratchin’ techniques.

What is Nostomanian (pronounced nos-tuh-mey-nee-uh)? We’re told is a noun meaning:-
i: an irresistible compulsion to return home.
ii: another dimension where the orchestra resides.
We’ll that’s clear then but perhaps it’s the recent upsurge in retrospective ‘cinematic’ references of late (another trend, see Quiet Village’s Silient Movie and Flying Lotus’ Los Angeles), that makes the dreamy orchestrations and the flute work the highlight of this album, particularly the track NH4 that squeezes so much into it’s 4 minutes without every getting too clever.

But it’s not all soundtrack, vocal samples and hip-hop beats as ‘NH10’ get alls reminiscent of Asian influenced d’n’b whilst ‘NH12’ gets to the back woods with some finger pickin’ banjo with the flute solo floating above. But really, it’s an album to listen to as a whole rather than cherry picking tracks (again, you could say that of Flying Lotus’ Los Angeles).

Balanced say that you will rediscover “fleeting moments in time” with Nostomania and you know what, you’ll know exactly what they mean whether you think of this as electronica or instrumental hip-hop. I don’t care if DJ Brace doesn’t care if we make a value judgements on what he does (‘NH7’), this is a great album that only 10 years plus of being a turntablist, producer, DMC Champion DJ and sound connoisseur can achieve. He’s paid his dues and deserves his rewards; go and support.

Hectic Mix nominations; NH4, NH9, NH13

Reviewed: DJ Brace Presents: The Electric Nosehair Orchestra In Nostomania (Balanced Records) Cat. No: BCD2008-12 Release date: 18th July, 2008
Tracklisting:
1 NH1 (1:51)
2 NH2 (1:34)
3 NH3 (2:34)
4 NH4 (4:02)
5 NH5 (2:48)
6 NH6 (3:40)
7 NH7 (1:09)
8 NH8 (2:46)
9 NH9 (1:38)
10 NH10 (3:28)
11 NH11 (1:28)
12 NH12 (3:59)
13 NH13 (5:48)
14 NH14 (2:28)

Links
www.djbrace.com
www.myspace.com/djbrace
www.balanced-records.com
www.myspace.com/balancedrecords June 2008: Billy Rockwell Podcast - Billy Rocks Well
Sarah Michaelson @ Balanced Records + Stylus Radio Show CKUW 95.9 FM Winnepeg Manitoba [Tues 2.00-3.00pm]
DJ Brace on www.play.fm
Upcoming Events - Ninja Tune & Balanced
Sunday, June 29 - Balanced at the Academy. Join Kasm (afrobeat/brokent beat), Solidaze (Deep House) and The Seed Organization (Dancehall/ Rockers) for this pre-Canada shaker at the Academy. $5 at the door.

Friday, July 25 - Mayan Festival - Day out of Time at St. Norbert Arts Centre. Balanced DJs will be on hand along with many other artists, healers and revellers in celebration of the Mayan calendar’s New Year.

Saturday, July 26 - Ninja Tune & Balanced - After our succesful showcase in Cannes earlier this year with the Ninja Tune crew, The Seed Organization will be joined by Ninja Tune’s North American label head Ghostbeard. Also making an appearance is Winnipeg’s original jungle DJ Gnat, who returns to pegcity after years of playing residences in Toronto and Montreal. Tix are $8 in advance, $10 door.