Balaphonic Interview I NuNorthern Soul Artist Q&A
Updated: Aug 14
Danny Ward returns to NuNorthern Soul as Balaphonic with Organic Matters, a six-track EP that pushes his distinctive musical world into fresh territory.
A performer, producer, percussionist, drummer and DJ with a career spanning more than three decades, Ward originally conceived Balaphonic as an outlet for his love of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian music. The project gathered fresh momentum with Resolution Revolutions, an album that brought those influences together.
On Organic Matters, that world expands again. Live percussion and instrumentation sit at the heart of the record, alongside a series of collaborations that give each track its own identity while retaining the warmth and rhythmic detail that runs throughout the Balaphonic sound.
Opening track ‘Dew Drops’, created with composer and arranger Robin Dewhurst, pairs layered Latin percussion and bass with piano, xylophone and balafon melodies.
Ward then revisits his 2005 composition ‘Switch’, this time alongside legendary Brazilian jazz vocalist
and her daughter Diana Moreira Booker. Rather than recreating the jazzy deep-house feel of the original, the new Balaphonic version becomes a gentle 7/4 exploration inspired by the Brazilian recordings on which Purim first made her name.
‘Balaventurers’ brings in another long-standing musical connection, with R.S.L founder Joe Botham AKA Baleardelica. Flamenco-inspired acoustic guitar provides the starting point for a colourful arrangement of layered voices, keys and percussion.
The pace rises on ‘Life of Strings’, written and recorded with Amsterdam-based violinist and composer Katya Gabeli. Ward's percussion drives the track forward while Gabeli's string arrangement supplies its emotional centre.
The EP closes by moving into slower, more reflective territory. ‘Boxfresh’ combines Afro-Cuban rhythms, cascading melodies and percussion, before ‘Home’ brings everything to a close with piano, dreamy chords and a warm sense of resolution.
Across six tracks, Organic Matters feels less concerned with fitting neatly into any particular genre than following the connections between rhythm, place, collaboration and musical culture – something that sits naturally within the wider NuNorthern Soul world.
Q&A: Balaphonic
To mark the release of Organic Matters, we caught up with Danny Ward to talk about Manchester, musical beginnings, the Balaphonic sound, his relationship with NuNorthern Soul and where his ears are taking him next.
Where are you in the world right now, and what does a typical day look like when you're making music?
I’m currently at home in Manchester, feeling lucky to be doing this whilst sat in the sunshine (despite this wonderful summer it still feels like a novelty).
There isn’t necessarily a typical day when it comes to music as I play a lot of different roles – writing, engineering, mixing, drumming and of course DJing – but I’m very fortunate to have a dedicated studio space in the basement so that whenever inspiration (or necessity) strikes I can leap down and leap in!
Do you remember the first piece of music that genuinely stopped you in your tracks?
One of the first singles I bought was ‘Ghost Town’ by The Specials. I was transfixed.
In fact I was driving home from a gig just the other night listening to BBC 6 Music’s ‘Black Rave’ day and it came on. It still has exactly the same effect!
How would you describe your sound to someone hearing you for the first time – without using genre labels?
Percussive and earthy, off the top of my head.
What usually comes first for you: a feeling, a rhythm, or a melody?
Usually an idea or concept, as such perhaps a feeling, but not always. There’s always some sort of rhythmic idea at the start though.
What draws you to the NuNorthern Soul world, and how does it align with how you approach music?
Though we’d met previously I feel that I really got to know Phil and start to understand his concept and approach for the label when I was DJing in Bali.
This experience had a lot to do with shaping the Balaphonic project, and still informs it a great deal, so bringing it to NuNorthern Soul definitely feels like ‘rounding the circle’ in many ways. Hence Resolution Revolutions as the first release.
I really love the way that the label showcases a broad range of musical styles but that they are all tied together by a certain feeling or aesthetic rather than specific genre. It’s immediately relatable to me as an artist.
Phil is a long-term resident of Ibiza and this is a huge part of what I understand as ‘Balearic’, but I really relate to that both from my travels and playing here in Manchester as both musician and DJ due to the wonderful diversity and mix of cultures and communities that we have here.
Is there a particular time of day, place, or state of mind where your music feels most at home?
I used to live pretty much nocturnally, so made music at that time of night and conceived it to be listened to in either dark, sweaty rooms, or stoned solitude.
These days I make music at any time of day or night. A lot of the Balaphonic music has been inspired and made in sunny weather, and I think that energy comes through, but there is a track, ‘Boxfresh’, on the new record which has a lot of water and splashing sounds in it which made me think of dripping rain, and ‘Home’, which felt like a warm, comforting blanket when making it.
I’d hope that there’s a sense of fun and positivity throughout the music, but also a sense of space and reflection, and really just that people feel the love that’s gone into it wherever or whenever they might hear it.
What are you listening to at the moment that might surprise people?
I’ve been listening to a lot of Brazilian and African records from across the spectrum, largely re-discovering but also buying new, with a view to playing them at some of the ‘listening parties’ that we’re doing in conjunction with the Organic Matters release. I’ve also been increasingly checking out music of Asian origin or inspiration.
In contrast I’ve been experimenting with using quite tough, drum-heavy techno and bass music in mixing in DJ sets, as well as 140 breaks and drum and bass and jungle.
It’s all got to relate to each other and the story I’m telling, as well as the context in which I’m playing, but I’m increasingly finding the connection and confidence in it all whilst pushing the envelope!
When someone finishes listening to your music, what do you hope lingers with them?
I would hope that they feel that positivity and love which I mentioned above, but also that it inspires them to listen to more music, and perhaps even to open their ears to find beauty in sounds that they might not have before.
NuNorthern Soul All Stars: Balaphonic
To accompany the release, we’ve also put together a special NuNorthern Soul All Stars: Balaphonic mix.
Taking its cue from the musical world surrounding Organic Matters, the mix travels through Brazilian grooves, Afro-Cuban rhythms, jazz, Balearic soul and leftfield electronics, alongside music from the new EP.
Listen / Buy
Balaphonic – Organic Matters EP [NUNS082]
Released 14th August 2026 on NuNorthern Soul.
Available on vinyl, digital and streaming.
Listen / buy via Balaphonic Bandcamp: https://balaphonic.bandcamp.com/album/organic-matters
Organic Matters is out now via NuNorthern Soul, for all other stockists and streaming platform info: https://nunorthernsoul.lsnto.me/nuns082
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