Tally-ho, Balihu!

Daniel Wang―an out-of-this-world DJ, producer, and vintage synth/studio gear nerd of epic proportions of Taiwanese descent―has been pumping out some of his best work ever over the past few years ("Berlin Sunrise," "Echo By Midnight," "Roller Giggle") on various labels (notably Ghostly International), but his earlier works―the stuff he created in the early 90s through the turn of the millennium―is often overlooked. Fortunately, thanks to the forthcoming release of Daniel Wang Presents Balihu: Rush Hour that will no longer be the case.

Way back in 1993, the soon-to-be-NYC-dweller started Balihu Records in an effort to combat the "increasingly unmusical soundtrack of modern nightlife" and put out his own material. (Balihu's discography is 90% Wang's work.) The lanky DJ is often described as being a disco producer, but I find his tunes to be a little too atmospheric, refined, and house-leaning to confidently dub him as such. His music flows like a misty seascape at night (or, in the case of "Berlin Sunrise," lifts up into the sky like a consuming, fiery sun over a urban sprawl on the verge of a morning's bustle); but it's just too clever and purposefully crafted to be lazily confined to disco crates.

That said, some of his stuff―like "Dancing With the Best" or the infamous "Like Some Dream"―tend to veer pretty near to being straight-up disco. Fat bass riffs; spacey, sometimes tribal rhythms; and ear-catching synth hooks make for some great discotheque dance floor jams.

Here're a few tunes from Balihu: Rush Hour. Enjoy and be sure to reserve a copy today.

Daniel Wang - Dancing With the Best

Daniel Wang - On the Moon