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O2 Avalon Remixed Review

2002-07-21 - Avalon Remixed is sweet, summer fun filled with relaxing grooves and refreshing beats.

O2 / Avalon Remixed is a limited-edition companion project to Avalon's fifth album Oxygen. In the genre of remix/dance music, there still isn't a lot of consistantly inspiring work done, but for this CD an all-star cast has been assembled. O2 features guests ZOEgirl, Stacie Orrico, Out of Eden and DJ Andy Hunter, and the remixes were done by DJ Tiesto (Sarah McLachlan, Dido, BT, Delerium), Ken Michaels ('N Sync, ZOEgirl) and Tedd Tjornhom (ZOEgirl, Stacie Orrico). The songs chosen to be remixed were selected based on their previous success and remix potential - however, this CD is really a hit and miss mix. You'll find the best tracks on this disc are the ones that you enjoyed the original versions of the most, regardless of whether or not you enjoy the remix/dance genre.

'We let some of the best remix engineers from the UK and the U.S. take our familiar songs and reinvent them into something completely unique and new,' said Avalon of O2. And this is where the strengths of this album come into play. Strong dance beats, ethereal synths, and flowing and oscillating melodic effects create the musical landscape over which Avalon's exceptionally strong vocals run.

The opening track 'My Oxygen' is one of the best on this disc, especially the rushing chorus that declares: 'You are my oxygen / I breathe You in / I breathe You out.' Not just sticking to the order of the original song, there are interludes and sections with vocal effects. 'Can't Live A Day' starts a bit slowly with sparkling, ambient synths, and then builds with cheesy 80's beats. This song probably isn't that suited to being remixed, since it's a pop ballad and the retro beats basically clash with the vocals which were meant to be elegant. For the remix of 'In Not Of', an R&B feel has been applied with gentle, stylish dance grooves. Although a great vocal track that you might like to play cruising with your windows rolled down, it's not nearly as infectious as a dance track.

A very strong track on this disc is the 'A Maze Of Grace' remix, which presents echoing, liquid vocals over a constant array of percussive effects and guitar licks that ring with Spanish inflection. What this remix lacks though is strength in dynamics - the chorus doesn't really stand out enough from the verses, even though it has an awesome melody. Some other stand-out Avalon tracks that have been included on this disc are 'Testify To Love' and 'Speed Of Light'. It's also noteworthy to mention that 'A Maze Of Grace' actually got a second remix on this disc - however, none of these tracks were available for review. Overall, Avalon Remixed is sweet, summer fun filled with relaxing grooves and refreshing beats. If you're an Avalon fan you'll love this album, but if you're into dance music as a genre, there's probably better albums you could buy.

Review by: Brandon Klassen