Reviewed by Steve Hayes

I'm not a great fan of remix albums as there is always a danger of adding a few different sounds (or using rejected mixes) to put out a "new" album. 'The Art Of Transformation' doesn't suffer from this. Instead we have varying levels of change in the mixes from the original 'Art Of Translation' album. Grits have brought in remixers across the album, with Liquid Beats, Pettidee and Ric Robbins taking over the controls. There are some tracks from the original album that have been dropped (including the interludes), but this causes no problems to the flow. The overall impact is an album with a slightly more minimalist, laid back (even Latino) vibe than the original. We still have the same famous Grits dirty south sound. "Ooh Aah" is one track that sees little difference from the original. On some tracks we find original vocals over new musical melodies and beats, such as "Runnin" and "Be Mine". Other times the tracks take on new directions as in "Make Room" and "Lovechild". Tracks such as "Tennessee Bwoys" and "Believe" definitely aren't as catchy as the originals, but aren't bad at all. Other times the more laid back vibe takes over, with "Seriously" and "Sunny Days" being examples. Overall, this is a very tight remix album, ended with a tasty Jay Mumbles remix.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.