As keen supporters of last year’s Pleasure From Precision and last month’s Remixed release, we know that there’s lots to this co-op from Canada.

No less than 15 remixes in total on this new CD and pride of place must go to friend of Fly, MOD X. Solidaze lets him work his magic on ‘Could Be’. You’ll recall Billy Rockwell did an electro d’n’b mix of ‘Could Be’ on Remixed but this could be a MOD X track after he’s puts his hands all over it. Great to see the ‘It Becomes Infectious’ virus is spreading. Solidaze have two other tracks here, the spacey house ‘Anti-Animosity’ that finishes off the album on a high and a Rise Ashen remix of ‘Curve Seven’. Rise Ashen proves to be a new star on this album, more of which later on.

Back at the start though, a “sinewave” is always going to be edgy so don’t let Fascade@137db’s ‘Character of the Moment’ introduction scary you. For that, you can wait for the remix of ‘L’adversaire’ by Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet soundtracks).

What comes as a bit of a surprise is the amount of dub going on. ‘Fight to Hang On’ has a big Fat Freddy’s Drop dub feel to it that automatically means this is high on the Hectic approval list. The mighty ‘Fisherman’s Dub’, ‘Rocket Dub’ and ‘Whirlwind Dub’ are fine additions to the reggae remix by The Seed Organisation on Remixed. The Solidaze collab with vocals of The Art Party has a soulful electro dubby feel to it that leads into another by Cay Taylan. You’ll may have spotted Vienna’s Cay has just had a track on Couch Records’ James Brown tribute album, Dynamite X!

Also from Vienna, Soulglo gets all scratchy with DJ Brace (who featured the first ever CD on Balanced). Kasm & Equanim’s track ‘Increments’ was the lead track on that first CD. Six years on, they’re back with a track called ‘Sky Hook’ that’s got influences all over the place.

Peruvian Afro-beat may sound unlikely but ‘Chicken Soup’ has some sort of panpipe thing going on at the Shrine. This is a Fly office track of the week! Well it was until MOD X’s ‘Could Be’ came on.

I’m afraid this album is so good I’m going to have to listen to it again. So many of these types of project just don’t come off. This one definitely has. If you’ve not managed to catch up with previous Balanced Records releases, now’s the time. Nice cover artwork by Beth Romphf, but what’s a Link Pin?

Hectic Mix nominations: All good but particularly ‘Could Be’ (MOD X remix), ‘Chicken Soup’, ‘Fisherman Dub’, ‘Rocket Dub’ and the other dubs, ‘Sky Hook’, all the Solidaze featured tracks and all the other Rise Ashen tracks.

Reviewed: V/A — Link Pins (Balanced Records) Cat. No. BCD2007-11 Release date: 28th May 2007
Tracklisting
1. Fascade@137db — Character of the Moment (Sinewave remix) (4:34)
2. Solidaze — Curve Seven (Rise Ashen remix) (4:24)
3. Leaf System — Fisherman’s Dub (5:27)
4. The Seed Organization meets Chronic Sonata — Whirlwind Dub (4:43)
5. Kasm & Equanim — Sky Hook (3:47)
6. Brace & Soulglo — Brace Your Soul (4:09)
7. Angelo Badalamenti — L’adversaire (Fascade@137db remix) (4:43)
8. Billy Rockwell & Sohcahtoa — James Woods News @ 6 (5:17)
9. Solidaze & The Art Party — Thoughts Return to You (4:44)
10. The Seed Organization — Point of Focus (Cay Taylan remix) (3:41)
11. Leaf System — Rocket Dub (4:36)
12. Rise Ashen & Blissom — Chicken Soup (4:58)
13. Rise Ashen — Fight to Hang On (Kasm remix) (4:51)
14. Solidaze — Could Be (MOD X remix) (5:31)
15. Solidaze — Anti Animosity (Gavin Froome remix) (6:45)

Links:
www.myspace.com/balancedrecords
www.balanced-records.com
Sarah Michaelson @ Balanced Records + Stylus Radio Show CKUW 95.9 FM Winnepeg Manitoba [Tues 2.00-3.00pm]
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba