Artist: Anthony Pappa
Title: Balance 006
Label: EQ Grey
By: Simon Jones | 14 June 2004
Tracklist:

• Disk 1
• Disk 2

1. Luke Chable - Into The Storm
2. Fretwell - Faceless
3. KVK - Reality Theory
4. Michael Lanning Feat Charity Havens - Bound For Ascension
5. Blue Haze - A Time To Reflect
6. Rhino Drum - Underground Sound
7. Michael Burns - Sunshine In My Shadows
8. Jacob Todd Feat Kevin Clark - Nothing Is Real
9. Main Element - Delta Of Venus (Chris Salt Mix)
10. Steve May - Open Day (Luke Chable Quakes & Craters Mix)
11. Chimera - Natural High
12. Slacker - Tutikinegi
13. Shiloh - Mana
14. Tilt Vs Quivver - I Know You're Afraid

1. Pavel Bidlo - My Pills
2. Rennie Pilgrem - Coming Up For Air (Mara Mix)
3. Ozgur Can - Connected
4. Dirty German Feat Mirko Meyer - Be Together (Main Pass)
5. Rhythm Unlimited - All I Wanna Do
6. Pig & Dan - Basement
7. Moonface - Our Prediction
8. MCCP - Deeper Inside
9. Musgrove & McGrath - Freakout
10. John Graham & Jon Sutton - Cold Rush
11. Chris Salt - Atmospheric Graffiti
12. Ben Camp - New World
13. Shpongle - Beija For

Anthony Pappa "Balance 006"

The Balance compilation series has so far played host to a diverse range of talent, showcasing some of the best talent that Australia has to offer, with the early volumes in the series highlighting the talents of local boys Sean Quinn and Kasey Taylor, with Phil K also taking a major step into the International circuit with the fourth edition the series, following Bill Hamel's compilation debut prior to it. Most recently James Holden redefined the idea of the mix compilation as we know it, setting the standard to which many other compilations have been judged by since. Now in the hands of Anthony Pappa, the series continues with another compilation crammed full of new and exciting tracks, with Pappa's technical DJ skills also playing a big part in the creation of this, the sixth Balance compilation.

With the anticipation and curiosity that this cd has generated about just what Anthony Pappa would dish up, it's perhaps fitting that the Luke Chable's 'Into The Storm' leads us into the latest installment of this series. Laid back grooves and ethereal ambience provide moment for reflection, but when the first beats of Fretwell's 'Faceless' kick into motion, Pappa is setting the agenda for this first disc early on and showing that he means business. Rhythms and beats become one as one track melts into another, the combination of KVK's 'Reality Theory' and Michael Lanning's 'Bound For Ascension' fusing beautiful downtempo harmonies and percussive elements together over a sea of hazy sounds Tracks by Blue Haze and Rhino Drum provide the transition into the second half of the disc, floating beats filtering through, lifting the mood in preparation for what is to come.

Broken beats bubble within the atmospheric groove of Jacob Todd's 'Nothing Is Real', the combination of vocals and melodies concealed within subtly evolving, developing an intensity that is capitalized upon by Pappa, who drops Chris Salt's faithful reworking of the Main Element classic 'Delta Of Venus'. Sparkling melodies and rhythms erupt from the rugged breakbeats that sit deep within the heart of this mix, and the devastation begins to take hold as Luke Chable's monstrous remake of Steve May's 'Open Day' hits like a vicious aftershock as the breaks assault from every direction. Chimera's 'Natural High' provides momentary respite from the chaos as it shimmers along, but the twisted breaks soon return courtesy of Slacker's newest track, the electro tinged 'Tutikinegi', and Shiloh's most accomplished piece of work to date, the growling sub bass epic 'Mana'. Pappa layers and manipulates these tracks like a madman, navigating his way through the heavy beats, but nothing can prepare you for the grand finale of the disc as dark, industrial beats and spacious melodies give way to a vocal that proclaims we're afraid, and whilst we might not be afraid of Tilt or Quivver, 'I Know You're Afraid' is one of the filthiest tracks I've ever heard, the speakers being tested as this heavyweight collaboration brings this journey through downtempo and breaks to a dramatic close.

CD2 takes us right into the thick of a typical Anthony Pappa set, with dark beats, trippy rhythms and that gritty energetic vibe that is a Pappa trademark wasting no time in introducing itself, with the hypnotic drums of Pavel Bidlo's 'My Pills' rapidly shifting into Mara's dirty rework of the latest Rennie Pilgrem outing, 'Coming Up For Air'. A percussive curve ball is thrown into the mix courtesy of tracks by Ozgur Can and Dirty German, shifting through the quirky and the strange until the gritty bassline and spacial sounds of the new Moonface track 'Our Prediction' lays the foundations for the second half of the disc, as the lights begin to dim, and the sinister mood that lurks in the darkness starts to reveal itself. Once Musgrove & Mcgrath's 'Freakout' is in full flow, the disc quickly reaches it's pinnacle as one time stretched bassline collides with another, building through tracks by Quivver & Sutton, Chris Salt and Ben Camp and ending with a wild and crazy finale courtesy of Shpongle's 'Bejja For'.

Pappa provides a stunning contrast of styles here that whilst not too far removed from his highly regarded Nu Breed compilation from a few years, manages to walk a fine balance between two very different sides of the music scene, with both discs having all the usual Pappa hallmarks, with the first in particular featuring some truly remarkable mixing. Whilst it was never going to top James Holden's groundbreaking compilation for the series, this is another solid offering from EQ down under that shows that this series is fast becoming one to contend with the big boys.