“I wanted to showcase the spirit of the [NATURA SONORIS] music and its eclectic musical variety and also create a coherent speech that brings the listener to many places.” – Henry Saiz
Australia’s Balance label is thrilled to welcome back Spain’s exceptionally talented producer, Henry Saiz for their latest mix installment, Balance presents NATURA SONORIS with a set of exclusive tracks from his award-winning label. At 140 minutes, the mix features upcoming releases, new productions and specially commissioned tracks from his label alongside some of Saiz’s favorite past productions that have been re-worked. Seamlessly blending vinyl, cassettes, reel to reel tapes and over 100 field recordings, Saiz has created an incredible patchwork of beautiful sounds.
“I wanted to do something special for the 10th anniversary of NATURA SONORIS,” Saiz explains, “And also it’s been six years since my last CD mix – also for Balance – so we thought it was the perfect timing to do a new collaboration. I wanted to showcase the spirit of the [NATURA SONORIS] music and its eclectic musical variety and also create a coherent speech that brings the listener to many places. That ‘journey’ experience that I try to create in my sets which is what I like to find when I listen to an album, a set or any piece of art that uses narrative.”
Opening with his track “Lone Wolf” Saiz invokes the ghosts of ’80s electro-pop group Depeche Mode with the track’s tortured vocals and dramatic mood. Muted chimes abound on Hal Incandeza’s “Contacto,” providing the perfect segue way into the hypnotic marimba arpeggios of Bufi’s “Bird Song.” Things take a global twist with the African and Latin rhythms and melodies of RIP BESTIA and Landikhan and deeper turns via “A Friend Of Marcus” and Saiz’s shimmering remix of Damabiah. Joep Mencke’s “Sonder” picks up the energy with its driving beats and strong melodies, before a double helping of the masterful Brassica gives the mix a more intense, direct edge and healthy dose of breaks and acid.
The mix takes on a more chugging, energetic feel with Marc Marzenit’s “The Walrus” and the detuned 8-bit melody madness of Victoria Rodriguez’s “Moon On A Bright Day,” followed by an ascent into euphoric melody with Brian Cid’s “Luminous Black” and Saiz and Tentacle’s synth-tastic “The Prophetess.” The vocals of Saiz’s “The Light” get a gorgeous, piano heavy update courtesy of bRUNA, providing a standout moment in the mix before the stark contrast of Saiz’s remix of Sistema’s “Entreé” – a near-beatless interlude that again recalls those ’80s greats in its emotive melodies.
The final third of the mix is comprised largely of Saiz’s own productions including the glistening chimes of his Petar Dundov collaboration “No Name” and the warped hooks of his remix of NVBSL’s “Woodhouse.” It’s then punctuated by a brooding, sprawling epic from Voltaeric, with the intense sound design and deep atmospheres of “Sandman,” and closes with another mesmerizing trio of Saiz productions that culminates in the epic chug of “Spiricom” (“See You Soon”). Throughout Saiz peppers the mix with samples from his own production, layered subtly with other tracks to great effect. Twisting and turning at just the right times, Saiz ensures of a captivating listen that captures a range of moods.
“Nowadays it makes no sense to release a mix that is something the audience can find in a free podcast or a club show so I wanted to use only new exclusive tracks. Also for me, it’s kinda ‘boring’ to do the same thing you do every weekend – even if people like it and expect that. It’s more challenging and fresh to work with new stuff and build something up from scratch.”
Connect with Henry Saiz:
Website: http://www.henrysaiz.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HenrySaizOfficial/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/henrysaiz
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/henrysaizofficial
