Henry Saiz - Balance 19

Henry Saiz
Balance 19
Balance

Spanish producer, DJ and forward-thinking progressive techno whiz Henry Saiz has spent the last 12 months crafting and compiling the most recent addition to the much lauded “Balance” series of which past contributors include such electronic masters as Joris Voorn, Desyn Masiello, and James Holden. Henry’s chapter is expansive, “ahead of its time” and dynamic in adding new dimensions to the conceptual structure of a mix compilation.

Although hard at work honing his craft for years as not only electronic music producer but also sound designer for film and television, it was not until his releases on imprints such as Global Underground and Paradigm did he really begin to stand out from the pack. Widespread nods of approval from progressive royalty such as Hernan Cattaneo and John Digweed were coupled with a ground-breaking remix of Guy J’s “Lamur” that saw Saiz catapulted head first into the limelight of the dance music world with a release that would soon become Pete Tong’s “Essential New Tune”. Three EP releases on the progressive house giant Renaissance followed, and then more recently this opportunity to add a very special contribution to the Balance series.



The first disc offers an excursion into not only a more lo-fi timbre of Saiz’s mildly glitchy tech-prog sound, but also an introduction to a brand new moniker, Hal Incandenza (whose production style most probably thought had a suspicious likeness to Henry’s). Brand new productions and Saiz remixes flood both discs and the first parades a patchwork of interlinking, mingling melodies and musical concepts that go far to be united as a musical construction. The first disc is somewhat of an homage to Saiz’s influences and past platforms, paying tribute to the analogue textures of yesteryear and such mediums of their reproduction as cassette and vinyl. This approach is exemplified by the Saiz “95 cassette rework” of Cora Novoa & Spaceman’s “Black Heart”, a monster track with a thick arpeggiated bassline and haunting vocal – arguably the standout track of the disc, if not the entire release. Another highlight is the incredibly structured “Lady In The Mirror” in which Saiz exhibits a more melancholic, downtempo version of his own tune.



The second disc champions a similar aesthetic to the first yet perhaps is a less confronting and more progressive perspective into Henry’s tastes. Potentially less intent on being an exhibition of music’s ability to absorb and entertain, cd two appears more reflective and transports the listener with more of a typical progressive house energy. This style is exemplified in the delightfully mellow “Solar Sailor – Horizon” with tinkling keys and rising strings. In saying this, the two cds, although differing, are remarkably similar in standard (an all but extinct quality in the mix compilation format in recent times) and hats must go off to Saiz for what must have been a slow yet meticulously measured process of production and compilation.

Saiz has raised the bar with the latest Balance – an extraordinary amassing of unheard sounds and ideas, it stands as a testament to not only how a musician and producer’s ability to capture and guide an audience, but what potential to create there is lying within the oft-discarded format of the mix compilation.

Tracklist
CD1
01. Intro 
02. Tyrane - King of the Invisible Land (Henry Saiz's 303 remix)
03. Hal Incandenza - Mystical Tree
04. Henry Saiz - 1981
05. Jesse Somfay & Henry Saiz - Honey Wine
06. Hal Incandenza - Little Mountains (Henry Saiz High-End Re-work)
07. Spada - Onice
08. Henry Saiz - Lady in the Mirror (Mediterranean Haunted Beach Version)
09. Cora Novoa & Spaceman - Black Heart (Saiz's 95 Cassette Rework)
10. Kitkaliito - Letting Go (Henry Saiz RnB Added Version)
11. Esperanza - Ink
12. Henry Saiz - Eterno Retorno (90's Acid Trance version)
13. Interlude
14. Pional & Henry Saiz Uroboros

CD2
01. Calypso Synth Ensemble - Gaia
02. Armed - Caminando Sobre la Superficie del Sol
03. Henry Saiz - Vargtimmen
04. Eelke Kleijn - Lone Ranger (Henry Saiz Ocean Drive Remix)
05. Mono Electric Orchestra - Indifference (Saiz Queztalli Rework)
06. Charles Gudagafva - Tango Hej Då̊
07. Spada & Henry Saiz - Gloom
08. Dosem & Henry Saiz - Zen Boat
09. Ricardo Tobar - Together
10. AMyn - Elle (Henry Saiz Balance Edit)
11. Solar Sailor - Horizon
12. Marc Marzenit & Henry Saiz - Radiance (Balance Version)
13. Liz Cirelli & Minski Trip of the Dolphin
14. Okain - Thank You, Come Again (Live Version)
15. Simon Garcia - If This World Were Dub
16. Henry Saiz feat. Anneke van Giersbergen - Come Wander With Me
17. Sistema - Nodo 6 (Henry Saiz Balance Rework)

Henry Saiz on Pulse Radio