Deus [1] [Single] (CD - 2004)

Recording information: StudiOmega.

Photographer: Guy Kokken.

Arranger: Thunder Deejay.

They're airy and simplistic. But admit it: Euro-dance remakes of past pop hits are pretty irrepressible. DJ Sammy's 2002 LP Heaven shamelessly reduced Bryan Adams (the hit title track), Don Henley ("Boys of Summer"), and the Mamas & the Papas ("California Dreamin'") to little more than diva vocals and a melodic pulse. But the tracks served the Euro-dance/Hi-NRG genre's central aim of dancefloor universality, and D.H.T.'s cover of Roxette's "Listen to Your Heart" is no different. Edmée's vocal is plaintive but not distinctive, and the song's accelerated rhythmic bump guides gleaming, trance-y keyboards through the melody. Reflective piano breakdowns emphasize the quicker stretches, and the entire package is accentuated with reverb. It's a product, and opportunity. But its quickly recognizable melody and plainspoken lyrics endear it to dancers the world over. They don't need "Listen to Your Heart" to take risks, because like them it speaks the international language. D.H.T.'s Listen to Your Heart maxi single is fluff with a noble purpose. ~ Johnny Loftus minimize