Posted on: July 23, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

V/A – Distortion on the Dance Floor / 2007 Universal / 13 Tracks / http://www.toucancove.com /

Josh Harris is the individual that mixed up this compilation, which features tracks by The Killers, Chicane, Tom Jones, John Digweed, Saving Jane, and a few other acts. I was not familiar with Josh Harris up to this point, but individuals that religiously read the Billboard dance charts may remember eir. This is because a remix that ey did, of Georgie Porgie’s “Sunshine” occupied the top spot in 2005. Along the way, Harris has remixed the Backstreet Boys, Brandy, Kelly Clarkson, Hilary Duff, Korn, Lil Kim, and Ne-Yo.

I ran into a problem reviewing this mix because I was not familiar with many of the tracks on the disc; in fact, the two tracks that I can honestly say I heard before putting this CD on were the Chicane (Feat. Tom Jones) track “Stoned In Love” and The Killers’ “Somebody Told Me”. However, the tracks on “Distortion on the Dance Floor” do start to tell a good story, as well as provide listeners with almost seventy-five minutes of a solid mix to go off onto the dance floor. For those individuals that are not that familiar with dance music, this CD provides a definitive listing of the tracks that are nice and hip in the scene, as well as some of the tracks that are a year or so old and still have a lot of energy to them. The club mix of The Killers’ “Somebody Told Me” does not mess with any of the catchy hooks that The Killers inserted to their track, while adding a solid two minutes of material that works well with the original music. Individuals that have heard “Stoned In Love” will likely be familiar with Harris’ version of “Stoned in Love”, as it was the mix that went to radio stations.

There are a few stand out tracks on “Distortion on the Dance Floor” beyond those two cuts, as Gabriel & Dresden (Feat. Jan Burton)’s track “Enemy” is a solid track, a perfect introduction to this mix. However, the strongest track on “Distortion on the Dance Floor” may just be Saving Jane’s “Girl Next Door”. During this track, there is a set of vocals that are similar to those provided by a Kelly Clarkson, while the synthesizers act as a fog at the bottom of the track, obscuring any weaknesses and providing an atmosphere to the track. Overall, a fun mix that blends dance and rock in equal amounts.

Top Tracks: Chicane Feat. Tom Jones / Stoned In Love, Taxi Doll / Waiting

Rating: 6.2/10

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