Balance Vol.8

he popular Balance dance series features DJs putting together compilations of their best reworkings of other artists, and the eighth entry in the series went to Desyn Masiello. The world-renowned DJ has quite a buzz surrounding him, especially after such respected artists as Deep Dish selected Masiello as a "Future DJ Hero" (in DJ magazine's Top 100 poll). And Masiello certainly gets to showcase his DJ chops throughout the double-disc set -- cutting, pasting, and smoothing out the rough edges (thanks to such technology as Pro Tools and Ableton), and in the process creating a true techno fiesta. As with most modern-day DJ sets, the songs blend into one another without any pauses, so there's no reason for your toe to stop a-tappin'. If blips, beats, and electro sounds are your thing, then the eighth volume of Balance is the place to be, especially such selections as Killing Joke's "Love Like Blood," Orbital's "Halycon + On + On," and Will Saul's "Mbira." ~ Greg Prato|