Having won the Reggae Grammy in 2008 for the original Live As One album Zion Train return with a remixed and refixed update of their hugely successful LP.

Live As One: Remixed has a global mix of contributors, from Italy and Poland to Mexico and Brazil. Names such as Rob Smith (RSD), Dubterror and Vibronics get digital in the dance with their friendly interpretations.

This is an album offering 15 tracks to the mix. The opener track has a slow beat with a French feel running throughout it, this is a warmer and taster to the album.

This is an album with variety. There are the chilled out tunes like tracks 2, 3 and 4 where you can envisage laying by the pool in some hot far away country tapping your foot to the beat of the reggae.

The further we go on though the further removed the reggae becomes. Track 5 begins off in true reggae style but opens up to sonic as the song goes on. Track 6 opens with sonic sounds to the vocals of reggae.

The tracks in the middle of the album are a mix of influences from Asian on track 7, which has a slower tempo and romantic setting at the opening moving on to heavy sonic sounds to Mexican influences found on tracks 8, 11 and 12.

Track 8 opens with Mexican influences on the brass to go on to sonic beats and Track 9 doesn’t sound like reggae at all to me but just deep sonic sounds.

Track 10 is very much like the opening of track 4 and this seems a little repetitive to me, although the brass is good and still has a hint of reggae running through it.

Once again in track 11 and 12 the familiar tune of the brass opens which leads to some serious sonic sounds. Track 12 has more of a reggae theme though.

Track 13 is an up tempo dance tune and I love the vocals "Why why why?" This is a tune to get your groove onto.

Tracks 14 and 15 have little sound of reggae, it’s very much jungle influence here and I’m not sure that I like it in the context of this album.

This is certainly an array of remixes some good some hideous but it’s worth a listen even if you have to filter out certain tracks.

6

Helena Rea