Additional information
Japanese edition contains an exclusive bonus CD. The Isley Brothers are among the most sampled artists of the 1990s and 2000s. TAKEN TO THE NEXT PHASE re-imagines the Isleys' sweet funk & soul by featuring remixes and "reconstructions" of their songs, as realized by contemporary DJs and hip-hop artists. On this 2004 collection, Will.i.am (of the Black Eyed Peas) and Mos Def rub shoulders with producers Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson and Gabriel Rene (whose faithful treatment of "Footsteps in the Dark" deepens the original) for a postmodern homage to one of the great, long-standing R&B acts. The remixes generally preserve the integrity of the original tunes, and include the Isleys' verses and choruses amid various edits, samples, and layered beats. The D-Nat & Onda track, "It's a New Thing (It's Your Thing)," features De La Soul, and is irrepressible in its funky exuberance. Steven "Lenky" Marsden contributes a reggae-fused take on "Between the Sheets," complete with a ragga-rap that adds staccato rhythms to the song's smoothed-out vibe. The project establishes an appealing continuum between the music of the past and the present, acknowledging a debt to the Isleys' innovation, while updating those sounds for the 21st century.
