Artist: Gavin Keitel
Title: Balance Presents: Electric_01
Label: EQ Grey
By: Jason Calvert | 1 November 2005
Tracklist:

1. Inaqui Marin - Six
2. Osunlade - Pride (Tiefschwarz Mix)
3. Drama Society - Crying Hero (Tiga Mix)
4. Robert Babicz - Mover
5. Einmusik - Jittery Heritage (Ego Express Mix)
6. Hugg & Pepp - Elektrofant EP (Snabeln)
7. Further - Stay With Me
8. Double X - City Lights
9. Sasse - Soul Sounds (Dirt Crew Solid Diamond Mix)
10. DJ T - Rising
11. Dirk Leyers - Wellen EP (New Serious One)
12. Broker/Dealer - Dig Deep EP (Boots & Pants)
13. Superpitcher - Happiness (LP Version)

Gavin Keitel "Balance Presents: Electric_01"

An offshoot of the hugely successful 'Balance series, Australia's EQ launches the 'Electric' series, and who better who kick things off than fellow Australian Gavin Keitel. With more than 18 years of professional experience behind him, Keitel has never felt the need to play out massive tunes to get his crowd's attention. Instead, he would rather play a skilfully crafted record which perhaps the others have somehow overlooked. And it is this mentality of his which sets him apart from many others. This skill is transferred to the "Electric 01" CD, and it is what makes it highly successful. We are presented with some of the most cutting edge tracks in the scene at the moment, brought to us by producers who aren't afraid to push the boundaries in what they do. Definition for this kind of CD is always hard, so intead of pinning it to a particular style, we shall just take it for what it is and focus on what makes it such a magical journey.

Opening with "Six", the minimal groove and electric fuelled melodies set the tone before pushing into the classy groove of Osunlade's "Pride". The vocals help in building up both emotion and atmosphere, and it managed to capture a highly unique sound. It was at this point I realized that I was in for a very inspirational journey.

The sound then takes a darker turn with "Crying Hero", perhaps a departure from a trademark Tiga sound, but highly successful. The vocals certainly complement the dark atmosphere, which would surely rev up any crowd before one of the highlights of the album explodes: Robery Babicz's "Mover". The electro influenced melody is thrust forward with force by a bass heavy foundation, and this is guaranteed to drive the right crowd into ecstasy! To allow the audience to regain some energy, we move into "Jittery Heritage", a track with minimal beginnings, but slowly builds up a solid groove.

Then of course, the unmistakable sound of Hugg & Pepp on their genre-busting "Snabeln". A track which has received huge amounts of play across the globe, and certainly had its share of time in my own box. Sure to put a smile on the face of anyone with knowledge of the scene. The sound then continues in this unclassifiable direction before reaching the highly inventive effects of Dirt Crew's interpretation of "Soul Sounds", combining both an old school sound with cutting edge production.

From this point Keitel begins winding us down, and an excellent choice in doing this is Broker/Dealer's "Boots & Pants", which pushes a minimal atmosphere creating a lush mood, all done with beautiful simplicity. A favourite amongst fans of the genre, a track which gained a lot of popularity from Michael Mayer's successful mix, Superpitcher's "Happiness" ends the CD on a positive note. Toning down a set can often be hard work, but Keitel pulls it off with style as he manages to retain the atmosphere and mood held up throughout the CD.

Keitel has certainly put a lot of work into the sequencing of the tracks and the overall layout of the compilation. The diversity across the tracklist is refreshing, and it is excellent to see EQ delving into deeper waters by broadening their style. This is not only a move to keep up with the ever changing face of electronic music, but it also broadens their appeal, as this CD will certainly attract a different crowd to say Desyn Masiello's "Balance 008". If you like to experiment with your sound, or are looking for something new, I can highly recommend "Electric 01" as a great place to start.