I think Tracy Young is a gay man trapped inside a lesbian's body. For a style of music that usually caters mostly to hunky shirtless men dancing their asses off, she certainly knows what she's doing. Shakira's "Whenever, Wherever" probably would not have been a floor-filler had it not been for Young's tribal mix, amongst several (and better) remixes she's done. Well, Tracy Young's latest 13-track mixed compilation "Danceculture" is a fine example of that. Combining original works with a few of her own mixes, including a couple of exclusives, she sends us on a nice little trip.
Starting off the party is Cytric's "Let the Rhythm," a somewhat mellow tribal track but with vocalist Keiran chanting "...suck my drums...til I cum..." This is followed by one of Young's and Gomi's own dubs of legendary diva Chaka Khan's "I Believe," which picks of the pace a little with its power-synths, while not really using much of Khan's vocals. Picking up the pace even moreso is David Lara's "The Beats and the Drums" with its moving bassline. Then comes one of Young's unreleased mixes - Madonna's "Easy Ride," a collaborative remix Young did with Italian remixer Giangi Cappai.
The chords almost "override" Madonna's vocals, but nonetheless it's still a good pumping circuit track. Spanish producer Roman Lieske is up next with his drum-driven track "The Bass Drive" which has a beautiful ethnic breakdown. Offer Nissim, an Israeli remixer/producer that has made it huge this past year, is up next with his dark track "Alone" featuring Maya on vocals. One club tune that I thought I'd be so sick of hearing is Ralphi Rosario's "You Used to Hold Me," but Giangi Cappai gives it such a kick with his thumping bass and synthesized vocals that I dare you not to tap your feet; one of the best remixes I've heard this year.
Tracy changes the atmosphere with the dubby "New Love (Violets)" by FC Nond. William Umana gives us another dub track "Te Quiero" which builds the euphoria with more tribal drums. What would the circuit world be without modern diva Suzanne Palmer?
Again, Nissim gives us a kickin' remix of her track "Home." Following is Young's own mix of "The World is a Stage" by Terry Barber, one of my favourite remixes by Young, whose dubbish vocals sound like Charlotte Church literally. Not fully sure why Tracy threw 30 seconds of Stryke's "Shelter Me" into the mix, but hey, luckily she ends off her set with another fine exclusive, Cyndi Lauper's remake of Bachurach's "Walk on By." The beginning has a vague resemblance to U2's "With or Without You," and then builds up to a blissful anthem.
Like I said, Tracy Young knows how to please the circuit queens. If you want to let the rhythm hold you, then don't walk on by this one.
