Balil - Small Energies

Just re-discovered this incredibly beautiful track this weekend...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmt2xHm3bS4

I had somehow heard this track back around 2000 when I was first getting into electronic music and over the years came to misremember it as being an early afx tune due to it... er... sounding like an afx tune to me. As I explored the afx discography, I kept hoping each analogue bubblebath, etc. would have it, but to no avail.

Finally picked up Trainer and lo and behold, Small Energies. This track is epic... one of the most beautiful, lush chord progressions ever.

  On 8/22/2010 at 10:59 PM, The Face Culler said:

Just re-discovered this incredibly beautiful track this weekend...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmt2xHm3bS4

 

I had somehow heard this track back around 2000 when I was first getting into electronic music and over the years came to misremember it as being an early afx tune due to it... er... sounding like an afx tune to me. As I explored the afx discography, I kept hoping each analogue bubblebath, etc. would have it, but to no avail.

 

Finally picked up Trainer and lo and behold, Small Energies. This track is epic... one of the most beautiful, lush chord progressions ever.

Actually i had never thought of this song through this view. i can't deny it has some afx-esque elements, but in the end it's completely Plaid. everything is there: the melody where all starts, uncommon original tempo and amazing drum programming.

I don't hear AFX in this track at all. Most of the old Balil material channels the Detroit-Vibe, although in Ed's own unique and dare I say better way. A track from Trainer that does seem to sound similar to AFK or even µ-Ziq would be Tura's "Soft Key." Quite honestly, I don't feel AFX is capable of making anything as emotive as this tune or other Balil works.

The Drum Programming and Pads kill me everytime. I believe it was DJ Deep who has a rather popular DJ set from around 92/93 in which it features a ton old Detroit tracks, but it's this track that he plays at the end in which he mentions it's one of his favorites. Pretty good company if you ask me.