Exclusive Interview: Mike Balance
Mike has been involved with electronic music for half of his life. At 14 he discovered electronic dance music in Houston, TX and by 16 was making noise of his own with long time friend Craig Biesel. In 1993 Mike went to his first underground warehouse party in Austin, TX and was changed forever. Only a year later Mike moved to Boise, ID and continued to produce electronic music and began DJing and throwing parties which helped create the underground dance scene in Boise.
After years of DJing and helping throw events, Mike decided to get serious about his music and purchased an MPC 2000 which lead to many hours and sleepless nights of fine tuning his sound and perfecting his trade. In 2000 Mike was ready to take things to the next level and made 100 promo copies of Fresh Choice Music No. 1 which got great reviews by fellow DJs and producers and sparked the interest of Soul Phusion Records.
Fast forward to 2005 / 2006, and we find Mike has provided remixes and originals for labels such as Kontrast, FunkTeck, Molocacho, District Music and Ammo, and sets for the highly anticipated release of “The Rhythm” on In Stereo which was charted by DJ Dan and appears on his latest mix cd “Lift”. 2006 also brings great promise with Mike’s first Solmatic release “In a Groove” with Joey Mazzola featured on RHV’s top ten and his “Automatic” mixed cd as well. and this is just the start!
FunkyHouseMusic.com got a chance to shoot the breeze with Mr. Balance, and caught a sniff of the very definition of what it is to be on the brink of “blowing up”:
FHM: Your home base of – Boise, Idaho – is a city not normally associated with house music. Does this make it more difficult to network and promote yourself within the industry? We’re also curious how the dance music scene compares to other parts of America.
MB: Boise is pretty well situated in the middle of everything on the West Coast. We are
technically the 3rd biggest city in the Northwest right after Seattle and Portland plus the Bay area and Vegas are only 10-12 hours away. Growing up in Texas
I had already experienced the nightlife scene and upon moving here decided to
help bring
it to life with others that had moved from California and all over. From
about
1994-2002 the party scene here was huge and had been host to pretty much
all the big
headliners. Just like a lot of cities Boise has seen it’s ups and downs but
the
scene still manages to thrive somehow. A lot of people consider this area
to be
‘small potatoes’ but who doesn’t like potatoes?
As far as networking and promoting goes, the internet has made everything so
intertwined that most people don’t even really think about where I’m from.
However,
it does make it harder to get DJ gigs ‘cuz a lot people are more concerned
about
hype than actual talent. I don’t really see myself relocating anytime soon
in order
to do my thing.
FHM: You recently launched a label, Via Musique. What is your goal with this
project?
MB: I’ve had a few failed label attempts over the years but now I’m pleased to
say I
finally have the right backing. My main goal is obviously to push and
promote my own
music and the whole Funky/Electro House movement but there’s a lot of
up-and-comers
that I want to help get out there as well. It’s all still a really new
thing to me
so there’s a lot of growing to do over this year alone.
FHM: We noticed that Via Musique will be distributed exclusively through
DanceRecords.com. This seems to be an increasing trend these days. What is
so attractive about this specific venture? Is it primarily to avoid hassle
with distributors?
MB: Unfortunately, dealing with distributors can be what makes or breaks a label
sometimes which is why the kind people at DanceRecords are acknowledging
this and
helping out a select few with their labels and distribution to help keep
vinyl alive
and well. Some people kind of look at it in a bad light but really they’re
simplifying and in a sense revolutionizing the way vinyl is distributed in
the U.S.
and overseas.
FHM: You recently made available publically a quick ‘how-to’ production guide,
much to the delight our readers (and staff). Are there any other secret
Mike Balance tricks you’d care to share?
MB: My main advice to people would be experiment and take your time with it.
Don’t rush
it. Spend a lot of time perfecting one sound or one track as opposed to
bangin’ out
as much stuff as you can in hopes of getting noticed. Plus, if you want to
make a
big hit or that big jam people will know you for, don’t force it. Those
things have
to come to you naturally. It’s also easy to get carried away with all the
software
and plug-ins available these days. Keep it simple at first and learn how to
do more
with less. You gotta have the cake before you can have the icing.
FHM: What was your first production setup?
MB: I’ve had many setups over the years. My first being a mess of tape decks,
Radio
Shack stuff, a Casio sampler and other random 80s synths and drum
machines. It was
good to start with that because it taught me how fun messing around with
music could
be. My first semi-professional setup consisted of an MPC 2000, a Novation
Bass
Station, some rack effects and a Mackie rotary mixer. My first 3 or 4
records were
made on that setup and I eventually started bouncing stuff back and forth
between
Acid Pro and the MPC. The ‘Punk Rock Disco’ remix for Jon Le Phunk was my
first all
software production and I’ve pretty much stuck with that formula since.
FHM: With the proliferation of new production technology aimed strictly aimed
at computers, do you find yourself currently leaning more towards an all
“in the box” approach using software plugins and virtual instruments or do
you prefer a traditional hardware/software approach?
MB: I still jam out some patterns on my MPC and make some cool sounds on the
Filter
Factory sometimes but that’s about it these days. My hardware literally
collects
dust since I have embraced the software revolution but I would never sell
any of it
because there’s still some great sounds in there! Plus, I wouldn’t get
nearly what
it’s worth now.
FHM: Always a hot question on our readers’ minds is what production environment
producers are using these days. Can you give us some insight into what
audio/sequencing package your music is based around and what are some of
the “must have” production tools in your studio?
MB: All my favorite producers are using Cubase or Pro Tools right now which is
the
direction I’m hoping to go towards in the future but as of right now I
can’t live
without Acid Pro 5 and Reason 3. What’s great is you can Rewire them
together and
utilize the best of what they both have to offer. My MDA VST plug-ins are a
must
have along with Wavelab. The Waves Diamond plug-ins are great too.
FHM: You have had your music productions featured on Artist Mix CDs that have
been distributed world wide. How has the exposure from these mix
compilations affected you as an artist? What does it take to create a
career in this?
MB: I have definitely been blessed with the opportunity to have that kind of
support for
my music. It’s great because it introduces you more to the regular people
and
everyday party-goers in addition to the DJ/producer community. Having a
good repoire
with these big DJs and the people that make these mixes along with making
sure they
have a really solid track of yours they can stand behind is a step in the
right
direction.
FHM: Who does Mike Balance look up to, and what is it about these people that
makes them admirable to you?
MB: I would definitely have to say DAN. Not only is he a great DJ and a house
mastermind
but he’s a good friend too. Dan’s all about helping the right people out
and giving
the up-and-comers a chance to shine. I think because he realizes that
people like
us are a big part of what fuels this industry. Other people that give me
inspiration
are Joey Mazzola, Sebastian Ingrosso, Olav Basoski, Armand Van Helden and
Daft Punk.
I may not know some of them personally but their contribution and
dedication to this
music is admirable. I also look up to a lot of indie rockers and electronic
artists
but we don’t need to get into that.
FHM: With the current explosion of the digital media realm, do you have any
plans to push your new label Via Musique on a digital download site in the
future?
MB: Most of the people I’ve talked to who are dealing with digital labels say
that it’s
a pain the ass and not very profitable. My label is brand new so I have yet
to
decide if that’s a direction we want to go in. Personally, I think the
technology
needs to evolve a little more before it’s a sure-fire way to distribute
your music
over vinyl.
FHM: When you DJ, do you use vinyl, or have you gone digital?
MB: I’m definitely a vinyl DJ. It’s just more fun to me. I normally only play
about 3 or
4 tracks off cd in a set and they’re usually either my own tracks that are
waiting
for release or something that’s a major jam I absolutely can’t get anywhere
else. I
would much rather play them on vinyl and usually do when or if they become
available.
FHM: For those out there that have the aspiration to create an upstart indie
label, can you share with our readers a little bit about what it takes to
get a label off the ground, and also what you feel it takes to make a
label successful?
MB: Unfortunately a lot of people start their own label because no one will
give them a
chance or they’re sick of doing things on someone else’s terms. Personally,
I just
want to focus on what I do best and that’s make music and let someone else
take care
of the rest. I wish it were that easy but it’s not. Just make sure you have
a good
game plan and some artists you can really stand behind. Be really patient
too.
expect everything to take way longer than you thought. That’s the honest
answer.
FHM: How do you feel about the current state of affairs in the Dance Music
industry? Do you feel that its thriving, or in a recession? What do you
think it will take to pick it up or sustain this?
MB: Everything always comes in waves no matter what you’re dealing with. Things
seem to
be coasting along smoothly right now but that all really depends on where
you’re at.
Some parts of the world have huge dance scenes and other parts are dry as
hell. This
stuff will always be around in some form or another so I’m not that worried
about it
right now.
FHM: How do you feel about the current explosion of Electro infused house
music? Is this a trend that will continue to grow, or do think its just
that, a trend? Also, do you think its hurting the originality of the music
that is being produced right now?
MB: Hahaha. Man. I actually just decided to retire one of my big electro
Malstrom
patches ‘cuz I found myself using it in everything. It’s definitely a huge
trend
right now but it’s always been around more than people think. it’s just
become
more prevalent lately due to the whole New Wave/80s revival. Personally I
love it
and I think it’s inspired some of the biggest jams ever but the bottom line
is the
Funky stuff will always move people on the floor and I’ve always remained
focused on
it.
FHM: Tell us a little bit about what is on the horizon for Mike Balance?
MB: Chillin’ the fuck out. I’ve been working on tons of stuff this last year
and with
about a dozen tracks waiting to come out I’m gonna kick back and see what
the future
brings next. I also plan on regrouping and revamping my studio this summer
and
hopefully reshaping my sound a little bit in the process. Oh yeah, and
hooking up
lots of DJ gigs. who wants to party!?!?
To learn more about Mike Balance, please visit:
Thank you for taking the time to accept our interview, and for supporting the Funkyhousemusic.com mission. We truly appreciate your effort, and wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors.
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