White Album: Remix Project

Photographer: Leon Seierlein.
With Hillsong Young & Free, the Hillsong Church introduced electro beats and EDM anthems into their CCM mix of music projects, but that group's target audience was teens and tweens, as if adult worshipers never hit the dancefloor or dreamed electric dreams. Built for the 20-plus crowd that might crave a little synth with their CCM, The White Album: Remix Project takes Hillsong United favorites and hands them over to producers and DJs for repurposing. The results are either expected yet spot-on or surprising plus very welcome. Falling into the first category is the big hit "Search My Heart," which soars like a royal EDM vocal number thanks to some reworking from Family Force 5 member Solomon Olds. Even more filling are the unexpected highlights, like the medley of "Aftermath" remixes, the song slow and certain in the hands of Chislett/Tennikoff, then twisted into a calm, graceful floater by Eisley member Stacy King. Hillsong fans' shelves might be buckling under the weight of so many releases, but this is certainly an inspired and purposeful one, offering alternative views of familiar favorites while flowing, not like some bunch of remixes thrown together, but as a well-built album should. ~ David Jeffries