Occupying a highly distinctive and less-trodden niche in electronic music at the intersection of the emotive and technical, Patrice Bäumel mixes the next compilation in the Balance Presents series. While you could loosely label him as a “techno” artist, his love of ambient, electronica and thereabouts are just as crucial to his musical identity as any sense of dancefloor machination might be.
He teams up with the illustrious Balance Presents cannon, joining the likes of Guy J, Kölsch, Fur Coat and jozif in the series of one-disc mix compilations and following recent double-disc releases from the Australian curators by Magda and Stacey Pullen.
Bäumel’s result is a mix that blends and contrasts the soaring melodies of M83 and ethereal magic of Nils Frahm with the guttural throb of Plastikman, and the glistening highs of Max Cooper with the dark lows of FKA Twigs. His intense, brooding version of Underworld’s “Bird 1” – created especially for this project – provides a moment of high drama around the middle of the mix, while mesmeric outro track “Departure” is a beatless slice of epic crescendos, penetrating sub blasts and intense percussion that loses nothing from its absence of kicks.
As a stalwart of the Amsterdam scene who held residencies at the legendary Club 11 and dearly departed Trouw, he has proven himself to be a formidable producer with releases on Kompakt, !K7, Get Physical, My Favorite Robot and Systematic as well as his acclaimed debut album Vapour..
The whole affair was painstakingly arranged using harmonic matching, automation, transposing looping, editing and was finally passed through an analogue mixer to engender a crisp, tight aesthetic. “This was a pretty important phase. The difference between 95% and 100% is simply enormous. That, by the way, is something one should not underestimate with anything in life.” A truly cohesive and imaginative piece of work, Bäumel’s Balance Presents compilation highlights his reputation as someone who approaches music in a truly holistic and psychological fashion.
Released in Australia today, Balance Presents hits the UK, Europe, and Asia April 15th and North America April 29, 2016.
Patrice Bäumel Tour Dates
March 11 Miami, FL @ Fractal Beach at Virginia Key Beach Park
March 12 Atlanta, GA @ The Music Room
March 13 Atlanta, GA @ Studio No. 7
March 17 Miami, FL @ Electric Pickle – Remember (Miami Music Week)
March 20 Miami, FL @ Cafeína Lounge – Last Resort (Miami Music Week)
March 25 Toronto, ON @ Cabal
March 27 Brooklyn, NY @ Output – Panther Room
March 31 Cambridge, MA @ Make It New at Middlesex Lounge
April 1 Calgary, AB Canada @ Habitat Living Sound
April 2 San Francisco, CA @ Monarch
April 3 Warner Springs, CA @ Desert Hearts Spring Festival at Los Coyotes Reservation
Balance Presents Patrice Bäumel Track List:
- Patrice Bäumel – Intro ***
- Heathered Pearls – Ringing Temple (Decreased Version) / Jon Hopkins – Journey
- Kurt Baggaley – Former Self / Christopher Bissonnette – Jour Et Nuit
- Nils Frahm – Familiar
- Throwing Snow – Clasp / Vessels – Elliptic (Barkers & Baumecker Remix) / Doubtingthomas – Casa De Bas Bun
- M83 – Couleurs
- Plastikman – Disconnect
- Minilogue – Ahck (Jichael Mackson Remix) / Bee Mask – The Story of Keys and Locks
- DJ Hell – Hells Kitchen (Playgroup Remix)
- Underworld – Bird 1 (Patrice Bäumel Remix) ***
- Guy J – Moderate
- M83 – You Appearing
- Barry Jamieson – Stars (Charlie May Low-g Remix)
- Jesse Somfay – Lying In A Bed Of Myst / Stephan Bodzin – Wir (Max Cooper Remix)
- El_Txef_A – Mugarrirantz (Dave DK Remix)
- Throwing Snow – Lumen / FKA Twigs – Glass & Patron / Kangding Ray – L’envol
- Patrice Bäumel – Departure ***
***Denotes exclusive track