Why Madonna’s ‘Veronica Electronica’ is not all it’s cracked up to be… just kind of broken
The BBC recently boldly declared the new remix rendition of Madonna‘s classic LP Ray of Light “hottest album of the year”. The medium went on to state how the original Ray of Light has inspired many artists with its electronic sounds supposedly weaving their way into contemporary hits. Someone should tell them that Kraftwerk and New Order were probably more the inspiration, and they did it first a long time ago.
Madonna did bring something new to her own ouvre, though, and that is what was fascinating about Ray of Light the first time around (in 1998).
There was a certain sensitivity to the original album, one that showed Madonna – then 39 – was maturing as an artist; pondering bigger things in life, like having children, looking into religious alternatives, and realising the sacrifices made in the name of fame.
The producers of this record should have realised that there are generations who still haven’t heard the first (magnificent) version of this record. They really could have reprised it better, especially since it an innovative epic along music’s long historic line.
The newly released version of Ray of Light, instead, sounds dated – and I mean older than the original, like when Madonna would dish out remixes just for the sake of having more fodder out there to further her visibility.
Ray of Light mark II, cleverly titled Veronica Electronica, is repetitive, relentless, somewhat redundant and – to use one of Madonna’s own notorious insults – reductive. Nothing is really new here and the album loses its original reason for being – which was to meditate on, contemplate things in everyday life, ponder life itself, and perhaps acknowledge that other people have alternative belief systems they draw strength from, different to our own. Not just an album to dance to; maybe even a little something to meditate to.
On that note, where is ‘Shanti/Ashtangi’? The electronic genre not only lends itself wonderfully well to a song of its nature, the world needs it now more than ever.
Forget what the BBC thinks: a publication that is seemingly intent on dumbing down the masses (you see, trance-like noise apparently works on the culture). The new Ray of Light – oh, I’m sorry, Veronica Electronica – ought to have had more modern producers do the remixing; that way it would have sounded progressive while still tributing the woman who helped turn electronic dance music into a mainstream genre.
Here, Cream breaks down the new release, track by track, and the verdict is not too good. What is really missing, appears to be (or not) some real audio magic like, say, intertextual audio references for some real experientialism. And yes, that is our department.
Who knows where the sublime could really have taken this record?
Drowned World / Substitute for Love (BT & Sasha’s Bucklodge Ashram New Edit)
This double-track kicks off with high BPMs, rapid percussion, and some interesting bass that seems as if it’s rising from under your feet. That’s kind of interesting. But there’s no slow, gorgeous build-up like in the original album opener. Indeed, there was a thing about stand-out LPs of the 1990s that saw album openers as works of art, each something epic in themselves: Pet Shop Boys’ Behaviour, U2’s Zooropa, Suede’s Dog Man Star, Daft Punk’s Homework, and Massive Attack’s Blue Lines all opened with beautifully elongated intros. Madonna’s Ray of Light, which inro-ed with Drowned World/Substitute for Love also happened to make way for a new brand of electronica – one more accessible to everyday listeners. Sadly, this new version of Drowned doesn’t impress as much – nothing ground-breaking here but repeated beats and the odd distorted sample.
Ray of Light (Sasha Twilo Mix Edit)
Ditto Ray of Light as remixed here – nothing sensational enough to be considered new or fresh; in fact this version does nothing, really, to flatter the original save for a thunderclap (because you can’t hear light) and some swirly (pretty good) bits. I used to love the original of this song – one of my all-time favourite Madonna tracks, but this elongated cheapened synthed-up mix, which is mostly instrumental and not in a good, slow-burn way, kills it for me. They could have gone so far with this song in a remix form. Like, it could have gone absolute sci-fi, but nup, just a repetitive backclap, redundant beats, and a swirling, spooky, wannabe spacey loop that might have been better sampled from old TV series Lost In Space. The only bit I really, really like is the distorted echoed, stretched-out treatment of Madonna’s vocal from around the 4.30 mark. Even that on consistent loop I wouldn’t have minded.
Skin (Peter & Victor’s Collaboration Remix Edit)
Never really cared for this song the first time around. As for this remix, it’s too sticky, and not in a good just-sweet-enough way, but with a groggy, croaky, frogskin-like feeling. The fact this is a collaboration remix between two popular ol’ DJs, is even more shocking that there’s nothing very innovative going on. Next.
Nothing Really Matters (Club 69 Speed Mix Meets the Dub)
There are some killer squidgy bits one third of the way through, and the lyrics seem more clearer than hearing them first time around. Indeed, they ring truer to me now that I’m supposedly a more mature adult who has certainly lived. But musically, there’s still not a lot there. It’s like someone just realised there were a couple of echo-y effects they loved on Ableton or in Audition editing software, and then went hell for leather on it (or didn’t know how to switch the track effect off). Club 69 were pretty good in their day – simply loved their quirky track Unique – but here? Nah.
Sky Fits Heaven (Victor Calderone New Edit)
This feels like I’m stuck in a gay nightclub at 4am on a Monday morning – waaay after the big Sunday before, but a dodgy club with a budget on the lighting that’s so dim, and with the smell of rotten amyl mixed with spilt liquid G on the dance floor. The DJ thinks he’s God and can’t hear the same sameness running throughout the entire track, and the patrons are so drug-fucked you could be playing a triangle to them and they’d be dancing like it’s 1999. Oh wait, it was. And still sounds like it here. As for the lyrics in the chorus in this song, played back in this beat-rushed format only highlights a certain naivity, if not inanity, to them – which I never really noticed the first time around. Shouldn’t have made a song and dance about them here, and nobody would have been the wiser. There could have been some masterful audio samples layered over this song. Something to really bring sky and heaven to the dance floor.
Instead of dumbing down the masses with monotonous synths and beats, why not challenge our thinking with some clever audio art, even if it means fun, mixed-up messaging? Now, please, don’t let the next song totally ruin my belief that ‘Ray of Light’ was a brilliant album.
Frozen (Widescreen Mix and Drums)
Finally, a fantastic remix! This mix of Frozen (the original first single off the album) makes up for the five stuff-ups that precede it. It intros like it should, with subtle strings and very subtle percussion, then the electronic component swooping in nicely. The vocal is clean and not-too-tampered-with.
There are sound bytes added to add nuance, not nuisance, to the main gist of the song, while the best bits of the original are extrapolated on, and the eastern, esoteric aspects are evident throughout.
There’s a certain bit that suddenly sounds like All Saints’ Pure Shores and I like that. There’s a break away from the song’s original flow to cut into kooky ska-like snazzy ballroom taps and subtle beats, again with all that great eastern flavour weaving in and out. A great remix this one. Pity they weren’t allowed to kick the album off with it.
Antonino Tati presents ‘Up Late’ | on RTRFM 92.1 | Psychedelic Pop Special
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The Power of Good-Bye (Fabien’s Good God Mix Edit)
This is another track, like Swim, which I didn’t give much attention to the first time around. No real need to turn on, tune in or try to drop out here, either. The depressing lyrics are still clear, and that annoying hyphen still in the middle of Good-Bye. Annoying to me, anyway. Other people might like it … Okay, I’ve had a coffee break and come back to this song to listen to it again, and I get it. It’s a pretty good remix with a nice message. But…
Gone Gone Gone (Original Demo Version)
I don’t even know what this song is supposed to be. Dug up from 1983 by the sounds of it, dusted off and, well, nothing much else. Should have saved themselves the trouble; there’s good reason why some things are best left on the cutting room floor. Please don’t go picking up any more where this came from, especially if the artist intends to craft a fresh-sounding follow-up to her successful Confessions on a Dance Floor this year. This is your last chance, Madonna…
Antonino Tati presents ‘Up Late’ | on RTRFM 92.1 | Psychedelic Pop Special
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