[HD056] Steve Balance – Shade One

Harmonious Discord 056 Steve Balance – Shade One

  1. Wander Ring
  2. Wander Ring (Jeff Scroggin Remix)
  3. Shade One
  4. Shade One (Ajay Kapoor Remix)
  5. Resplendent

Purchase on Beatport: https://www.beatport.com/release/shade-one/2503959

Purchase on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/shade-one/1451336099

Purchase on Juno Download: https://www.junodownload.com/products/steve-balance-shade-one/4036404-02/

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/46FMqKHQyHuElRTFLqUc8Z

The HD campus is buzzing with excitement to dish out an action packed 2019 with surprise guests, family favorites, and promising up-and-comers.  Our first selection of the year is by Austin based tech house producer Steve Balance (Headset, Brunchlox).  Steve is a foundational pillar of the vibrant city’s underground. His humble nature and thoughtful approach have always been front and center in his music and Harmonious Discord is happy to launch his first project with the label with Shade One. On remix capabilities is Jeff Scroggin (Denied Music,  and newcomer Ajay Kapoor (Denied Music).

We start this listen with the cleverly-titled “Wander Ring”; a syncopated tracky number with finely enveloped synth washes. The disorienting nature of the musical components are well tempered with the playful nature of the accompanying drums. Bearded Viking-prince Jeff Scroggin returns to the label to place his perfectly polished remake in the mix offering a Detroit-style mindful tech masterpiece. Jeff uses confusing vocal sampling and well controlled reverb tails to drift from section to section while parts dance front and back. “Shade One” shares the syncopated structure but adds a dash of jack. Pervasive, almost chanting drum collisions roll into a muddled cascade of arpeggiated synthesizers. Ajay Kapoor joins the label as a fresh-faced talent but an already signature evil disco sound. Ajay borrows the synthetic structure but plays with the pitch and variations to create a harmonic moaning cadence. Coupled with the heavy disco drums, Ajay’s remix occupies a unique hour in the night. We close with “Resplendent” a industrious and dark troubled love song. Steve flexes multiple muscles in this handy dancefloor expedition.  

DJ P-REZ (Not So Fast Records) – “Some good stuff for those naughty late nights.” 
Lee Jones / Country Gents (Buslife) – “Ajay Kapoors mix is really cool.” 
Haris Custovic (Laus Music) – “Lovely deepess…” 
Deepshizzol (Deepvibes Radio) – “The Jeff Scroggin remix is nice.” 
Kosta (Vibe FM) – “Intense and flexed music on this one.” 
DJ Hal (EQ Magazine) – “This is a solid release.” 
Nico De Ceglia (Hyena Stomp) – “Nice one!” 
Andrea Rraqi (Black Angel Promotion) – “Wonderful!” 
Sharlese (KEXP, Seattle) – “Fun Tech house & synth grooves.” 
Snooba (Radio Panik) – “Infectious & haunted folklore”

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