Sparrow / Emd
2004
Mix It Up: Jump5 Remixed
About This Album
With Radio Disney's embrace of 2003's Accelerate, Jump5 successfully expanded into the secular dance-pop market, without sacrificing its roots in CCM positivity. With mixes of material from all three Jump5 albums, Mix It Up aims to further entrench Brittany Hargest, Lesley Moore, Libby Hodges, Chris Fedun, and Brandon Hargest as the happiest, most-dancin'est teen crew around. Mixing duties are handled by a host of gospel and CCM regulars, including Mark Hammond, Kene "Ghost" Bell, Robert "Aurel M" Marvin, and Chris Estes. Their work is pretty inspired, deploying energizing synth squeals, skittering percussion, and the occasional sample around Jump5's youthful exuberance on the mike. But Mix It Up's greatest trick is to reconcile the group's previous output with that of Accelerate, which was a great leap forward in terms of production and pop songwriting. Where the 2001 version of "Start Jumpin'" was a forgettable kiddy dance number, the Marvin-mixed version that kicks things off here quivers with cut-up violins, flutes, and clip-art hip-hop vocal drop-ins ("Holla!," "Everybody in the club!"). There's even a fellow counting in Japanese.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,6,8,11 and 12)

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