Clubbing Magazine


Jimmy Van M’s reputation was shaped by his pioneering work for Balance, his pivotal role and involvement in the Delta Heavy tour with Sasha & Digweed, and his career-defining Bedrock compilation (2001). His smooth mixing style, creative programming and talent for production have placed him among the elite of today’s DJs. Balance 010 is an astounding compilation that takes the listener on a well-crafted journey through the best of electronic music, exploring genres ranging from Downtempo to Minimal Techno, Ambient and Progressive. Similar to the “Back to Mine” series designed for the morning after chill-out session, Van M’s first two mixes can be admired for their intuitive selection of musical gems. The third mix is a heart-stopper. Balance 010 as a 3 CD package is a must-have that will set the bar for DJs and music lovers alike – Jimmy Van M has arrived and is ready for global status. We got hold of a busy Van M to get some info on his amazing Balance 10 release. "This compilation was 15 years in the making, it offers different shades of music. 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. Hopefully it will touch everyone" says Van M. .
How did you approach the task on putting together the Balance 10 compilation? The music fits the concept, the 1st disc starts at 60bpm and ends at 100bpm, the 2nd disc starts at 100bpm and end 125bpm, the 3rd disc stays around 124bpm. I picked the music that I felt were best suited for the tempo range I was looking for.
How was this different than mixing the Bedrock and Ministry compilations? The style and tempo of music is different, for me the feeling is the same.
What prompted you to make it a 3 CD set with 3 different tempos; downtempo, midtempo and uptempo? I had a lot of music to chose from, more than plenty to do 3 discs and EQ were very interested in making an album that was a broad spectrum of music, which was also my vision.
How do you feel, now you are done with compilation – is it as you wanted it to be? Im very pleased with the album, it is a privilege to mix up some of my favorite music.
On the downtempo mix you have tapped into some of my favorites and classical ambient musicians like Brian Eno and Bill Laswell. Tell me a bit on your interest for ambient music? Ambient music always makes for the perfect windown part of a long weekend. Having many of those, the ambient collection just kept getting bigger.
I haven’t had the pleasure hearing you DJ, but I understand that you like to experiment with music genres and layer the tracks – tell me a bit about that and what tools you are using ? CDJ1000, on fx of extra pieces of gear the rest is just selection and timing.
You were also behind the big Delta Heavy tour with John Digweed and Sasha – how was that – and do you think this is something that you want to repeat with them – perhaps in Europe - in the near future? I believe I will be doing a few dates with John, on tour but I try to look forward and stay focused on this album. Especially in interviews. I don’t believe people today really care about what we did 5 years ago although it was a great time. How do you feel about the strong electro influence the scene is under at the moment? Electro is big in some areas and not so strong in others. Different scenes have different vibes. How do you see the club scene around world at the moment? I feel positive about the state of dance culture around the world im starting a world tour in Australia and South East Asia, then USA, Canada, Mexico, and Europe after the holidays. You are hailed to be one of the individuals to have a big influence on the American club culture – how are you own feelings about this? I believe in what I do, with passion and dedication it has allowed me to play a part. What do you want to be remembered for, when you’re not into the scene any more? The Balance 10 compilation would be one thing. What are your feelings that everything is coming out on MP3? There is great music coming out on MP3. Companies like beatport.com allow you to download on .wav (highest quality format) Are we going to see any tracks from you in the near future? There is a track I did with Nick Warren called “One and Only” coming out Hope Records.
Interview: Christian Almind Thanks to Jimmy, Dennis Wheeler and Melani Whims	Jimmy Van M website EQ Recordings website