The Piano Man Remixed

"Anthem 2" is Junior Vasquez' newest remix album that will be hitting stores next Tuesday. The album features remixes of club favorites including Kristine W, Deborah Cox, Jason Walker and Vivian Green. More interesting are the remixes that the legendary house DJ recently did for singer Casey Stratton (interview).

Ever since I first listened to Stratton's debut "Standing At The Edge," I have been mesmerized by his gorgeous melodies and melancholic lyrics. His voice in particular is striking and resonates the sounds of Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan.

You would never think that Stratton’s piano-driven tunes would make great dance anthems. But once again Vasquez has worked his magic and shows that everything is possible. He cut and pasted the singer’s vocals, inserted a thicker baseline and threw in some extra percussion to turn the modest Stratton into a fierce circuit diva on the songs "House of Jupiter" and "Blood" (iTunes).

Stratton writes on his personal weblog about the success of the Vasquez remix. "I am also happy that my remix of 'Blood' has hit the Billboard chart. FINALLY some good music news for me. I needed it," he wrote today. The talented singer should indeed be pleased. The excellent remix that Vasquez has put out might elevate his career to the next level of popularity.

Stratton will be performing with Vasquez at his gay pride party at Spirit in New York on June 27th (flyer).