Few Christian remix efforts live up to their potential, and Mixdown doesn't break from that norm.
Mixdown situates itself well in the current 'remix' arena of Christian music, but doesn't realize the remix potential of the songs included. If you enjoyed Sparrow Records' recent remix releases (ZOEgirl, Avalon, Newsboys), then you'll probably enjoy Mixdown, which features 13 remixes by the infamous Mooki. Song selection on this collection is excellent, including some non-ForeFront artists. Gotee's GRITS, Out Of Eden and Jennifer Knapp, Sparrow's Switchfoot, and the less-known Smokey Norful and Brent Jones are all welcome inclusions.
The main problem with this release is constancy. The remix beats hold steady throughout each track, allowing little room for movement. For the most part, Mooki spins with aptitude but without innovation, and his mixes lack dynamic (the deliberate variation of a single quality of a single musical element, between two points along its expressive range, to create an emotional effect). Where ambient, ethereal synths, symphonic overtures, piano highlights or a more diverse use of techno rhythms could have rendered a track breathtaking, Mooki plays it safe instead. On a positive note, however, this constancy does hold the album together and each track easily flows from the track preceding it.
dc Talk, tobyMac and Tait all get tracks spread throughout this album, but Kevin Max fans will surely miss him. Both tobyMac's 'Somebody's Watching' and dc Talk's 'Socially Acceptable' are given great hip-hop vibes, though tobyMac's track is minimalistic and dc Talk's track is given a large group feel. The remix of Tait's 'Alibi' opens this disc with electric beats and punctuating synth notes (though these can become annoying). The incredible strength of almost each artist on this release is their vocals, and Tait's vocals are solid throughout this track. A couple tracks later is Stacie Orrico's 'Ride,' which is perhaps the best mix on this album because Orrico's mainstream pop style is best suited to Mooki's beats.
The bright and fresh summertime feel to these tracks is best represented by The Benjamin Gate's 'The Calling,' which has undergone the transition from alternative rock to remix pop without losing vitality. Next is Rebecca St. James' 'Lean On,' and a liquid, minimalist approach to this track makes it an enjoyable success. One of the most anticipated yet worst treated tracks on this release is Switchfoot's 'New Way To Be Human.' Jon Foreman's spectacular vocals are fully pulled back by vocal effects, completely eliminating their effectiveness. Furthermore, the '80's style of this mix will be a nightmare for Switchfoot fans and just plain irritating for everyone else.
Of the Gotee artists on this disc, GRITS receive the best treatment as their hip-hop genius shines clearly on 'All Fall Down.' The futuristic, suburban rendition of Jennifer Knapp's 'Undo Me' is enjoyable, but just like on the Switchfoot track, Knapp's vocals are pulled back by vocal effects and that ruins this song.
What's good about this release is that it features well-known, popular songs with enough style to entertain, if you're a fan of the artists. Completely unrelated to the music but worthy of mention is the excellent graphic design of this album, which you'll appreciate if you enjoy the music. What's not good is that few Christian remix efforts live up to their potential, and Mixdown doesn't break from that norm. Compared to groundbreaking mainstream remix releases such as Sarah McLachlan's Remixed or Linkin Park's Reanimation, Christian remix releases just don't meet the standard.
