Writing Examples - Kurt Kirton

WRITING SAMPLES
Kurt Kirton

Two Freelance Album Reviews for about.com:

Tiesto - Elements of Life (2007 Black Hole Recordings)
4 out of 5 stars

Surprisingly, king of dance Tiesto's newest release starts off fairly limp and uninspired with the exception of the female-fronted "Everything"--a laid back upbeat number. "Sweet Things" finally assuaged my fears and ushers in the redeeming latter half of the CD. Another female vocal dance cut, this one steps up the energy a bit more.

The instrumental "Bright Morningstar" keeps the tempo moving with a dark dance floor feel leading into the most impressive track on the project, "Break My Fall," featuring none other than BT on lead vocals! It really kicks in around the 1 minute mark with vocals beginning around 2:00. Its trancier feel and catchy chorus & programming make for a memorable tune regardless of the big-name association.

Dance track "In the Dark" features a male vocalist and some solid programming. Though not quite as compelling of a song, "Dance4Life" (written as the anthem for the CD release of the same name supporting HIV/AIDS research) features Maxi Jazz of Faithless on lead spoken vocals. Musically, it is serious with a club feel.

Instrumental title cut "Elements of Life" is a trance experience and a good way to round out the project. Tiesto's remix of "He's a Pirate" is thrown in as a final Bonus Track for those of you who do not already have it from the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest soundtrack or the remixes single.

Expect most of the songs to be long, clocking in over 6 minutes. Elements of Life is not a "mega-mixed" project, and should make Tiesto fans happy; probably not a must-have for the casual dance listener. --Kurt Kirton

DJ Encore - Unique (2007 Koch Entertainment/Twisted Records)
4 out of 5 stars

I must admit, I was very excited and had high hopes for this record, worrying that it would be difficult to have a worthy follow up to Inituition. I'm happy to say it was a breath of fresh air to review, and the disk is strong, crisp, and exquisitely mixed sporting eight noteworthy tracks.

DJ Encore has been quite busy since 2001's Intuition. The explosive reception to its singles "I See Right Through to You" and "You've Got a Way" opened doors to remix work and producing other artists while increasing demand for his DJ appearances.

With Unique, Engelina's lead vocals have been replaced with Johanna Stedt's (who sounds a bit like Faith Hill); however Engelina co-wrote three of the tracks here and lent bgv's on two. Impressively, DJ Encore (aka Andreas Hemmeth) wrote, produced, and engineered all the tracks while executive producing (footing the backing funds for the record)!

The poignant yet musically upbeat "Nobody Wants to Try" immediately hit home with me, addressing the difficulty in finding a love interest serious about dating in a sea of those who aren't committed long once they're in a relationship.

"Wanna Fly" is a catchy mid-tempo grove accented with outstanding complementary acoustic guitar. "Falling"'s hooky melody and hot synth work make it a stand-out cut beside the dark pop-trance of "Point of No Return" and "You Make Me Feel Alive" where effortless vocals drift atop a pumpin' groove. Finally, after several minutes of silence, there's a hidden ballad at the end of #12, a bonus track itself.

A definite must-have CD for dance, trance, and DJ Encore fans. See www.myspace.com/djencore for more information. --Kurt Kirton

"Cut by Cut" Sheet [content excerpt] - People in a Box-Find You Again album:

TRACK - STYLE BACKGROUND

1. Take Me - trance Dark, high energy trance song inspired by Psalm 73.

2. Launch Window - trance Guest vocalist Jayne Farrell joins PIB to cover Farrell & Farrell's 1986 single drawing an analogy between the rapture and aerospace missions.

3. Find You Again - euro-dance In a nutshell, Kurt's testimony…the realization that his walk was not all it should be and the determination to return to God with a renewed vision. A reminder that our loving God extends us the grace to make mistakes as a part of our relationship with him. Because of Christ's sacrifice, we can approach him with confidence.

4. Together (Zarc Porter dance mix) - dance/pop Dance mix by one of the best/most well-known dance producers in CCM (Avalon, WWMT, Raze, Shine…).

5. You Said - hip-hop/dance Cover of little-known Hillsongs tune about reaching the nations for Christ, with Barry Blaze of Code of Ethics stepping in to duet.

6. The Power Of Love - euro-dance After working with Nashville-based Rocketown (the club) for nearly two years, Kurt saw firsthand the profound changes love can make on others. "It just dawned on me one night what a powerful thing it is to be loved. Building a relationship with someone who does not know Christ is the most effective way to reach them. And in the process, I learned I needed it just as much as they did." Marcia Ware's soulful power vocals take the lead in this pounding eurodance cut.

7. View From A Hill - euro-dance Re-write of Roxette's song by the same name. "I loved the instrumentation of the original and always thought-with that title-that it could convey a spiritual meaning," says Kirton. "Our version deals with a person who has had exposure to Christianity but never experienced it and the journey from awareness to salvation."

8. Holy & Exalted (latin inferno mix) - Latino/dance Straight up praise and worship song with a stylistic foray into the latin dance sound. Its hooky chorus is complemented by an exuberant blend of horns, live percussion, Spanish guitar riffs, and lush background vocals. A spicy remix of the original worship-ballad which is hidden on the album as an mp3.

9. Dance & Party - dance-pop/bluegrass Fun happy track that unabashedly goes for the gusto blending big beats, quirky sound effects, and live bluegrass instruments. A song about the joy we have as children of the Father.

10. Who Is This One - electronica ballad A haunting electronica cover of Whiteheart's contribution to long-gone Home Sweet Home Records' obscure various artist project, Christmas, circa 1985.

11. Together - pop Almost a wedding song, but with contemporary pop sensibility and a tight polished sound. Written from the perspective of a man looking back on the journey through singleness to God's gift of marriage.

12. You Said (LP-T trance mix) - trance German Myx Records artist LP-T's trance take on the original.

Press Release on single "Since You've Been Gone" by People in a Box:

Dear Music Director/DJ,

Here is the info on People in a Box's hot new trance single! Going for adds Friday June 30, 2006. Thank you for your consideration for airplay, features, etc.

THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG
"This song felt to me like a kind of patriotic love song. By that I mean we have so many people around this time of year that are celebrating our freedom without the loved ones that are working hard to ensure it. Nearby Fort Campbell has sent so many soldiers to the Middle East or away from home for long periods, so many Nashville area families are affected. These were the thoughts running through my mind as it came together," says People in a Box founder Kurt Kirton.

Although Kurt wrote "Since You've Been Gone," singer Kathleen and her husband Brett became the muse for its lyrics as the song came together. Hitting close to home, since 1999, Brett remains active in the Army Reserves. At times, he has been on duty and away from home for as long as one year. The couple met in high school and have been married five years.

When asked to share some advice for others with a spouse gone for long periods, the couple had this to say. "The key to a good marriage with this kind of situation is Christ, meaning a couple should be one with each other and with Christ. Even though their spouse is gone, they still feel close to each other because of their commitment to and relationship with each other…like it is with our Christian walk. We are not physically with Jesus, but we still feel close to him. He also fills that void when our spouses are away. If He is not in that marriage, the couple will feel empty when they're apart," says Kathleen. Brett adds, "Self sacrifice. When you give of yourself, your spouse can be pleased. It's about putting the other person first. Also, a good cell phone plan helps!"

Kirton concludes, "This song is a tribute to all those families with loved ones gone from home for months or years at a time-especially those in the military. Your effort and dedication are appreciated, and we wish the best for the relationships you are apart from as your serve your country."

SINGLE- "Since You've Been Gone (N-Vision mix)" [not a Kelly Clarkson cover]
ARTIST- People In A Box
STYLE- trance
BPM- 139
LENGTH- 1:09/7:15 [fade]
MP3 download (10MB, 196 kbps)- www.cnonline.net/~kirton/radio.htm
HIGH RES. BAND PHOTOS, BIO, ETC.- www.peopleinabox.com > BIO/MEDIA MATERIALS page

Press Release People in a Box Included on Various Artists Project:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Kurt Kirton, 615-833-5799, peopleinabox@mailNOSPAM.com
www.peopleinabox.com

PEOPLE IN A BOX LANDS REMIX ON NEW DEEPSINK RECORDS OSMOTIC PROJECT

NASHVILLE, TN - October 3, 2005: Osmotic Pressure, the third in the series of various artist trance/dance music compliations, released on Holland's Deepsink Records September 1st. While tearing up the charts, "Take Me (DJ Linus & J-Rezz remix)" (a dark trance reworking of People In A Box's high energy first single) caught the attention of the label who has included the instrumental mix on Osmotic Pressure.

"We are very excited and appreciative to have been included on this quality series of dance music," says People In A Box frontman Kurt Kirton. "Dance music in the CCM community has been dwindling and seems to have been left--for the most part--to us independent artists. The Osmotic series not only includes artists from all over the world, but is a strong collection of trance/dance music that could stand up to anything in the mainstream."

Osmotic Hype--the first disk--was released in 2003 and succeeded by Osmotic Wave, and there are no plans to slow down. Popular artists such as Coretex, Prophetica, DJ Light, and Dance In Motion have appeared, as well as lesser known independent artists representing countries domestic and European.

See the Music page at www.peopleinabox.com for information on ordering yours today.

In other news, current hot trance single "Launch Window," appeared on the July 8 '05 TM Century (radio disk) dance volume alongside the new Chemical Brothers single and remixes of lesser known acts by Chris Cox and Stonebridge!

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TRACK - STYLE	BACKGROUND
1. Take Me - trance	Dark, high energy trance song inspired by Psalm 73.
2. Launch Window - trance	Guest vocalist Jayne Farrell joins PIB to cover Farrell & Farrell's 1986 single drawing an analogy between the rapture and aerospace missions.
3. Find You Again - euro-dance	In a nutshell, Kurt's testimony…the realization that his walk was not all it should be and the determination to return to God with a renewed vision. A reminder that our loving God extends us the grace to make mistakes as a part of our relationship with him. Because of Christ's sacrifice, we can approach him with confidence.
4. Together (Zarc Porter dance mix) - dance/pop	Dance mix by one of the best/most well-known dance producers in CCM (Avalon, WWMT, Raze, Shine…).
5. You Said - hip-hop/dance	Cover of little-known Hillsongs tune about reaching the nations for Christ, with Barry Blaze of Code of Ethics stepping in to duet.
6. The Power Of Love - euro-dance	After working with Nashville-based Rocketown (the club) for nearly two years, Kurt saw firsthand the profound changes love can make on others. "It just dawned on me one night what a powerful thing it is to be loved. Building a relationship with someone who does not know Christ is the most effective way to reach them. And in the process, I learned I needed it just as much as they did." Marcia Ware's soulful power vocals take the lead in this pounding eurodance cut.
7. View From A Hill - euro-dance	Re-write of Roxette's song by the same name. "I loved the instrumentation of the original and always thought-with that title-that it could convey a spiritual meaning," says Kirton. "Our version deals with a person who has had exposure to Christianity but never experienced it and the journey from awareness to salvation."
8. Holy & Exalted (latin inferno mix) - Latino/dance	Straight up praise and worship song with a stylistic foray into the latin dance sound. Its hooky chorus is complemented by an exuberant blend of horns, live percussion, Spanish guitar riffs, and lush background vocals. A spicy remix of the original worship-ballad which is hidden on the album as an mp3.
9. Dance & Party - dance-pop/bluegrass	Fun happy track that unabashedly goes for the gusto blending big beats, quirky sound effects, and live bluegrass instruments. A song about the joy we have as children of the Father.
10. Who Is This One - electronica ballad	A haunting electronica cover of Whiteheart's contribution to long-gone Home Sweet Home Records' obscure various artist project, Christmas, circa 1985.
11. Together - pop	Almost a wedding song, but with contemporary pop sensibility and a tight polished sound. Written from the perspective of a man looking back on the journey through singleness to God's gift of marriage.
12. You Said (LP-T trance mix) - trance	German Myx Records artist LP-T's trance take on the original.