The Go-To Remix Master | Posted March 26, 2013
David Thulin is a force to be reckoned with. No new kid on the block, David has been toying with music since childhood. Growing up among a musical family of missionaries helped to provide the inspiration needed to pursue a career in the industry.
It was while he was in collage in the early 2000s that David stumbled upon what was at the time the young field of trance and electronic dance. Falling in love with the stereophonic rhapsody the genre provided, and inspired by the likes of big name DJs like ATB and Paul van Dyk, it soon became his niche. After spending several years producing dance records for others in his native Sweden, David returned to the States and signed a deal with Dream Records in 2012.
Unlike his debut album, which solely featured remixes by fellow label mates, his sophomore effort Reconstruction is a unique project. Granted permission by various labels, David has taken some of Christian music's current-standing hits and given them his signature spin, forming them into a dance-lover's heaven.
A fantastic rendition of Group 1 Crew's "He Said" featuring Chris August, starts the project on a smashing note. Maintaining a standard nightclub feel, the song is a near flawless reinvention, while never overshadowing the heart of the original.
The already high-energy "Good Times" by Manic Drive receives a twice as upbeat makeover, while Beckah Shae‘s "#putyourloveglasseson"--an R&B party song it its own right, is mastered and even improved upon with Thulin's genius dubstep beat on the backline.
There is little done to the recreation of Remedy Drive's "Better Than Life," other than a dance track in the background, still, the two don't seem to mesh very well. The fault is quickly overlooked however with the inclusion of a stellar remix of Press Play's "NY2LA," yet again, improving on an already wonderful track and taking it to another level.
A captivatingly original dance remix of "Vicious" by rock band Silverline graces the musical palate, and leads to "Dead Come To Life," a song sung by fellow Dream Records artist and younger brother, Jonathan Thulin, alongside female vocalist Charmaine. It melodically plays on the artistic orchestration Jonathan is known for brilliantly weaving into his own music, and becomes yet another highlight on the album.
"Feel" by Rachael Lampa is one of the strongest songs on the entire album. Groovy and pulsating, it sounds like a club mix Paul van Dyk himself put his take on. Making her second appearance on the album, Charmaine's "Tell Me" comes next, but much like the Remedy Drive track, feels like it leaves something to be desired.
"Hope Will Rise" by Warr Acres--another label mate--is a true dance remix and underlines David's skill in the craft of remixing. "My Heart Breaking" by Alex Masters and "Come Back Home" by Spencer Combs follow next, with the Alex Master's tune sounding like it could be a play on a Taylor Swift gone techno--completely unexpected and very well-executed.
After 12 unique takes on different artists, David finally steps into the spotlight on his own with the final two songs, the album namesake "Reconstruction" and "Euphoria." While both songs run long (the first clocking in at nearly eight minutes), they are a grand example of just how talented he is in his own right, whether it be remixing others or conquering beats on his own.
Closing Thoughts:
As David Guetta is the go-to remix master for mainstream electronic pop, David Thulin can be seen as a Christian music equivalent. The ability to balance one's own originality while still paying respect to the original song at hand isn't easy, but with a wave of sonic ear candy, David Thulin's Reconstruction masters just that.
Like most remix albums, there are highs and lows, and inevitably some songs will go over better than others, but in the end, the stronger cuts take prescience. Thulin's creativity is not only something to be applauded, but it's something not to be missed.
Song to Download:
"Dead Come to Life"
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