Courtesy of flamingfish.com. When you get to this page, click on each song to bring up its lyrics and credits.
-5/20/08 - Kurt contacted via Myspace by "I'm In Touch" writer (& original artist) Simon Adahl who liked our version! Original song (and rest of that album) was originally done in Swedish and was translated for the US market.
-4/7/08 - "Launch Window" sample being used in "Intro's [radio] with Darryl Hurd"'s show intro.
-2/28/08 - "I'm In Touch" came in 3rd of 4 artist spots in The INtro INdie weekly contest, week of 2/28/08!
-1/11/08 - "I'm In Touch" getting airplay on: "Intro [radio] with Darryl Hurd" (VA)
-1/11/08 - "I'm In Touch" single's official street date! Is available on iTunes, Rhapsody, Beaport, etc.! A big feat for an indie band (as the process is long and political.) "Together" video now on YouTube.
-11/15/07 - "I'm In Touch" getting airplay on: The Dance Chapel [MI], Frantikradio.nl / Deepsink Records [Holland], One Life Radio [KS], Club Impact [TX], CJXF Community Radio [CANADA], Radiant Tunes Radio [net radio], The Intro [net radio; VA], Charge Radio [OH], Live365.com (Christian Dance station)
-9/28/07 - Current single "I'm In Touch" goes for adds at radio & is available for purchase in .wav format at beatport.com. More e-tailers for .mp3 sales coming (iTunes, Rhapsody, etc) & we'll announce when songs are available there.
-June 2007 - Christian Happenings Magazine online posts People In A Box summer 2007 news (screenshot here)
-May, June, July 2007 - serveral PIB songs have enjoyed airplay on podcast shows via the Podsafe Music Network ("Together--Zarc Porter dance mix," "Since You've Been Gone--Brutus Pop mix," and "View From A Hill")
-3/18/07 - Recorded vocals for new song, "I'm In Touch" with Shoc at Shae-Shoc Studios, Nashville, TN.
-3/9/07 - "Together (Zarc Porter dance mix)" played on Pulse Rated's show "Weekend Release w/ Simon Bennett"
-1/12/07 - "I'm Over You (People in a Box trance mix)" goes for adds at radio worldwide!
-1/5/07 - "I'm Over You (People in a Box trance mix)" makes it onto TM Century's Jan. 5th (2007) PrimeCuts (dance #HD200701) disk alongside cuts by Samantha Fox, Billie Myers, Reina, and Nina Simone!
-1/2/07 - DJ Tony Foxx will be releasing his remix of "Since You've Been Gone" on his upcoming full-length album!
-9/21/06 - "Since You've Been Gone" picked up by the Central Ohio Record Pool
-8/11/06 - "Since You've Been Gone (Brutus Pop mix)" enters The Dance Chapel Top 20 at #11 for July and moves up to #7 for August (9/13/06); 9 for September (10/10/06) and November (12/4/06)!
-8/11/06 - "Find You Again" played on Pulse Rated's show "Weekend Release w/ Josh Roberts"
-8/4/06 - "Together (Zarc Porter dance mix)" played on Pulse Rated's show "Weekend Release w/ Josh Roberts"
-7/10/06 - "Since You've Been Gone (N-Vision mix)" lands on TM Century's 14 July 2006 (HD200628) Dance disk alongside cuts from Tiesto, Lasgo, and Paris Hilton!
-6/30/06 - One-off single "Since You've Been Gone (N-Vision mix)" goes for adds at radio!
-6/23/06 & 7/28/06 - "Take Me" played on Pulse Rated's show "Weekend Release w/ Josh Roberts"
-5/8/06 - Mix contest begun for new single, "Since You've Been Gone" (not a Kelly Clarkson cover)
-5/3/06 - Vocals for new single (releasing July 2006) recorded today for mix contest!
-2/6/06 - Radiant Tunes Radio reported, "Take Me" hit #14 on RTR the week of 1/27/06-2/02/06. That's the first time a single from the Dance & Electronica genres has hit RTR's weekly Top 20! It's been in heavy rotation for 2 weeks now."
-2/5/06 - "Take Me (Linus & J-rezz instrumental)" hits #14 on the Dance Chapel radio chart! Here's the blurb as it appeared in the charts email, "Osmotic Pressure is the third release in the Osmotic Series, and truly the best one yet! The original Trance Remix of "Take Me" by Linus & J-rezz was featured on the January 2005 issue of TM Century's PrimeCuts Dance Disc which was serviced to 350 DJs, Clubs, and Radio Stations around the country. This is a new Instrumental version of that Remix that is exclusive to Osmotic Pressure. It contains very minimal burst of the vocals, but largely focuses on the music bed which is a full on EuroTrance stormer! You can buy this Trance compilation in Europe through Wim Van Wingerden or in the United States through Demulcent Records. Anyone can buy the album using Paypal from either Lowroof or Demulcent. http://www.lowroof.nl/ http://www.demulcent.com Demulcent@comcast.net CD Only" If you're interested in buying this CD, see the listing for it at the Music page.
-1/29/06 - Got news that PIB singles have been spotted on the Indie(?) Dance Chart in Billboard!
-1/15/06 - Band is excited to learn (after 2nd quarter royalties in) that "Take Me" was in medium rotation on XM radio and was played by Muzak! Med-light play on XM in 3rd quarter 2005.
-12/5/05 - Kurt commissioned to be one of the reviewers of dance releases for about.com, the top listed dance music site according to Google!
-12/4/05 - "Take Me" chosen as one of the Moderator Picks at Unsigned Band Web for the month of December 2005. “TakeMe”, was listed in the "Suggested Music Downloads - Mod Picks ­ DECEMBER" box on the Unsigned Band Web home page!
-11/25/05 - "Who Is This One" goes for adds at stations worldwide who are playing Christmas music. Added at TempoFM (Belgium).
-11/4/05 - Band approached by the owners of a new family-friendly network based out of Ohio to do music for one of the original shows!
- 11/4/05 - Fourth single "You Said (LP-T trance mix)" goes to radio. Picked up by: WITR (NY), KASU/DJ Darryl (Phoenix, AZ), One Life Radio, Radio Sentrum (Norway), WITR.
- 9/1/05 - Take Me (Linus & J-Rezz instrumental) included on Lowroof/Deepsink records 3rd various artist project, Osmotic Pressure
- 7/27/05 - "Launch Window" appears on the July 8 '05 (626-D) TM Century dance volume alongside the new Chemical Brothers single and remixes of lesser known acts by Chris Cox and Stonebridge!
- 7/11/05 - "Launch Window" enters Starfleet Record Pool chart around position 38 (of 50), now at 42 (up from 49 9/3/05!); 7/21/05 - enters WITR's Indie chart at position 49 (of 50) 9/2/05 at postion 38! Also playing on KRNG (NV), WOCR-The Dance Chapel (MI), & TempoFM (Belgium), and Crossrhythms Radio (UK).
-6/25/05 - PIAB interview with Coco Street
- 6/18/05 - Just learned that "Together (Zarc Porter extended remix)" has been on the Starfleet Record Pool's top 50 Dance chart for ELEVEN weeks and counting! The Director says some big label singles don't even stay on that long! The song topped out at position 29 (mid July '05) and was up against remixes of Kelly Clarkson, New Order, Missy Elliot, Gwen Stephani, Nine Inch Nails, and Destiny's Child, among others!
- 6/15/05 - "Together (Zarc Porter extended remix)" included on dj404's limited edition mix-set CD to be distributed exclusively at Cornerstone Festival 2005. See the Music page for track listing/other artists.
- 4/10/05 - Kurt, Kathleen, & Steve interview with Mike Rimmer of Crossrythms Magazine/Radio (UK) for a one hour special about the album to air in the UK later in the year!
- 3/4/05 - "Together (Zarc Porter dance mix)" single goes for adds and is picked up by: TM Century (#611D-March 25, 2005 volume) alongside Daft Punk, DJ Icey, Loleatta Holloway, & 7 others! WOCR/The Dance Chapel, Sloth Radio, One Life Radio, Frantic Radio (Holland), Radio Sentrum (Norway), Crossrhythms Radio (UK), CT Music, Central Ohio Record Pool, Indamix CD Pool, Sound Wave Record Pool, TempoFM (Belgium's #1 online dance music provider), CJXF (Canada), several shows at KASU (Phoenix, AZ), WAWZ, WITR, WVOA, Radio U (WUFM), Renegade Radio, Starfleet Music Pool, and Worldwide Record Pool
- 2/21/05 - Album press release mention at christiandance.nl plus mention of remix contest winner on main page of site!
- 2/2/05 - "Take Me (Linus & J-Rezz mix)" breaks into the Dance Chapel Top 20 Dance Chart at #17! Also big mention on the Dance Chapel web site, alongside Cloud2Ground (new ep). Airplay on Radio DJ London.
2/1/05 - "Take Me" has been downloaded a little over 500 times! Album released today.
-1/30/05 - Radio interview on WRVU "The Mixdown" (Nashville, TN). Recent interviews: WOCR "The Dance Chapel" (Lansing, MI - 3/18) and KWLD (Plainview, TX)
-1/19/05 - Linus & J-Rezz remix of "Take Me" appeared on TM Century's PrimeCuts Dance disk #603D alongside Kylie Minogue, Chemical Brothers, & others (street date of Jan. 28, 2005) which will ship to approx. 350 DJ's, Clubs, & radio stations!
-1/18/05 - CDs are done!
-11/'04 - Demulcent Records wants to commission their own remix of "Take Me" for Demulcent Sessions Vol. II
-11/25/04 - Released "Who Is This One" to all stations who responded that they DO want to be serviced PIB's music.
-11/22/04 - Worldwide Record Pool is using 2 versions of "Take Me" on their dance record pool disk.
-11/16/04 - Album masters dropped off at Nashville Record Promotions for duplication!
-11/6/04 - DJ Sozo (Alberta, CANADA) wins "Take Me" remix contest! "Take Me" releases to radio worldwide as first single.
-10/18/04 - finished the mix of the last song!
-9/22/04 - finished the last of the recording for the sophomore album! 2 songs need mixing, and we're ready to master!
-8/7/04 - new drummer Steve Colson & new guitar player Chris Brown come aboard
-6/29/04 - Long time live and background singer for PIB, Kathleen Abel, takes the lead female vocalist position as Jennifer Ragsdill moves back to Arkansas.
-5/13/04 - Kurt's birthday! But seriously, you must be a real fan to be reading this section, but YOU will know that the last 6 of the last 7 tracks for the album are now underway at the same time, with number 7 to follow (to yield a 13+ song project)! Look forward to a reworked web site and an early '05 release that promises to surpass Digital Ignition by leaps & bounds!
-5/10/04 - Long time guitar player Patrick Lake retires from band to focus on family and other priorities. Patrick plays on several songs on the forthcoming album, however.
SUMMER SLAM FESTIVAL '02 - Alexandria, IN (US)
Format: Windows Media | TRT: 2:37 | Size: 5.2MB
Right click here,
& select "Save Target As" to download video
Phantom Tollbooth
1/23/2005
Anybody want to dance? The People in a Box's Find You Again will
get you up and dancing with a creative image of either being in
an anime video or a rave party in Europe! Find You Again will
weave up a feeling that will make a person jump up and start dancing
to these catchy tunes. Whether it is the irresistible '80s synthesizer
vibe or the beautiful crooning of female vocals, Find You Again
will pull a person in. Either it's the deeper and darker trance
beats that pound into the heart and open it wide, or the very
dancy Euro-Dance mixes that will make you want to dance all night!
PiaB even goes as far as mixing Latino and bluegrass influences
into "Holy and Exalted" and "Dance and Party".
The amazing sampling and production on this CD, not to mention
the heart-felt lyrical content, makes Find You Again a must have
if a person wants to dance. People in a Box's Find You Again is
filled with lush and vibrant dance landscapes. --Len Nash
Crossrhythms Magazine
Jan. 2005 (rating: 8 out of 10 stars)
Admiral Cummings and I often despair at what seems to be the difficulty
that Americans have when it comes to creating dance music. We've
heard too many Nitro Praise albums to get too excited when an
American dance album pops through the letter box. They call it
electronica over there, which immediately makes us suspicious.
However, amidst a certain amount of mediocrity People In A Box
always seem to hit the mark and this, their second album, is packed
with goodies. The brainchild of main man Kurt Kirton, a variety
of dance grooves and re-mixes, this manages to marry plenty of
melody and good songs with beats and arrangements that work. So
what do I like? Favourite is "Launch Window" which sounds
suitably spacey with a solid groove without becoming monotonous.
The Zarc Porter dance mix of "Together" is excellent
though the other version here is pretty dull. There's a reworking
of the worship song "You Said" featuring Barry Blaze
which is great with its corresponding trance mix giving an interesting
alternative. Kurt Kirton is nothing if not adventurous taking
in Latin influences on "Holy & Exalted" and managing
to add a country fiddle and banjo to "Dance & Party".
The results are brilliant! Dance country anyone? I'm waiting for
outbreaks of line dancing in clubs! Independently produced and
a labour of love for the frontman, People In A Box are to be applauded
for their achievements here. --Mike Rimmer
Dance Chapel
4/23/05
Euro-dance outfit People In A Box has ended their five-year hiatus
with the release of their sophomore album, aptly titled "Find
You Again." The album features a diverse array of dance music
styles and a slick, polished sound that is much tighter and more
mature than the band's debut, "Digital Ignition."
The band kicks things off with "Take Me." Vocalists Kurt Kirton and Kathleen Abel sing strong, passionate vocals praising Jesus over throbbing beats and swirling synths on an energetic trance anthem reminiscent of Dance In Motion or dBA.
The worship-filled trance vibe continues on the next track, "Launch Window." A remake of a tune originally recorded by CCM duo Farrell and Farrell, the song uses sci-fi imagery to describe the events of the Rapture. The mix of euphoric synths, pulsating beats and futuristic, "launch window approaching...destination coordinates confirmed...initiate departure" spoken-word samples gives the impression of listening to a song that should have been included on a dBA or Ultrabeat album. Jayne Farrell gives her blessing to the band by covering the female vocals on the track, complementing Kirton's.
"Find You Again" next moves into melodic, Euro-dance territory. Vocalist Jennifer Ragsdill takes over female leads on this danceable, hi-NRG number, which the band's literature describes as Kirton's testimony. "Together" is the most pop-friendly song on the album. Kirton sings lead vocals on this song about romantic love that would be perfect for wedding receptions. Renowned British producer Zarc Porter, who has lent his talent to Avalon, Scott Blackwell, The World Wide Message Tribe, V*Enna, among other Christian dance and pop artists, remixes the song by adding a catchy, dance-pop beat. The original version, featured at the end of the album, features a slower, mid-tempo beat and acoustic guitar riffs that create a more earnest vibe.
Code of Ethics front man Barry Blaze reemerges from a protracted absence to join the band on "You Said." He effectively harmonizes his vocals with Kirton's on the urban-flavored dance-pop tune. According to Kirton, Blaze has been working on new material, and his appearance here may be a sign that a Code of Ethics comeback is in the works.
The band returns to Euro-dance on "The Power of Love." Futuristic synths and passionate, soulful vocals by guest Marcia Ware make the song another memorable Christian dance track. "View From A Hill" reworks a song originally recorded by secular pop-rock outfit Roxette into a poignant opus about a person who has heard the Good News but never accepted the Lord. Abel displays her impressive vocals, which are sung over trancey synths.
"Holy And Exalted (latin inferno mix)" takes the listener on an excursion into salsa-driven Latin music a' la Enrique Iglesias or Ricky Martin. Kirton takes the lead and sings (partly in Spanish) melodic vocals over a spicy mix of piano rhythms, horns, Spanish guitars and live percussion. The song is actually a remix of a hidden track that can be played as an .mp3 on a personal computer.
"Dance and Party" is an unlikely fusion of energetic dance music and bluegrass. Abel and Kirton sing upbeat, festive vocals over a mix of throbbing, programmed beats, jangly banjo, acoustic guitar and other effects associated with folksy, bluegrass music. The result is a catchy, novelty number strongly reminiscent of the Rednex rendition of "Cotton Eye Joe" a decade ago.
The fourth cover on the album is an electronica makeover of "Who Is This One?," an epic number about the life, death and resurrection of Christ, originally written & recorded by Christian rock band White Heart. Haunting female vocals sung over ambient synths set the stage for Kirton and Ragsdill to sing lead vocals on this awe-inspiring ballad that evokes images from The Passion of the Christ and reminds the listener of the most pivotal event in history.
German musician and mixmaster LP-T ends the album on a high note with a progressive trance remix of "You Said." The primarily instrumental remix foregoes most of the vocals and adds energetic, swirling synths to create another fun, club-friendly anthem.
With its impressive lineup of guest musicians and two renowned mixmasters, diverse array of musical styles and polished, layered production, "Find You Again" is one of the best Christian dance albums released in 2005 to date. People In A Box has matured as a band and are ready to play with the big boys. Will a deal with MYX, Demulcent Records, or another label be far off? --James McGinnis
Coco Street
Sep/Oct 2005
Who are these people anyway? The name sounds like a macabre
twist on a popular fast food restaurant, but the tracks that come
from this music maker are hardly macabre…no, these sounds
are innovative and definitely dance worthy. So, ok, how’d
they get where they are now? The answers came from Kurt, the group’s
founder and lead vocalist
Kurt: Having followed dance music from its birth in the early 90’s after having grown up on disco and the synth-driven music of the 80’s, I came to love dance/club music. The energy and melody of the music pushed my buttons, and the style has its own built in industry and community, so that is compelling as well.
K: Technotronic-“Pump Up The Jam”, C&C Music Factory-“Gonna Make You Sweat”, and Snap-“Rhythm is a Dancer” are the songs that were first on the horizon to me. I remember hearing PUTJ in the student center, GMYS through the wall in the dorm over and over, and RIAD used on MTV’s The Grind. Some of my influences also include Capella, Armin Van Buuren, Worldwide Message Tribe, Tina Cousins, Aqua, Madonna, and a lot of Top 40 dance remixes. After being such a fan of the music and studying it, it became the style I was most adept at writing, singing, and producing. Thus, the majority of People In A Box songs are one shade or another of dance music.
K: Wow, that’s been a long time! I guess Code of Ethics-“Taking You Down.” Made me feel like dancing! It’s such a meaty dark track with unusual sounds and electric guitar woven so effectively together into a rich dance song. To my knowledge, it was never a single for the band. But ah, aren’t most of the best tracks on the album never pushed as a single!?
K: Well, Armin Van Buuren/Perpetuous Dreamer blows me away. He has such knowledge of mood, programming, arrangement, and mixing. There are a very limited number of Perpetuous Dreamer singles, and I’m kinda on a mission to get them all. DJ Light is also an amazing programmer/remixer/artist and such a great friend and vendor. Da Buzz (from Sweden) are a genius eurodance/pop group; their melodies are super-hooky. Iris, a phenomenal synthpop band from Texas, is another—what a rich mature sound and deep lyrics to boot! (irismusic.com) I’m a huge fan of 80s pop music, and after having learned how involved producers are in the achieving an artist’s final product, I am blown away by several. Brian Tankersley (Bash ‘n the Code, Kim Boyce), Dez Dickerson (Keith Brown), and Carl Marsh (Farrell & Farrell) were such an influence on me. I still am in awe of those albums today and after 10 years in Nashville have had the privilege to meet and talk with all three.
K: Granted a lot of the artists listed heretofore are “secular,” but the more I mature as a Christian, I think God is “in” more than just Christian Contemporary Music. If you can appreciate the beauty and delicacy of a flower and praise God for it, why not the lush melody, tight production, and body-moving groove of a club music song (that is not crass or lewd) so pounding that you want to get up and dance?
I praise God for power vocalists like Melanie Thornton (La Bouche) and the female singers of Capella as well as the gritty soul-baring emotion of Margaret Becker (also an influence on me). Kathleen and Jennifer of People In A Box have been an enormous blessing in their contributions to our music, their attitudes, and their heart for people.
Also, as far as myself or anyone finding the Lord in music, music is such a powerful tool. Anyone, with a well-done enjoyable song, could use it as a vehicle for their point of views, attitudes, expression, encouragement, venting, emotion, or anything. You can convey and drive home so many things with music. This question brings to mind First Call’s “Without You” (1989). What a dark, poetic, and make-you-think song! Music can definitely be a means for God to reach a person—encouraging Christians or breaking through to a non-believer with a thick wall of pain, anger, and questioning between himself and God.
I also think it’s good for everyone not to shun (and I was guilty of this myself as a teen) all music that is not CCM. After all, we don’t ignore all works of art that aren’t painted/sculpted by a *Christian* artist…poetry written by a *Christian* poet, etc. There’s so much more out beyond the CCM bubble--but as with anything, you need to find what is not a stumbling block for you and avoid what is lewd/crass/obvious “garbage-in.”
In closing, I just wanted to encourage fans — be they of dance or any other style of music — to support the artists. If you hear a song you like, go check out the full album. And if you like it, buy it! So many people today I don’t think understand the time, money, effort, and sacrifice that goes into an album — indie or big-label. And with radio, digital music download services, and rampant ADD, the full-album a band has worked so long and hard to craft is going largely ignored. Our newest full release, Find You Again (trance/dance-pop/eudrodance), is available for preview and purchase at our web site: www.peopleinabox.com
Automata
Magazine 9.0 Jan. 2006
Euro-dance outfit People in a Box has ended their five-year hiatus
with the release of their sophomore album, aptly titled Find You
Again. The album features a slick, polished sound and a diverse
array of dance music styles that range from NRGetic trance to
a midtempo acoustic to salsa-driven Latin to an unlikely fusion
of dance and bluegrass. An impressive lineup of guest vocalists
(including Code of Ethics’ Barry Blaze and several female
singers), two renowned mixmasters (Zarc Porter and LP-T), and
four cover songs (including Roxette and Whiteheart) add even more
flavor to the mix. Lyrically, there’s no question as to where
the band stands, as most songs have very clear Christian messages.
All told, Find You Again is one of the best Christian dance albums
released in 2005. PIAB has matured as a band and are ready to
play with the big guns. –James McGinnis
