- Topsy-turvy techno with unpredictable twists.
- As the founder of GUD4U, this far into their dance music career, Jdotbalance has largely served as a vector for the community, both their local one in Chicago and beyond. The Texas-born, Midwest-based artist's platform runs a mix series, newsletter and events, and with High Exposure, they finally get the spotlight on themselves, with a four-track EP of intricate, high-energy techno that seems designed to disorient as much as delight.
Let's start with "Buzzer," which begins as a skeletal, hypnotic techno track that sounds a bit like Donato Dozzy if he was making a '90s Dance Mania record. Jdotbalance's arrangements are both busy sparse, focusing on sharp percussion sounds and strange, squishy effects that leave lots of negative space between the sounds. But as minimalist as "Buzzer" might feel, it slowly starts to close in around you, with haywire rave synths and a repeated vocal sample driving it full-bore towards madness, before Jdotbalance snaps everything back into place. There's another freakout towards the end—this time, the drums go nuts—but if you've made this far into "Buzzer," you should know what to expect, or at least what to not expect. Which is stereotypical techno.
You want another fakeout? Check "Wilin,'" which starts out like mellow tribal house before descending into a passage where it sounds like Jdotbalance is going ham on the pitchwheel of the track's only melodic element, just to fuck things up. Or the spaced-out opener "Let's," a bongo-heacy trance number firmly in D. Tiffany & Roza Terenzi territory, until a anvil-sized kick drum lands about halfway through, injecting a bit of hard techno into an otherwise flighty track. Detailed and complex without ever sounding overstuffed, High Exposure is an impressive debut. I've always thought that some people just possess a better understanding of the mechanics of rhythm and dance music than others, and it seems like Jdotbalance is one of those. Twisting and turning while staying resolutely on techno's straight and fast path, High Exposure is one of those records to reach for when you want something to make your crowd go a little wonky.
Tracklist01. Let's
02. Buzzer
03. Wilin'
04. Whippit