Rising from the swamps of New Orleans, Emilia Sosa brings some extra soul and funk to her music. Her debut single "Rhythm Of Life" has already made a showing on the Billboard Dance charts, thanks in part to mixes by Albert Castillo, Rui Da Silva, & the Bacci Brothers. Her earthy vocals help make this song stand out amongst the pack of disco divas.
Albert Castillo's Extended Mix surrounds Emilia's vocals with lots of synths and a thumping rhythm track, a very wise choice for a song with this title. The electronic beats never take away from the singing and help give the song an even bouncier feel than in its original form. This will be the mix most DJs will be gravitating to. The Bacci Brothers have a couple of different mixes here. The first, with help from Fred Portelli, is similar to Albert's mix, but the addition of guitars toughens up the groove. The guitars also give the track a funkier feel. The second mix, this time with help from Dani Rava, is a straight-up electro stomper, complete with hard synthesizer stabs. However, Emilia's vocals are slowed down and at times they sound distorted. It's almost as if she knocked back a few cocktails before cutting the track. It ends up making the song not as pleasing as it could be. The X Mix by KJ Sawka takes the song into some sort of big beat direction that totally does not fit the vocals. It's like a bad Chemical Brothers rip-off. Skip this one and go on to the Rui Da Silva Club Mix, though this mix isn't all that much better. The beats are fine, but the vocals are practically nonexistent. On top of that, it feels like a bunch of blips and beeps with no regard to the track's original feel. It could be a nice choice for some filler, but not much more.
Emilia Sosa has a great voice and while some of these mixes compliment her very nicely, some do not. If I could erase the last half of this CD, I probably would. Keep your ears turned to the Albert Castillo and Bacci Bros. with Fred Portelli mixes and you should be alright. The others can just be skipped altogether. Hopefully this song will get enough notice that her next single will have a better lineup of mixers.
Albert Castillo & Bacci Bros. w/ Fred Portelli mixes-- 3.5 stars
Bacci Bros. w/ Dani Rava, Rui Da Silva & KJ Sawka mixes--1.5 stars
