It's not very often that a male R&B singer gets a dance remix done to his music. If any sort of mix is done, it usually ends up being a hip-hop remix with an extra rapper or two added for good measure. The first single from Ne-Yo's new CD actually gets that rare dance reconstruction. "Because Of You" is lovingly remixed into a grooving house jam thanks to versions by Sunfreakz, Josh Harris, Chop Shop, and Kryia & Velez. The results showcase that you don't have to be a diva to have a song in the dance clubs.
The Sunfreakz (who is actually just one guy, Tim Janssens from Belgium) are first here, taking this R&B joint and turns it into a filtered house journey. Lots of funky guitar and a chugging beat make this a fun and breezy dance jam. The tea dance DJs will definitely be adding this version to their sets this summer. Josh Harris is up next with his Vocal Club Mix. Another filtered affair, this time with a chunkier bass line and strings that are introduced to add a little meat to the song. The piano that comes in during the breakdown is a nice extra touch as well. Josh Harris has been on a roll lately and this mix is another great addition to his growing body of work. The Chop Shop Club Mix is very minimal and electro sounding with lots of blips and beeps running throughout the background. The mix never seems to get off the launching pad and doesn't even feel very danceable. I would have liked this mix to have picked up the pace at some point, but it seems to be stuck in neutral. Finally, the Kyria & Velez Club Mix continues in the same electro vein with bass added along with more background synth effects. This mix feels cluttered up with all the extra noise surrounding Ne-Yo's vocals. Thankfully, it's also the shortest mix here.
Ne-Yo's first song to be refashioned for club consumption gives us a mixed bag of results. While the filtered house mixes are great, the electro-tinged versions leave something to be desired. Stick with the Josh Harris & Sunfreakz remixes and your clubbers will thank you.
Josh Harris & Sunfreakz mixes—4 stars
Chop Shop & Kyria & Velez mixes—2.5 stars
