We are proud to present you with the very first edition of the Balance Selections podcast series with which we’ll aim to bring you some of the very best in up-and-coming, established and outright interesting artists working in the scene today. For the first edition of the Balance Selections podcast we head to the Netherlands to feature one of the most promising underground producers to emerge from Europe: Navar.
When we recently spoke to Guy J -who remixed Navar’s ‘Phases of Grief’ track for his Balance Presents– we asked him who he would select to do a Balance Selections podcast: “I would choose Navar as i find his productions have its very own style and something unique to it. He can do dancefloor friendly tracks or deeper tracks and it will always have his sound on it – he is very talented producer and I have plans for him on my Lost & Found label.”
Coming from one of the scene’s most loved producers that is indeed a glowing endorsement – and we have to say that we agree with him. Navar’s production style can fluctuate between grooves that pack a heavy punch (‘Verbeeldingskracht‘) to more restrained and deeper melodic sounds (‘Atemzüge‘), and for his podcast Navar has delivered a deep and techy workout that sits somewhere in between those tracks. This podcast definitely showcases that there is more to Navar’s musical range than what you might think…
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Name:
Eelko Wijnja
Location:
Leeuwarden, Friesland, The Netherlands
Alias/Producer name:
Navar
Labels affiliated with:
Lost & Found, Klopfgeist. Outside The Box, Proton, Particles
My last 3 releases:
What music did you listen to as a child?
I listened to Pink Floyd, Jon Bon Jovi and The Eagles to name a few. My dad really loves music and he used to play (and still does) a lot of classic rock tracks. Actually, both of my parents were really involved with music as my mom used to love doing karaoke, hah! My uncle performs in a band nowadays, so back then he used to play guitar around me every now and again – I guess I was somehow always surrounded by music. Back then you were just laying on the ground in front of the new stereo tower watching the audio display playing his/her song… I never found out if it was a he or a she).
When was the first time that you realised that you liked electronic music?
My big brother -and his best friend- introduced me to electronic music because they were 2 years older than me and went to clubs etc. He also introduced me to big events like ‘Trance Energy’ that was hosted by ID&T. Looking back at it now I can really say that ID&T Radio inspired me a lot – it had a broad range of genres and it became my favourite radio station of all time, continuously feeding me with music night and day! I used to fall asleep with it playing on my headphones and wake up with it – still playing in my headphones!
When was the first time you saw a DJ in a club?
Well, a good friend of mine called ‘Gerrit’ invited me to his birthday in a small club called ‘De Swetser’ where he was DJ-ing (which was in my place of birth Heerenveen – a town close to Leeuwarden).That was the first time I saw a DJ mixing in real-time, and also the first time I heard a DJ play one of my tracks. I can’t remember exactly which track it was, but it lead me to the label Klopfgeist where I am now today. The whole of my discography was influenced by the Klopfgeist family playing and listening to music in their infamous ‘Het Kantoor’ (which means ‘the office’). It was a unique after party/ relax location for a musical gathering.
Which producers/artists/acts inspire you?
Prince, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Depeche Mode, and then more current artists like Nathan Fake, James Holden, Guy Gerber, Guy J… There are so many more artists that inspire me! My biggest source of inspiration though is life and everything around it like paintings, pictures, and, not to forget, our Mother Nature.
What was the last album that you downloaded/bought?
When I heard on John Digweed’s Soundcloud the preview for the Guy J album ‘1000 words’ I immediately pre-ordered it! I was absolutely amazed at that album and to this day it still is for me one of the best examples of that broad spectrum of music that he produces. You can hear a lot of variable musical styles meshed into one perfect selection of warm sounds – that album really affected me.
Guy J ‘ 1000 Words’ by Bedrock Records
What is your current production and DJ set up like?
I do have some hardware, but most of the time I’m using software. My favourite synth of all time is the Access Virus TI – I’m currently saving money to buy the hardware version as I really love that thing. For DJ sets I prefer using a laptop – I really like using that as I prefer to blend some tracks extra long in the mix and I feel I have more control with laptops to do that.
What releases do you have on the horizon?
I have plenty of projects that I’m currently involved with which will take some time to complete, but I hope to have them finished one day. At the moment though some of the collaborations I’m working on are with Ferdy, Sigward, Simon Vuarambon, Kevin Di Serna and Marcelo Vasami. I hope to find a perfect balance between them and me!
Where can we hear you perform?
My next gig is in Groningen at a venue called Simplon with Einmuzik, John Tejada and more! It will be a great party for sure. There is also this residency I have at Paradigm which I am very honoured to be part of. I’m also proud to announce that I’m hosting a night called Involve which was such an success at that club – there were very special moments with artist such as Patrick Chardronnet, Guy J, and Eelke Kleijn. At the moment I’m not doing regular podcasts as I am spending all my time doing productions, but once in a while I will upload a set. For me, that’s where my freedom starts – having no pressure is the best way to focus and try to get the best out of something. I do believe that for each person it is different, but for me that works the best.
Tell us more about the podcast you made for Balance?
I mixed this podcast at my house with my Laptop using 2 X1’s and a Xone 92 mixer. The first time I tried to make this mix I didn’t feel the energy, but the day I made this podcast I felt so much warmth that I looked outside of my window imagining 1000 people dancing to my mix! So yeah, it worked out at that moment when I didn’t expect it to happen. I don’t really have a stand out track to mention as every track in this mix is a stand out track or else I wouldn’t be playing it. When there are, for example, 12 tracks in a mix, they really are working together to create a flow to the final mix – I hope that is exactly what the listeners will feel as that is the ultimate goal for me.
My Recommendations
The top track currently in my DJ wallet is:
Last year my top track for playing in clubs such as Paradigm were Pehr Genlogue – Pincer Movement (Agaric remix). To be honest, I never really have one top track but I hope that gives you a glimpse of what I like.
If I could recommend only one of my tracks for you to listen to it would be:
A track from my mini-album which is forthcoming on Guy J’s Lost & Found Records which can be found on this podcast – there is no preview available yet but it will be released in the upcoming months.
If I could recommend only one track for you to listen to it would be:
Simon Garcia produces amazing tracks!
My favourite Balance compilation is:
Actually, there are so many good Balance compilations out there so it’s hard to choose! But if I had to choose I have to say that I like the Balance Presents Guy J a lot!
The last movie I watched that I really liked:
This might seem a bit boring (haha!), but haven’t seen a movie in ages – at the moment if I need some distraction I play games.
If I could choose anyone to compile a Balance comp it would be:
Simon Garcia
Tracklisting
1. Intro – Minilogue – Old Water
2. ##################
3. Jay Bliss – Time Traveling
4. Mariano Metaljan – Clouded Visions (Archie Hamilton & Dan Farserelli emix)
5. Nir Shoshani – Midnight Sail (Agaric Remix)
6. Marco Passarani & Sacco – Flora (Original Mix)
7. ##################
8. Plastikman – Ethnik (Ultrasone Edit)
9. Juan Deminicis – Once Upon A Time (Guy J Remix)
10. Mr.F – Mystic River (Dub)
11. The Black Dog – CCTV Nation (Slam Mix)
12. The Mole – Dog River (Original Mix)
13. DNYO – Belvedere
14. Xhin – This Is What You Drew While You Were Half Asleep
