Alexander East releases his first full-length album through N*Soul. From the first boom of the bass you know that something is happening at East's house and Minnesota didn't give all its funk to Prince. It is a breath of fresh air in a cookie cutter world of Christian dance music. Alexander East is a known name within the secular dance scene, having released two vinyl mix records and a soon to be full length CD on his own label (Planet East Records). Sonik Boom of Love's style is a sort of funky/disco/hard house sound. Matt Ylvisaker and Somphavanh Soudaly join East on this project, providing additional keyboard and BGV's.
The CD starts off with the soon to be hit "Spirit of Love" which has a hard house anthem sound. The recurring lyrics of
I got the spirit,
I got the power,
I got the spirit...the spirit of Love
will bounce around your head like a loose disco ball. Tracks two and three are both very catchy tunes about a love that is unconditional and both are very beat friendly. The fourth starts off asking the listener if they are ready for some super dynamite soul. The track is mostly a funky house instrumental, with only the sample "Git et 2gether-ah" repeated throughout the song.
Number five is a song dealing with racism called "I Am What I Am" another disco/house song. The lyrics are the most important part of this song.
If I looked just like you,
Would you love me better.
Bleached my skin a shade or 2.
Why is your world so confused.
I cannot be you
Cause I am what I am
You can't change me.
I was made to do what I do
You didn't make me.
The most up front gospel lyrics are to be found on the sixth track which deals with the lies of the devil and how faith can be found in the truth. The next song "Unifunkation" again is an instrumental in the styles of house/ trance/ techno. Tracks eleven and twelve are remixes of "No Mo" and "Feel My soul", I prefer these to the first two as they have limited lyrics, making them well suited to use on mix shows and in clubs. Tracks eleven through thirteen are worth the price of the CD as all of these will be played many times at any club setting.
This is a top of the line dance-club CD. As good as anything in the mainstream market, but that might be because Alexander East has been shining his light in that market for a long time now. N*Soul has a winner in this release.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Lighthouse Unsorted 1998Reviewed by George LukeWhen it comes to spotting new talent, N-Soul Records rarely puts a foot wrong, and Alexander East - the nucleus of their latest discovery, Sonik Boom of Love - is in no danger of ruining their track record. The Minneapolis-based East has already made his mark as a producer with local bands such as Shades of Soul and Liquid Ernie. As a DJ, he's kept dance floors and the airwaves alight with…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Titi Ala'ilimaWith a thumpy, grooving intro, Sonik Boom of Love announces their entrance into the Christian dance scene. With the words "Love is chief among them" looping, they set the tone for a catchy, grooving love fest. This lyrical theme carries fairly well through the album, though the music doesn't sustain interest quite as well. There is a light funk undertone to a lot of the tracks, sometimes mixing…Similar sounding releases
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