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Clubplanet: Talk about the “Balance” concept, what’s your favorite thing about the series?
Lee Burridge: I love the fact in the past they’ve chosen DJ’s who were on the cusp of breaking through. It’s a brave and smart move on Balance’s part. They have an eye (or is that an ear?) for picking new talent, and now this is being interspersed with us dinosaurs! It really is a series led by taste in music not that of brand name DJ’s.
This is the first time you’ve ever tackled a three disc project (as far as I know). Talk about each of the discs and the progression of disc one’s smooth, melodic tempo driven pace to disc’s two trippy, underground eclecticism and disc three’s druggy house music sounds. How does each represent your music?
I fear I might be repeating myself a little as I started waffling on about disc one earlier, but here goes!
My aim was to put together the mix over three discs that not only worked as a single piece of music when played back to back but that also made sense as individual stand alone mixes. On CD 1, I put together music that, for me emotes feelings of warmth, emotion, distance, dreaminess but with an underlying feeling of slight melancholy.
It’s been something I’ve wanted to do for a while and is hopefully something a little different than the usual stereotypical ‘chill out’ mix you get on these sort of releases. I wanted to compile a collection of tracks that you could drift off into, but that still had the house sentiment.
CD 2 was always going to represent that part of the night that you get lost in. A journey with peaks and valleys and quirky sounds and layers that twist your head and screw you up. This is music for people on drugs who love falling down black holes or entering the house of mirrors and wonder which way is up and if they can ever be normal again.
CD 3 is a natural progression from the last disc and has been the one I’ve been describing as ‘drummy’! I’ve noticed that most DJ mixes take their time and build up gradually, so I thought that for once I would start out as I meant to go on. The first track really is a great description of where the whole mix goes. It’s tough with a phat bass line and sharp nasty percussion. I feel as a triple mix, the growth over the three CD’s is the closest I’ve ever come to summing myself up as a club DJ.
What is your favorite thing about this album now that it’s complete? What was the experience like putting it together?
I went through many different emotions when compiling, most of all frustration at the ambivalence of labels and producers to giving out their music. I don’t quite understand why labels don’t want their music to generate money for the label and producers.
We were pretty lucky with licensing though. Only the Jose Padilla track proved hard to get clearance for but in the end Tom [Pandzic] went round Jose’s house and threatened to rub his knuckles on Jose’s wife’s head until Jose got the record company to let us use it. She now has a bald spot, but we got the track.
What was the biggest challenge?
Disc two. I was struggling hard to get any sort of flow going with this mix, and at one point was going to give up. I called Tom and asked him what he would think to a two disc mix. I’m glad I stuck with it though, as all three discs make sense of one another and if I’d just released disc one and three, I don’t think the continuity would have been there to make it work the way it does.
Did you find you had more freedom working on a three-disc project like this or was it more challenging to fill out the project? Would you prefer in the future to return to the standard one or two disc compilations?
I never enjoy doing a single disc. In the past I’ve always tried to represent the way I DJ across 74 minutes. I think if I were to do another single disc I would pick a single idea or direction. A deep mix or another melodic mix for instance.
I’m not really thinking about the next mix right now as I’ve only just finished this one! Give me a break!
It would have been pretty easy to throw together a bunch of records and get it done but I really wanted to make something special that is going to stand the test of time. I feel really happy with the end result.
Okay, so let’s chat briefly about the “Balance 012” tour before we let you go. You really seem to be blanketing North America as part of this effort, is there a reason for the emphasis on this area of the world?
I’m actually blanketing the whole of the world. I haven’t released all the tour dates yet! North America is a very important part of the world and still has so much more potential. I love playing there and this CD is just a good excuse to stay for two and a half months!
What about the LoveLee party (in San Francisco at the Lovefest – Sept. 29)? Talk a little about it and tell us what your favorite thing about it is.
San Francisco is ace! I feel an affinity with the people there and love the mood the city exudes.
Before I went there in 1999, I knew I would love it. It has so much history and relevance within music. The people who organize the LoveLee party pour so much love and energy into making my party really special and always add a certain quirkiness to the night.
This is the third year and it’s already become a bit of an institution. I love the fact the party melts over the whole weekend and you never really know when it’s going to stop! We’ve moved venues this year, and I hear Mighty, where it’s being held, is great so I’m looking forward to playing again.
You seem to be developing a series of these “annual” affairs, with LoveLee, the Burridge Barrage during the conference and the Halloween Bash in New York. Is this intentional or did it just happen?
It just sort of went that way. In certain cities, I tend to attract a slightly different crowd to my events than the ravier end of the dance music market.
It’s a crowd, who in part are a little older and have a broader taste in music. I think the slightly older element of my crowd cherry pick their parties and don’t go out every week anymore but still love partying. This has made these annual events really special.
I get passionate music lovers who save up their hangovers and these have been the annual nights I get to play at. It’s kind of cool they’ve become annual events as I think I look forward to them as much as the wonderful crackers who turn up!
More importantly, at least for those of us not lucky enough to be in those cities, do you have plans to develop similar parties like this in the future?
Sure, why not. I’m in – just tell me where and when.
