Like the first volume in Thrive Music's series of
Total Dance 2008 mix albums, the second volume strings together club remixes of contemporary pop hits, 16 of them in all. Most of these songs should be familiar to anyone who either listens to pop radio or watches MTV on a regular basis: the biggest hits include
Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl,"
Britney Spears' "Piece of Me,"
Flo Rida's "Elevator,"
Chris Brown's "Kiss Kiss,"
Estelle's "American Boy," and
Kanye West's "Stronger." However, the inclusion of numerous international pop hits toward the end of the mix (
Kylie Minogue's "All I See,"
Supafly Inc.'s "Be Together,"
Robyn's "Handle Me,"
Cascada's "What Do You Want from Me,"
Natasha Bedingfield's "Love Like This") may strike a chord of unfamiliarity for some Americans. The seamless mix is credited to Stryker, a Los Angeles-based radio personality who is the featured DJ on
Ellen DeGeneres' daytime television talk show,The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He lets the songs play, for the most part, and keeps the tempo high throughout. The remixes aren't especially creative -- in most cases, the original version of the song plus bass-heavy club beats and shimmering electronic effects -- yet this should please those who enjoy high-energy club music that isn't techno, house, trance, or anything else exotic or unfamiliar. ~ Jason Birchmeier