When it comes to dance labels, events, and compilation CD’s, Fierce Angel wasn’t a name I was familiar with, but after listening to 3 discs packed full of remixes, I certainly know the name now!!
Although there are some names dance/clubbing newbies may not have heard of, this is balanced out with contributions from some well known vocalists, producers, and remixers. The end result is three discs that the people behind Fierce Angel hope will be the equivalent of your ultimate night on the dance floor.
Disc One is the most commercial and varied for me, and provided an interesting mix of sounds and vocal talents. The highlight has to be the tracks by a new project called The Fierce Angel Collective. Although we can’t name drop everyone involved in this, big kudos go to Soraya Vivian for her first class vocal performances on ‘If You Could Read My Mind’, and ‘You Know How To Love Me’. Both these songs also stood out lyrically, and the remixing was superb. Other stand out tracks on disc one, include The Conversation from Hott 22 Pres Greg Beharry and Carlos with its excellent Sax, and Yellow Brick Road by Anton Powers/Rossko. This track has an excellent keyboard arrangement, and an easy to listen to male vocal. Although ‘Ultravibe’ was a bit too robotic and electro for my tastes, this also stood out, if only because I could picture a certain well known footballer dancing to this on the pitch or down his local nightclub!!
All in all it was a good mix of male/female, instrumental, and electro/synth based tracks. It was a varied disc that challenged my opinions of remixes as being quite longwinded, samey, and boring, the second instalment did little to alter this opinion. To give you the lowdown, disc two features songs by the likes of Wamdue Project, Agnes, Shanie, Freemasons and Sophie Ellis Bextor, with remixes courtesy of Wideboys, Freemasons, and Full Cahill Club. The tracks on the whole, are a lot heavier and more beat laden than the first disc, with a focus on this, rather than the lyrics. It’s all pumping, and funky stuff, but it was only the excellent Agnes track ‘Release Me’ that really got me going. The other tracks were a bit too long and I’d heard similar many times before on other compilations.
So that was the get down and dance, middle of the night, full of energy C.D. All that’s left is the late night playlist, courtesy of disc three. This CD features the unique talents of Dan Le Sac and Scroobius Pip, K-Klass featuring Bobbi, The Priors, and The legend that is Paul Van Dyk, who joins with Johnny Mcdaid on the track ‘Home’. The Fierce Collective feature again on this disc, this time with the vocal talents of Peyton, and they sit alongside lady of the moment Little Boots with her excellent track ‘Remedy’. Fierce Angel The Collection is an album that is Fierce in places, Angelic in others, with a fresh burst of melody, or a longwinded, overdone mix in between. In many ways it’s like a lesson in dance music, and everyone knows that attention comes in fits and bursts when you’re at school!
For more information on this, or other Fierce Angel compilation albums, and Fierce Angel events across the world, please visit www.thefutureisfierce.com
If this sounds like the soundtrack to your weekend, then keep your eyes on our special Christmas Competition section!