David West - "Alberto Balsam"

His talent is staggering and his passion is limitless. He has a gift of seeing through the rubble and finding the gems. His ability to whittle down and tune and distill it into something divine is uncanny, and I am certainly in awe.

Although David West might be a new name to many of you he has been around for a very long time. He began his musical journey at the age of 2 when his father, who is a musician himself, put him behind the black and white keys of the piano. David was taught by his father until the age of 6, then it was time for some serious classical training. By the age of 7 David had his first meeting with a synthesizer, and he immediately fell in love with the weird sounds that came out of it. Two years later he got a porta-studio (a 4-channel tape recorder) and started producing his own music, and from there he went to working with computers such as C-64, AMIGA and ATARI.

His professional career started back in 1994 when he teamed up with Robin Söderman and formed Antiloop. The band is a household name in the Scandinavian club circuits and following the success of their debut album, "LP", the name spread fast across the global underground network with cuts such as "In My Mind", “Beauty and the Beast” and "Trespasser" fast becoming techno classics and crossing over in numerous European territories. Most of the Antiloop singles have positioned themselves at the #1 spot in the Scandinavian dance charts. Two Grammy awards (Best Club/Dance Album 1998 – LP) (Best Club/Dance Album 2001 – Fastlane People), six Swedish Dance Music awards, numerous gold and platinum records is proof that Antiloop has made a huge impact on the scene.

The first release from David West on his own was “Envy/Carrier”. It was licensed to Way Out West´s album “Don´t look now”. The track "Larry mountains 54" became one of the biggest progressive trance hits of 2005, made it to all the big compilations and was announced one of the biggest tracks of 2005 at Armin Van Buuren's show, a state of trance. His remixes has been hammered by all the big names. Last year he remixed acts as Tilt, Shiloh, Matt Darey, Inkfish Vs Martin H, Dominic Plaza, Carrie Skipper to name a few. The latest songs to be released by David is “Suffering Island” and “Make U Mine”. Both tracks have already received a warm welcome from all the big names.

Setting up his own label, Aid Recordings, with help from Andy Moor is the project closest to his heart at the moment. Already signing big names and some of the most promising undiscovered artists the world has to offer Aid Recordings is looking to a very bright future.

This tune specifically has something almost mournful about it. This chiming of clocks who know their time is up, and the repetitive  hammering of keys like the tracks of a train that is pulling away into the distance. It resonates with the loss inside you and finds a home the holes of your heart.

So today, with a kiss and a wave, I choose David West's "Alberto Balsam" as my, with an open hand, through bleary eyes, with wetted cheeks song for a, silly little angel, one more small miracle, like a gear worn down into a circle, Tuesday.