Manitoba’s finest, Balanced Records have hit the reggae infused bassline hard on volume four in the series. Keeping up with their usual winning formula of artists from around the world (some you know and some you don’t) together with their in-house residents including Solidaze (they of Pleasure From Precision), The Seed Organisation, Rise Ashen, Facade@137db (all of Link Pins and some of Pleasure From Precision Remixed) and DJ Brace to name just a few.

Solidaze start things off with an electronic dub to set the tone but things get serious early on with a previously unreleased track by Vienna’s Noiseshaper that’s called ‘Universal’. This certainly is would create waves in the Dub Club (and all worldwide variations of the same). And talking of dub, in a melodica groove Dubmatrix who is comes from the alt.home of reggae, Toronto (see Jamaica To Toronto - Soul Funk & Reggae 1967 - 1974 He’s got two hot 70s styled dub tracks here, more melodica on ‘Ischense Dub’ (with hints of Linval ‘12” Rulers’ Thompson on vocals!) and the faster ‘Black Madonna Dub’ that really gets us in the groove for the monstrous ‘Zebra’. ‘Zebra’ blows yah speakers and is a by the collaboration of The Seed Organisation and Brighton’s very own Richie Phoe.

Rob da Bank is a big supporter of Richie Phoe’s productions and he’s sure to be playing this one on his Radio 1 shows (or even at forthcoming Bloc Weekend perhaps?) Phoe’s trademark sound is based on updating the classic roots sound so there’s a natural affinity with The Seed Organisation (aka Spencer K); more dubby bounce and subtle vocoder. This one should be in every DJ box and it’s about time Mr. Phoe was signed up.

Whilst Northern Faction 4 concentrates and celebrates Canadian artists, they’re more than happy to screw with the sound of Croydon; hip-hop dubstep from Bnaff! I know it sounds ridiculous but DJ Brace scratchin’ it on his dubstep collab with Cain and ‘Slammed’; great flute guys and it’s a bit smarter than playing Mulatu at 45rpm (sorry Skream).

Billy Rockwell (another Link Pins contributor) keeps us in the area of the dark beats and new Balanced signing, Hitori Tori mixes it up with an ambient-part broken ‘Stutter’ (geddit?). On a different tack Facade@137db takes us on a total change in style with the downtempo ‘Won’t Make Me Give In’ with vocals from Leigh Myles (she’s from Scotland).

Also on the downtempo front (but no less exciting) is a glorious Kasm remix of a Leaf System track ‘Kashseed’. With a huge trumpet solo, steel drums and Indo-jazz references, it’s another class track. And then even more downtempo is the Electric Nosebleed Orchestra, who get a Ancient Astronauts remix on ‘NH4’ (remember DJ Brace Presents…)

You’d be happy with just the dub tracks on this album; the ‘Three Winds Of Dubwood’ by Dubin Hood is another melodica killer, but it packs in so much more. I’ve already had to concede the cover of the Sting’s ‘Englishman In New York’ (on Black Britanyaa’s Windrush Vol. 2) was rather good and then Subatronic Sound System hit us with a trippy dub version of ‘Walking On The Moon’. Just spotted the Subatomic Sound System are also on that Bastard Jazz compilation with the Menahan Street Band; go Brooklyn!

But better than that is the trip-ambient-dub of Leaf System’s ‘Broken Democracy’ (the Rise Ashen remix) featuring the spoken Dinka vocals of Sudan’s Malual Luat (must alert Mixmaster Morris to that one).

Phew! Another incredible collection from Balanced - tick it off your ‘MUST GET 2009’ list.

Reviewed: V/A - Northern Faction 4 (Balanced Records) Cat. No. BCD2008-13 Release date: 26th January 2009
Tracklisting:
1 Solidaze - Panorama Dub (5:06)
2 Noiseshaper - Universal (4:16)
3 Dubmatix - Black Madonna Dub (3:04)
4 The Seed Organization Meets Richie Phoe - Zebra (3:21)
5 Leaf System - Kasheed (Kasm Remix) (5:36)
6 Chronic Sonata - Everyday (Leaf System’s SeedOrg Remix) (4:19)
7 Cain & DJ Brace - Slammed (4:29)
8 Billy Rockwell - Cyan (3:47)
9 Hitori Tori - Stutter (3:49)
10 Fascade@137db feat. Leigh Myles - Won’t Make Me Give In (3:29)
11 Dubmatix - Ischense Dub (4:57)
12 Dubin Hood - Three Winds Of Dubwood (4:56)
13 Subatomic Sound System feat. Rhiannon - Walking On The Moon (4:14)
14 DJ Brace - Delire A Deux (3:45)
15 Electric Nosehair Orchestra - NH4 (Ancient Astronauts Remix) (3:49)
16 Leaf System feat. Malual Luat - Brocken Democracy (Rise Ashen’s Space Mix) (4:34

Links
http://balanced-records.com/solidaze
http://myspace.com/solidaze
http://www.myspace.com/therealdubmatix
http://www.dubmatix.com
www.myspace.com/richiephoemusic
www.conversiontheoryrecords.com
www.myspace.com/riseashen
www.myspace.com/theelectricnosehairorchestra
www.djbrace.com
www.myspace.com/djbrace
www.myspace.com/ancientastronautsswitch
www.balanced-records.com