For seven years and counting, Simon Templar aka Jussi Paasonen studio-ware has been lighting up labels like Black Hole Recordings, JOOF, Lost Language, Touchstone, Bonzai’s Progrez imprint and Pure Trance Recordings. No matter, it was time for an album.
Yes, Pure Trance Recordings are proud to present an 11-track trove of music, which exemplifies the very best – not only of what Simon has to offer, but trance as a whole.
If you know Templar’s work of old, this album will be the one that carries you through summer 2017 and beyond. If however Simon’s music is reaching your ears for the first time only now, well, what can we say other than… your timing couldn’t be better!
Kicking off with its title track, the first half of the album brings music from the more deeply natured side of the genre’s firmament. From the chunky drums and hazily dystopian feel of “Fly With Me” to “Golden Ratios” cruising, prog-trance stylings, mentally, it summons altogether darker imagery. The guitar-led evocation of “Bead Town”’s intro cedes to its redolent, quirkily-effective Left Bank evangelising vocal. In uber-chilled fashion, ‘Sunday Rain’ has ‘Balance’ reach its midpoint – a beatless intermission that brilliantly sets the scene & builds the anticipation for its second half.
As the strains of “Sunday Rain” fade, “Balance”’s tone upticks, with the soaring, powerful “Skyline”. The forceful lean of recent single “Morning Sun” lends more weight, while the drum-punch and recursive progressive riffs of “The Eternia” fuels its system further. Having (through its initial release back in 2014) already served “To The Stars” two ways, Simon returns to the track with a third electrifying outing.
“The Fog” pushes “Balance”’s needle into stormy Psy territory, before “Jing & Jang” offers a thrilling, quixotic slo-mo denouement to the album.
On signing Simon’s long-player debut to Pure Trance Recordings, label boss Solarstone said: “I’ve long been a fan of Jussi’s sound; it’s always been melodically understated and firmly underground – with that sophisticated Finnish sheen. Very pleased to have convinced Jussi to sit down in the studio and tell a story”.
Simon Templar’s debut artist album “Balance” is out on June 05th 2017!
Get your copy here:
https://pure.choons.at/balance
Tracklist “Balance”:
01. Balance
02. Fly With Me
03. Golden Ratios
04. Bead Town
05. Sunday Rain
06. Skyline
07. Morning Sun
08. The Eternia
09. To The Stars III
10. The Fog
11. Jing & Jang
Simon Templar – Balance
