Octane 1.0 takes ten of today's most recognizable artist-driven worship songs and gives them entirely new spins; and each remix tackles a distinctly different musical style.
What Octane has going for it is that these aren't just token remixes -- they're wildly diverse and creative, and in most cases, the genre each artist gets remixed into is the last thing you'd expect. Delirious' "Deeper" gets a techno makeover, while "In the Secret" by Sonicflood is all funked out in ways you'd have never thought possible. Among Thorns gets an intriguing salsa makeover on "I Can't Deny" (which works surprisingly well), while Tree63 goes orchestral hip-hop on "Look What You've Done." Crystal Lewis' mid-tempo ballad "People Get Ready... Jesus Is Coming" finds itself downright danceable, and The Katinas' "Thank You" becomes all-out soul/r&b. "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever" -- the Sonicflood/Lisa Kimmey version -- is increased to epic proportions with hints of hip-hop, and Parachute Band's "All My Life" is kicked into a caffeinated overdrive.
If some of those descriptions raised your eyebrows, then Octane 1.0 has done its job of defying expectations. Producers Glenn Wagner, Alan Shacklock, and Sam Shacklock seem to have gone out of their way to bend these songs into incarnations that will appeal to those who listen to mainstream rhythmic radio. Octane runs the risk of being over-the-top, but somehow it maintains a healthy respect for its source material while driving it into wholly unexpected new directions.
