Simon Templar – Balance

Simon Templar a.k.a. of Jussi Paasonen, Finnish’s master of the finer progressive arts, a thief of altogether trancier hearts and anything-but-occasional agent of dancefloor fission & frisson. For seven years and counting, Simon/Jussi studio-ware has been lighting up labels like Black Hole Recordings, JOOF, Lost Language, Touchstone, Bonzai’s Progrez imprint and Pure Trance Recordings. It is to the latter however that the spoils of the Man from Kerava’s debut album have fallen.

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. Hailed as “dazzling” and “impressive” by DJ Mag UK, balance is what ‘Balance’ does. A finely honed, evenly keeled assemblage of tracks that span the full beam of trance’s notably wider range.

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”.

‘Fly With Me’ to ‘Golden Ratios’ cruising, 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. As the strains of ‘Sunday Rain’ fade, ‘Balance’s tone upticks, with the soaring, powerful ‘Skyline’. The “forceful”, “floor-angled”, “primetime” 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 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.

Buy ‘Balance’

Check Also

Richard Durand – Reactivate

This is an album that stands ready, poised for that time when the global order to dance is given again.”