Intense Records

Balance presents The Soundgarden (Limited Edition + Bonus Download)

£17.49 (£20.99 incl. VAT)

TRACKLIST:

a01. stillhead / neu kobenhavn (hernan cattaneo & audio junkies remix)
a02. rigooni / dreamed numbers
b01. nick warren & nicolas rada / balance
b02. armen miran / last chance
c01. kamilo sanclemente / urania (balance mix)
c02. black 8 / black tiger
d01. six / berlin
d02. eli nissan / restricted delusions

In the space of just a few years since its inception, Nick Warren and his partner Petra’s globetrotting 
concept The Soundgarden has grown to encompass a label, compilations, stunning parties around the world 
and a global radio show. It is the culmination of Warren’s long and distinguished career in the game, giving 
him a multifarious platform through which to exercise total creative control. 
From being one of the early defining pillars for progressive house in the mid-’90s through to his beautiful 
work as one half of Way Out West to his constantly busy DJ diary, he is an electronic music mainstay whose 
fan base has only grown stronger with the advent of his own platform. He is long overdue for his return to 
Balance’s lauded compilation series, bringing two discs of exclusive music that expounds everything that 
makes The Soundgarden such an engrossing concept. 
“The Soundgarden endeavours to create magical musical experiences, whether at home listening to the 
releases or at the unique global events” he explains of the idea behind the platform. “On this album, I wanted 
to showcase some of my current favourite artists and reflect the more eclectic sound of The Soundgarden. I 
feel the secret with compilations is to try and choose music which has almost a timeless feel to it.” He has 
certainly achieved his goal with this perfectly sequenced selection, picking an array of sumptuous music that 
is connected by a thread of beautiful melody and spacious atmospherics. Many of the producers who 
contributed to this selection have either been in the crowd or behind the decks at a Soundgarden event, 
making this compilation a real family affair. 
These two discs of carefully selected compositions are packed with special moments. On CD1, RIGOONI’s 
‘Dreamed Numbers’ gets the mix off to an early chug with its delicate plucked melodies and rolling groove, 
leading into the graceful strings of Bigasti & Balad’s ‘With You’. Aspen recalls ‘Airdrawndagger’-era Sasha as 
the mix find its feet unhurriedly. An exclusive Nick Warren & Nicolas Rada original ‘Balance’ yields 
shimmering atmospheric touches and slivers of plucked guitar, with more musicality displayed through the 
melancholic piano chords of Draper’s ‘Crystal Voyager’. The mix continues to twist and turn through Emi 
Galvan’s soaring ‘Embrace’ and the arpeggiated groove of Baunder’s ‘38 & 46’ and Yoni Yarchi & Daniel 
Van Der Zwaag’s ‘From Tel Aviv to Amsterdam’ brings the mix to a blissed-out climax. 
The slo-mo graceful, slinky chug of Six’s ‘Berlin’ helps to get CD2 going in more mellow tempo, with the 
chord stabs of Black 8’s ‘Black Tiger’ giving an almost Detroit feel to this early hypnotic section. The tempo 
builds imperceptibly as the haunting vocal of Dmitry Molosh’s ‘Note’ glides over percolating percussion. 
Another shimmering Nick Warren & Black 8 production ‘Dreamcatcher’ arrives to give a contrast to the deep, 
introspective atmospheres that precede it. Later, the languid funk of Eli Nissan’ ‘Restricted Delusions’ 
pushes the listener into a deeper state, before Audio Junkies’ & Hernan Cattaneo’s remix of Stillhead’s ‘Neu 
Kobenhaven’ cuts through in stark fashion with its crystalline chime motif. Oliver & Tom’s ‘Luly’ makes for a 
perfect closer, its sweet xylophone and piano sounds making for one of the most sublime moments on the 
compilation.