R&B diva Angie Stone is no stranger to the dancefloor. With classics like "Wish I Didn't Miss You" and "I Wasn't Kidding" under her belt, we have been waiting patiently while she switched labels and recorded a new CD. Now she is back with "The Art Of Love & War" and the first single, "Baby," features help on vocals from another R&B diva, Betty Wright. Though it took a moment, dance remixes were finally issued and the list contains many house DJ masters like Craig C and Matthias Heilbronn. With these gentlemen on board, you can already see what direction this mixes are taking.
Craig C kicks of the party with his Master Mix. A funky bassline and drums along with Angie telling us "here we go" greet our ears. The piano kicks in shortly after and we are off on the journey. No need to pump this any other time but teatime. It's a classic house rhythm that takes control on this mix. The vocals are right in front and the song chugs along to the end. Morgan Page takes his Club Mix into something a bit spacier. Its funky electro-tinged beats seem odd at first, but once the mix gets going, it actually works. Luckily, Page must know that using the full vocal here would be a challenge, so this plays out more like a dub, but it's a great one. Returning to the house side of things, Matthais Heilbronn brings out his Matty's Got Summin 4 Ya Mix. Full of pianos and rhythmic drums, this mix has a very soulful feel to it. The guitar that comes in around the 3:30 mark just added to the smooth sound of this mix. This is a great choice to play for you househeads out there. Lastly, Angel Manuel's Club Mix is the clubbiest of all the versions offered. A harder bassline is implemented here along with some tougher synth lines. Again, it seems like this may not work, but when the vocals kick in, it's obvious that everything is melding together well.
Some punters may gripe that none of these mixes have that anthem feel like some of Angie's past tracks. This is one of those cases where an anthem wouldn't really work. Though these versions may be a bit more subdued, they are great remixes for the song. The song is already climbing the charts, so somebody out must like them! Hopefully we will see more mixes coming from Angie Stone in the next few months. Welcome back!!
