Album Review: Madonna – Veronica Electronica
2 min read
Madonna’s long lost, Veronica Electronica, has finally emerged from the vaults. The special project was originally teased in the late ‘90s as an experimental companion to Ray of Light. Now, nearly three decades later, the album has ironically ‘come to light’ and materialized for us all to experience. Comprising seven remixes and only one previously unreleased track, the album feels more like a curated time-capsule edit than a bold reinvention. The sense of nostalgia does, however, pulsate throughout Veronica Electronica. The tracks don’t scream for attention but rather glow with the warm familiarity of turn of the millennium club culture, they’re polished just enough to slot seamlessly into the landscape of today’s music.
Veronica Electronica leans heavily into Ray of Light remixes, showcasing the talents of producers such as BT, Sasha, Peter Rauhofer, Victor Calderone, William Orbit, and Fabien Waltmann. These remix edits, many of which hardcore fans will recognise, have been slightly refined and shortened though still remain rooted in their late ’90s DNA, echoing an era where trance, house, and ambient electronica shaped pop music’s future. Tracks like BT & Sasha’s Drowned World / Substitute for Love- Bucklodge Ashram New Edit as well as Sasha’s Ray of Light – Twilo Mix Edit, serve as centerpieces, hypnotic and euphoric in equal measure.
Meanwhile, Peter Rauhofer’s Nothing Really Matters – Club 69 Speed Mix Meets The Dub mix and William Orbit’s version of Frozen – Widescreen Mix and Drums offer cinematic, yet, somewhat predictable, reinterpretations. While these tracks keep the pulse steady and the atmosphere thick, there’s no real sense of surprise to them. As a final number on this remix heavy track-list, you’ll find Gone Gone Gone, a stripped back and intimate original demo. Compared to the rest of the album, Gone Gone Gone captures Madonna’s vulnerable tone, carrying a raw ache which cuts though the synths and sequencing of the song.
While Veronica Electronica doesn’t quite live up to the lore that has surrounded it for so long, it does offer fans of Madonna’s Ray of Light era, a curated time-capsule. It’s a postcard from a defining era shimmering with glitter of the night and is a reminder of Madonna’s experimental ambition at the edge of the millennium.
