- No one could blame London clubbers for bypassing the recent Balance 019 launch in favour of a quiet night in, especially considering Ministry of Sound is just a stones throw away from riot hotspot, Old Kent Road. But there was something undeniably auspicious about the recent lineup at the Elephant & Castle institution, as new Balance recruit Henry Saiz hit the decks alongside progressive veteran Nick Warren, with support from Max Graham.
Saiz's string of intricately crafted productions and Balance 019 arguably make him one of the most exciting names to emerge in progressive circles in years. The launch at MOS proved Saiz's salt. Indeed, if critics of electronic music accuse it of being monotonous, they would have had no reason to fault the Spaniard's two-hour set. While his programming occasionally lacked fluidity during the first hour, there could be no denying the quality and originality of the tunes spilling through the speakers.
Photo credit: Ministry Of Sound Club
With a background in sound design for TV and film, Saiz has a deft ear for building atmosphere. He opened the set with a quasi-psychedelic soundscape, as layers of intricate melody twisted and turned over bubbling 303s and a subtle kick drum. In essence, this set the tone for the ensuing 120 minutes: Saiz dropped hypnotic, sonically decorative cuts spanning everything from progressive house and trance to deep disco, throbbing techno and even some cheeky old school keys. Throughout his timeslot, each track from the compilation was greeted with knowing screams of approval by the sizeable crowd, in particular the Jesse Somfay collaboration "Honey Wine" and his own "Come Wander with Me."
Thankfully, the often hot-or-cold Nick Warren did justice to Saiz's electrifying opener and displayed rock-solid form from the get-go, moving from deep tech to the nostalgia-filled vibes of Underworld's "Dark & Long (Dark Train)" much to the delight of the dance floor. Similar to another DJing master craftsman, John Digweed, the Bristolian timed his peaks to the half-hour, and the stunning pad-laden "Buenos Aires" made for a highlight.
The night's only letdown was Graham. The Canadian's set of saccharine trance marked by massive drum roll build-ups verged on the offensive after the cerebral vibes of Saiz and Warren. When he dropped Armin van Buuren's "Feels So Good," featuring the cheesy vocals of Nadia Ali, we made a beeline for the exit.