nice sound...good start

Honestly... this was done to death in the 90's between the Nitro Praise series, the Hymns in the House series and even the mYx'd Trip to a Gospel House series.

I would not pursue this idea unless you can find a REALLY good new angle on it and one in particular that raises the bar far above where the best of these series were in the 90's.

The sample you've given I feel falls far short of that.

I disagree. Maybe a different approach but this can be reinvented. I support him.

hymns were written in a certain style, that style cannot be copied into dance music. they have to be fused. use the old stuff as a start, not as a finish.

I certainly would not. I have to be honest. this is simply terrible. its horridly cheesy, and even below the quality of the nitro praise junk that was released in the 90's.

the other guys are right. you need an entirely new approach. what you have here will simply not work.

hymns are great, dont get me wrong, but nearly every single producer that has attempted this has failed miserably. unless you are already one of the greatest and most creative producers of all time, i would say scrap the project for now.

what you need to do is get back in the studio, start practicing your production skills, and fine tune them with years of practice. when you become supremely amazing and creative, then maybe this can be revisited.

i really hate being harsh on you, but honestly it has to be said.

Thanks for the honest feedback. Mixed views so far but I think mainly the verdict is to scrap the idea.

I think using my version of amazing grace as an example was not a good representation of what I want to acheave. My production skills leave a lot to be desired. Yes it is cheesy but that bit I got right, I am aiming for that UK commercial sound. Here in the UK and in Europe also commercial dance/hands up/cheese is massive. I know its cheesy and not proper dance music but I think it is the best way to outreach to the secular world. Creating deep progressive stuff or dirty drum n bass is great but it is hard to fit Christian lyrics into these styles and when they are there they are a second thought which dont seem to fit.

I do have a brilliant female vocalist lined up for this too and when I say she is brilliant I really mean it.

here a few secular tracks which better show what I am aiming for. A warning that serious minded producers will definately see it more as pop/cheese than dance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHh1IqcuTGc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5035J8iaVg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmgcxltzhSE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOC9QcHnsBo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfKZhOMyVcc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuBmiu68ECU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAXWNm0bWM0

As far a hymns go I would only thought a couple of tracks on the album could be hymns. The ones that fit into this style without too much effort and that are well known. I could scrap the entire idea of hymn covers after listening to how bad they can sound.

I would like most or all of the tracks to be dance covers of some of the amazingly written conteporary Christian rock/pop that is around at the moment. Stuff by casting crowns, chris tomlin, hillsong, sonicflood, mercy me, ect... These tracks have amazing Christian lyrics, much better than the lyrics in commercial dance tracks. If I could produce an album of as good a quality as the albums that are selling huge numbers in the secular world but fusing in the deep and meaningful Christian lyrics, melodies then it could be a powerful outreach.

What!?!? Deep progressive stuff is the best for making lyrics for! Especial Christian lyrics. Also in today's music world your lyrics don't have to be worship related, like i feel your trying to do. You can add a message that is christian message that the secular world will eat up. You can have a positive uplifting message. Also most songs in the dance industry don't even have words. You need to not have a song based on the lyrics or words. That's how you make incredible work. Have an amazing song that when the words come in it takes it over the top. And i know i speak for all of us when saying that every genre can be anything it wants. I have heard great vocals in drum and bass, and great dark bass lines. A great producer can do anything. You should be aiming for putting work of christian producers on a Cd more than an all christian lyric dance songs that all moms and dads would recognize.