Chris Fortier - Keeping Balance

For those who follow progressive, Chris Fortier is a man whose reputation precedes him. Both as an international producer and DJ, there are few Americans who have been as successful at their craft or garnered as much publicity as Chris. Many know him first and foremost for his '98 remix of Delerium's track Silence, a worldwide hit that later appeared on Sasha and Digweed's 'Northern Exposure 3'. The association continued in 2002 when Fortier compiled and mixed the third instalment in the Bedrock series, regarded my most as a classic. Often overlooked is the vastly import role Fortier has played in building the global profile of the US progressive scene. Through his label, Fade Recordings, and the Balance Record Pool he has played a pivotal role in the nurturing and publicising of artists such as Grayarea, Habersham, Digital Witchcraft, Steve Porter and Shiloh to name but a few of the 'young guns' who have been wowing progressive fans worldwide in recent times.

"I think things are moving in a healthy direction," replies Fortier cautiously. "It is slow, but it is moving positively. There are a lot of great new talents here, and that is very exciting, especially as a fan and someone searching for music for my sets and my label. There are a great number of new artists coming up. We have a few coming on Fade later this year that I think could develop into something quite large. I think Porter is really setting the pace for the young guns too."

Fortier's latest mix CD, 'Audio Tour', has been released on his label Fade Recordings and highlights the label's roster in particular. "It is comprised mainly of material from my Fade Records label," agrees Fortier. "Most of it is forthcoming tracks, with many others being released just this year, as well as two classic Fade releases. Essentially, doing a mix like this is another way to promote the releases we have on the label to people and fans outside of the 12" single buyers. The music on Fade is always moving in a forward direction. I think our releases are varied and different from previous releases and often unique from anything on other labels too."

Fortier's previous mix compilation, 'Bedrock 003', was a double CD on John Digweed's renowned label, Bedrock. "I've known John (Digweed) for nearly ten years," Fortier recalls. "He and Sasha used to play at my club when they were first coming to Florida in the early '90s. We have built a friendship and supported each other over these years. In the beginning when they were first coming, I played with them at my club. When they started branching out, I continued to play in a warmup sense and now I continue to play with Digweed around the world, although not as much as years before. John has always been a big supporter of mine and asking me to do the CD is an extension of that support. I had complete control over every aspect of the CD including tracklisting."

When asked how 'Bedrock 003' compares to Fortier's latest mix CD he explains, "this mix was really intended to be a showcase of the material on Fade. The focus I wanted was to be on the label and the artists on the label, not me. This isn't the definitive follow up to the Bedrock album by any means. But it is a solid mix and I am really pleased with the final outcome. To be able to create something that works well with a limited choice is great. The single CD option is really a compromise I had to make with the label and distribution company. This was originally intended for a strictly USA release and single CDs here are a lot easier for labels and distribution companies. This was an introduction of the label and our artists at a much larger level, so the single CD option made more sense to be able to create the easiest and most convenient platform for that introduction. If this goes well, then the option to expand on the single CD to a double or whatever will be there."

Fortier is still closely associated with Balance, the company which he created and runs. "Balance< Tags

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