One of the refreshing things about EQ’s ‘Balance’ series is its flexibility, and this has been underlined by the DJs they’ve chosen in recent instalments. Joris Voorn and Will Saul are pretty hard acts to follow, but Agoria – never one to pin himself down to one genre – joins them in the hall of fame. CD1 is something of a tease, waiting until Emiliana Torrini’s ‘Gun’ before it starts upping the tempo, with Agoria’s own ‘Parasite 2’ leading a charge for freedom that takes us through productions as diverse as The Field, LCD Soundsystem, Bibio and Boozoo Bajou via Prins Thomas. Providing you don’t mind the tempo moving around a bit, it proves something of an education. CD2 is more of a down to business mix, its title ‘Rising Sine’ a reflection of some sharply rhythmic techno productions, with Agoria weaving chosen tracks in and out of the mix with considerable skill. After a natural high point is reached we come down with two special vocals, Kid A’s ‘Lonely’ and Sylvain Chauveau’s ‘Hurlements En Faveur De Serge T.’, both wrapping up a daring compilation that challenges as much as it entertains.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood
