NAJM Dance Music Reviews - Martha Wash



			5+ of 5 (by HM)
		Martha Wash - Listen To The People (The Remix Collection) Every now and then a collaborative work of art passes in front of you to remind us that we're all in it together and when we combine our diverse talents.. great things can happen! In this case its the "Sounds of a Better World" project that is a collection of songs conceived by composer Jim Papoulis, that focuses on the dawning of a new millennium through the eyes of children. Both the sales of the recordings and the benefit concert earlier this year at Carnegie Hall in New York, will support The Foundation For Small Voices, which plans to bring both awareness and funding to programs focusing on the importance of child development as a key to our global future. Such charities include "Side By Side", a NY based organization designed to cultivate leadership skills and foster social awareness; "Tomorrow's Children", a NJ based organization that provides programs and services to children with cancer; and "St. Christopher's, Inc." whose goals are to provide family reunification for foster children.




	"Listen To The People - The Remix Collection" provides us with a huge array of talented individuals, who together push this project over the top. The first track is the "Chris Panaghi Main Klub Mix" (7:53) which is a full on house number where Martha soars above to give us a heart felt distinctive vocal performance. The second track "Chris Panaghi Dub" (6:29) is the vocal dub version of track #1. The third track "Pablo Rosa's Sound of Inspiration Vocal Dub" (7:30) brings us yet another dub track, but this one's completely different with its hard house almost techno approach. There is a syncopated piano section that just screams for strobes! Track #4 "Pablo La Rosa's Trancey Boy Dub" (6:59) is more or less a tranced up version of #3, less Martha's vocals. Track #5 "Mike Cruz's Krash Vocal Mix" (6:28) delivers us a completely different musical incarnation that starts out tribal but smoothes into a clean base for Martha's vocals to launch. Track #6 "The Cruz Mental Mix Dub" (6:32) is more or less a vocaless version of #5. Track #7 "Earl Pleasure's Main Crobar Vocal Mix" (7:26) has all the underground New York sound you'd ever want from Martha. Her vocals are a bit dryer on this mix, which has already been picked up by several NY Club DJ's. Track #8 "Earl Pleasure's Tribal Beat Down" (5:28) is slightly faster than #7 and serves as that tracks dub counterpoint. Track #9 "Kung pow Club Mix" (7:23) is it's own thing. Heavy house undertones are complimented with a slice of techno on the side, and provides an excellent vehicle for Martha to do her thing. The last track of the set is the "Haarmeyer Anthem Mix" (9:27) and is the longest of the set. Keith Haarmeyer's Anthem Mix will certainly stand the test of time with its lush production. The track is perfectly structured for slamming into your next full house.



	Overall, the song is spectacular and Martha's delivery is legendary. Each remixer truly brings his own wares to the set. For all you DJ's that complain about dub tracks not fitting with their vocal tracks, you will be happy to find all of these dubs fit perfectly synced into their respective vocal tracks. You get ten gorgeous tracks with Martha Wash's star power and vocal excellence. Combine that with the inspirational writing and production, "Listen To The People" is what hits are made of. Package all of that with the fact that several children's charities are supported through the sales of the single and album, everyone wins.

	Visit Sounds of a Better World Online

	Visit Vital Records Online

	Click HERE for MARTHA WASH INTERVIEW

	Check Out Album Review HERE