The Vitals:

Label: A Different Drum
Genre: Vocal Trance
Number of Tracks: 12
How to Obtain: www.adifferentdrum.com, iTunes

Factor Scores:

Production Quality: 6.9
Programming and Arrangement: 5.9
Entertainment Quality: 5.8
Total: 6.2 – Above Average

The Scoop:

I was thrilled to find out that I would be reviewing a vocal trance remix project featuring one of the talented vocalists chosen for Joey Bellville's' upcoming "Pristina" release. Even though Monica Schroeder is, for the most part, still virtually an unknown, she has been lauded as a "spellbinding" vocalist by established artists like Cowboy Junkies and by industry gurus such as Billboard Magazine.  It was never her idea to make dance music, but when the label A Different Drum approached her with the plan to remix some of her greatest works into an electronica project she jumped at the chance. That's what I love about EDM: With the right producers and remixers behind you, a contemporary pop artist can immediately genre-jump and gain a whole new audience. This seems to be a trend that is contributing to the growth of Christian dance music these days. Not only is there a proliferation of new artists entering the fray, but labels also are releasing remixes of vocalists, performers and bands from outside the genre. [As an aside, dance remixes for the heavy rockin' Jet Circus will be released by Hypersonic Records as you read this.] What a fantastic way to grow the Christian dance music industry. Ten of Monica's most popular songs were handed over to the masterful hands of two highly skilled trance producers. Russia's DJ Ram and Nevarakka from Sweden each took turns dismantling, mangling, and reinventing Schroeder's music. So here I sit in an apartment practically overlooking Red Square in downtown Moscow, listening to my new favourite Russian producer and his Scandinavian counterpart for this project. It's a little surreal, but it really lends itself to the listening experience. While I was extremely impressed with these two talented producers, I was somewhat disappointed with Schroeder's performance. Nonetheless, I would say the project was a success, and I look forward to hearing future releases from Nevarakka and DJ Ram and also from Schroeder on the upcoming Pristina album as well!

Digital Aura's Take:

It was with great anticipation that I delved into this album. Monica's voice has been likened to another great female Canadian, Sarah McLachlan. Indeed, I was immediately drawn by the similarities in song style, vocal timbre, and even in the thoughtfully introspective lyrics. The capabilities and competence of the two producers, DJ Ram and Nevarakka, were undoubtedly showcased throughout this album as each man used his knowledge and skill to great effect. While there was nothing necessarily ground-breaking in their remixes, each track was crafted uniquely and showed a diverse and intricate knowledge of ambient, downtempo, breakbeat, and uplifting trance elements. My overall impression was that this CD was successful on the part of these two outstanding producers, who were unknown to me going into this review, but not as successful in showcasing the obvious talent that Monica has as a vocalist. The overall vocal performance was strangely emotive, yet unmoving. To me, it seemed as if she was holding back in every song for a strong climactic re-entry or finale that never came. This was hardly the fault of Nevarakka or DJ Ram who used every trick in the book to really make these tracks new and fresh for the dance floor. Two songs on this album were original versions that proved she is no less a songwriter and musician as she is a qualified vocalist. I didn't even mind the intrusion of these two folk-rock-contemporary tracks in this otherwise all trance album. I just wish she would have found the occasion to belt out a few lines in wild and unbridled abandon in at least one or two tracks. I longed to hear her jump up to a higher registry and let loose to match the musical intensity produced by the two remixers. Perhaps my expectations were too high? Perhaps she is no Sarah McLachlan.

Production Quality: 6.9

I needn't comment much on the overall mix of the production as nothing really stood out as glaringly grievous or out of place. The tracks seemed to gel nicely together into a cohesive whole, and the entire CD had a highly polished professional sound. I appreciated the way that Nevarakka and DJ Ram imparted their own styles to this project. Each contributed equally vibrant and interesting adaptations of Schroeder's music through big breaks, bouncy driving rhythmic arps, and intense filtering effects. The album starts off with "Without You", a great uplifting trance piece with a great hook. Immediately, I sensed a very talented powerhouse here in Schroeder, yet she never really "claimed the stage" as she likely could have. I would never doubt her ability either; I simply cannot understand why she doesn't up the ante at any point on the album. Her voice is sweet but understated. I even have to give points to both Nevarakka and DJ Ram for working within this limitation. Both artists find themselves implementing the vox more as an effect, Nevarakka in "You Don't Move Me" and Ram in "Everyday", instead of as the lead instrument or main channel. "You Don't Move Me" is a superbly crafted production with delightful vocal treatments. Great anthem-like trance leads serve up a tantalizingly delicious hook! If there's only one reason to buy this CD, this track must be it.

Programming & Arrangement: 5.9

Something that stands out in my mind is the diversity of the musical content and arrangement of this album. From the vintage sounding patches used in "I Want You To Fall" to the spacey synths of "Waiting", this album covered all the bases. The two producers obviously had fun with this project as they used this album to experiment with various styles of electronica. Each track brings something new and diverse from the rest of the songs on the CD.  "Tonight" has a housey vibe, "Warmth" brings us a hint of techno, while "Love Won't Change" introduces chilled downtempo into the mix. Two tracks—"Everyday" and "Warmth"—use some variant of Auto-tune or Pitchright on the vocals to simulate the "Cher" effect to great success. Well, I'm a bit of a sucker for those cheesy effects, so I found them a welcome addition. There are quite a few tracks to listen to, so at least that in itself brings some value to this CD.

Entertainment Quality: 5.8

Besides the aforementioned track, "You Don't Move Me", there really aren't too many songs that have a ton of replay value in my estimation. I hate making such subjective comments, but with this album, I feel a little justified based on the comments I've made earlier about the lack of "oomph" in Schroeder's vocals. There are a lot of tracks on this album, and there's certainly something for every trance lover on this CD. "Waiting" is another notable tune because of the excellent synth selection. I found it reminiscent of PPK's classic Russian trance sound.

Total: 6.2 - (Slightly) Above Average

As a lover of all kinds of trance, and especially uplifting vocal trance, I can honestly admit that this CD does indeed succeed in delivering some wicked breaks, lush sonic soundscapes, rich textured arps, stellar effects, and a fantastic voice. Despite the missed potential in the vocals, Schroeder still knows how to sing, and as shown in the last two tracks, she knows what's she's doing in the world of songwriting too. There's definitely something in the quality of her crooning voice that is deeply satisfying despite the morose subject matter and the aching lyrics about loneliness and missing home. I can recommend this CD because of the all the superb elements in most of the songs; however, some of the shortcomings in the vocals add up rather quickly and rob the overall project.