Balance 010 is a new massive 3-CD DJ compilation from Jimmy Van M.

Balance 010 explores a different world of electronica with each CD. Disc 1 explores ambient and downtempo tracks; Disc 2 picks things up a little with midtempo tracks; finally, Disc 3 moves into uptempo progressive electronica.

Throughout the sets, Van M does a great job of bringing together an exciting collection of tracks and mixing them together to create nicely paced audio adventures.

“This compilation was 15 years in the making, it offers different shades of music,” notes Van M. “The first 2 CDs are downtempo mixes that expose a different side of me as a DJ. It took 3 months of digging through my old CD collection, finding the faves, and shaping it into something meaningful. CD 3 is the music that I’m playing in the clubs right now. My hope is that people will listen to this music for a long time. It’s not just one style, and was ultimately created for the audience in pursuit of quality.”

Van M is on the money with Balance 010. Each CD is a excursion in sound and listeners are likely to discover new artists to check out along with some favorites. On CD 1, Van M brings together artists as diverse as FSOL, Bill Laswell, Boards of Canada, Autechre and Brian Eno. On CD 2, Cocteau Twins mix it up with Aphex Twin and Adam Johnson. And on CD 3, Van M features artists that don’t have huge names yet, but that you’re likely to want to check out.

There are tons of highlights throughout the three CDs. Overall, the downtempo and midtempo CDs struck us as the more original disks, perhaps because they were so different than the vast majority of DJ compilations. Nevertheless, CD3 starts out hot with a fantastic remix of Les Djinns by Djuma Soundsystem, and never lets up.

Jimmy Van M’s Balance 010 is well-mixed selection of great tracks. The three CDs are paced so that they could provide the perfect soundtrack to a party, with a mid-tempo CD to get things started, an uptempo CD for when things heat up, and a downtempo CD for chilling out.

Disk 1

• Bill Laswell – Ethiopia
• Bill Laswell – Babylon Ghost
• Future Sound Of London – Study Of Six Guitars
• Laika – Coming Down The Glass
• Coldcut – Autumn Leaves
• Union Jack – Water Drums
• Casio Vs Japan – Slo Bid Bellwave
• Nathan Fake – Falmer
• Boards Of Canada – Dayvan Cowboy
• Anoushka Shankar – Beloved (Thievery Corporation Mix)
• Wax Poetic Ft Norah Jones – Angels (Thievery Corp. Mix)
• Autechre – Nine
• Boards Of Canada – Everything You Is A Baloon
• Brian Eno & J. Peter Schwalm – Rising Dust
• Depeche Mode – Halo (Goldfrapp Mix)
• The Egg – Walking Away
• Bonobo – Everything You Do

Disk 2

• Miles Tilmann – Floating Windows
• Miles Tilmann – Minutes
• Steve T – How Are You
• Cocteau Twins – Blue Bell Knoll
• Speedy J – The Oil Zone
• Adam Johnson – Kriegspiel
• Adam Johnson – Version 2
• Ellen Allien – Bubbles
• Boards Of Canada – Skyliner
• Peter Benisch – Desert White (Joel Mull Mix)
• Babel – X-equals
• Aphex Twin- Delphium
• Brandi Ifgray – Mono
• I:cube – Cash Conv.
• Lcd Soundsystem – Too Much Love (Rub N Tugs Mix)
• St Etienne – Cool Kids Of Death (Underworld Mix)

Disk 3

• Djuma Soundsystem – Les Djinns (Trentemoller Mix)
• Djuma Soundsystem – Les Djinns (Def Jaguar Mix) Listen to sample
• Solieb – Intergrale
• Ellen Allien – Jet
• San Lebowski – The Reducer 2
• Dj Jordano – No Gravity
• Tom Pooks – Docker
• N/a – Acid Test 1
• 16 Bit Lolitas – Ask Why (Jvm Gold Mix)
• Bookashade & Dj T – Played Runner
• Hug – The Chopper
• Loafer – Dirt Bike (16 Bit Lolitas Mix)
• Gui Boratto – Like You (Supermayer Mix)