Timo Maas - Balance 017

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  • On Joris Voorn's mix for the Balance series, the Dutch producer revelled in the joins between 102 tracks. Will Saul's triple-disc effort flaunted his love for disco and dubstep. Agoria, meanwhile, collected music from afar and scored it to the movie in his mind. German producer Timo Maas, here mixing the 17th edition of the series, opts for a hitherto untested approach: he floods two discs with material from his own studio. In the case of CD 2 no less than 13 of the 18 tracks are from the Maas/Santos/Mutant Clan/Rockets & Ponies stable—many of which are currently unreleased. As a showcase, then, for his sound and these artists, Balance 017 is resplendent, provided (and this is a pretty massive caveat) you're bang into the latest sonic niche Timo Maas has carved for himself. Balance 017 wouldn't be quite so one-dimensional, however, if the first disc better tickled the peripheries of Maas' tastes. In a recent interview with Beats and Beyond he spoke of his excitement at being able to explore the lower registers of his sound. It opens with a pair of highly atmospheric numbers specifically crafted by Maas for the mix followed by Nicolas Jaar's exceptionally woozy "Time for Us." You relax in anticipation of a steady build through an exploration of sounds. But it doesn't come. Dana Bergquist & Peder G's "Acapulco" trounces the dimly-lit mood; too glossy and dramatic to segue fluidly. And by track five—Toby Tobias' remix of "The One for Ever"—we're at energetic arpeggios and feet on the floor. Once you've readjusted your expectations, there are passages to bask in. Deetron's wonderfully warm "Sing" juxtaposed by a Koze sound-clash is a thoughtful expression of light and shade, while Patrick Chardronnet's remix of "Imanah" signals a three track submergence that surfaces at the tail end of the Danny Tenaglia classic "Elements (The Dtour)." It's not quite enough to warrant the disc's finale, though: The inclusion of stone-cold anthem is a prize that needs to be earned, and as Carl Craig's "At Les" eases in as the disc's penultimate track, you feel as though not enough has been expressed or experienced to be welcomed home so triumphantly. Chunky, European house fare (with a dash of Kenny Larkin) marks the early stages of CD 2. Rolling percussion and syncopated synth riffs are never going to burn the ears off a listener, but in this section Maas engineers a sturdy platform from which to launch the mix. The Mole's "Nervous Disid" (track six of 18) marks a sort of "last chance saloon" in this regard: It's advisable to either drink deeply with Maas, welcoming the prospect of a wet and wild evening, or dip your hat and stumble off into the night. Nine of the following tracks are of his camp and are thematically marked by spiky digital effects, ominous bass and a dank but club-ready tone. The point of reference that comes to mind is Dubfire's big room, yet resoundingly dark, strand of minimal techno. There is respite—the pumped-up pianos of Santos' "Matinee"—but it's quickly superseded by discordant head-fucks like Maas' own "Clouds." Acid tracks "Somewhere" and "Acperience 1" by Emmanuel Top and Hardfloor, respectively, break the run but only in personnel: the tracks, to Maas credit, feel like natural bedfellows to the chaos that just unfolded. Timo Maas has been attempting to reinvent himself at regular intervals since his first productions hit shelves back in 1996. The fan-base that has stuck with him through all of these creative twists and turns should be enamoured towards Balance 017 for the simple reason that it's tons of Timo; ditto, those who've been tracking the exploits of the Maas/Santos axis of late. The Balance format grants an extensive blank canvas to the featured artist, but through a lack of imagination Maas' contribution feels like a missed opportunity.
  • Tracklist
      CD 1 01. Timo Maas - Morning Beauty 02. Timo Maas - A Day After George 03. Nicolas Jaar - Time For Us (Original Mix) 04. Dana Bergquist & Peder G - Acapulco (Sasse Remix) 05. Solvent - Loss For Words (Vector Lovers Remix) 06. Random House Project - The One For Ever (Toby Tobias Dub Mix) 07. Phattivan - Man From Ternopil 08. Deetron - Sing 09. Mathias Kaden - Kawaba (DJ Koze's Kosi-San Remix) / DJ Koze - Blume Der Nacht 10. Henrik Schwarz & Kuniyuki - Once Again (Kuniyuki Version) 11. Giorgio Roma - Across The East Side / Timo Maas - Spacemooger Experience 12. Alex Flitsch meets Mutant Clan - Imanah (Patrick Chardronnet Deep Mix) 13. Mathias Schaffhauser - The 1st Thing 14. Danny Tenaglia - Elements (The Dtour) 15. Sante & Adam Port - Solano 16. The Crystal Ark - The City Never Sleeps (Instrumental) 17. Florian Hollerith - Fluxus 18. Carl Craig - At Les 19. William Orbit, Elgar - Nimrod (Timo Maas & Santos Remix) CD 2 01. Timo Maas - Latenza 02. Marc Romboy & Stephan Bodzin - Luna (Mutant Clan Laser Gun Remix) 03. Kenny Larkin - Glob (Kenny Larkin Mix) 04. Alex Niggemann - Take Control (Matthias Tanzmann Remix) 05. Alex Dolby & Santos - To Be Large 06. The Mole - Nervous Disid 07. Mutant Clan - Totally Wet (Sante & Adam Port Remix) 08. We Fell To Earth - Lights Out (Timo Maas Remix) 09. Timo Maas - Kick 1 Kick 3 10. Mutant Clan - Arcadia 11. Sante & Adam Port - Faire Des Siennes (Mutant Clan Caraibic Remix) 12. Santos - Matinee 13. Rockets & Ponies - Chinese Massage (Alex Dolby's Porno Dolby Remix) 14. Timo Maas - Clouds 15. Lost Veteranos - It's Wronger 16. Emmanuel Top - Somewhere 17. Hardfloor - Acperience 1 18. Placebo - Ashtray Heart (Timo Maas Unreleased Remix)
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