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Remixing...

This is just a totally curious question.
When you have remixed a song, do you listen to the original?
I know this may sound strange in question however, I have been known NOT to listen to the full song (or even parts or melody) and only listened to the vox stems.

yes i like to listen to the orignal tune and take notes that way you know you have made something different

I always listen to the original in order to determine if it's something that I can remix or not. In most cases I try to imagine what other arrangements and/or melodies will work with the main elements of the song.

Stewart, so...I am just wondering here.
How is it that you actually aren't sure that you have created something different? Is the chances of coincidence to great?
I find it hard to imagine someone coming up with something so similar that they cannot tell it a part from the original. Especially if you haven't heard it

quote:

Originally posted by Zak McKracken are you really known for it the entire purpose of a remix is make something very different with the parts, no need to know the original structure. you may not use the melody or anything, just a hook sample / voice or whatever. you can even change up the chords to fit whatever part you use to focus on in a new way. im known to be very good at this

I dunno if I agree with that.

Sometimes, a remix can be anything. You can pull a Timo Mass and come up with a completely different track that bares fuck resemblance to the original, or you can pull a Mat Darey and make a similar track to the original but add you signature thumping sound with rolling/sweeping 16th note basslines and leadlines, or you can just spice up the original.

In my mind, it's a remix, not a re-compose, so I think the true essence is to make a better(in your vision) version of the original....but it's just that; a version of the original. making something completely "new" and disparate from the original in my mind isn't really a remix as such.

Sometimes, the biggest urge to do a remix comes from the fact I hear a that could have greatness, but just misses the mark. Maybe I'm more an engineer than a composer when it comes to producing, but so often the stuff that motivates me are those near misses where I can instantly hear what they "should" have done and how I'd do it.

And I also believe that remix and recompose means two different things to some pending how old you are /grins
Back in the day, a remix was at the extreme an arrangement change. Most were just loops without certain elements you would find on the original.
A lot were merely called extended mixes. Beast within remix comes to mind
But it did not change the original content,or at least hardly. If anything,more additives.

Now days, it seems that songs being called a remix is actually a re compose.
Producers who are giving stems out of their original material and doing a contest and then a completely different song altogether is more times not the winner.

Art of noise - moments in love

https://soundcloud.com/raphiegrooves/test2

I try not to listen to the original unless its something familiar. Like if I'm building a track around vocals. I go back and try to find a new chord progression instead of using the one already used. Sometimes, retuning the vocals helps add an entirely new twist to an existing song. Plus, and I know this sounds crazy, but a lot of the tracks I play around with, are already pretty damn good, and I hate to listen to something and be like, there's no way I can replicate that so instead, I'll do what I'm good at. A good example,




I absolutely love, love, love this song.. it reaches out in so many ways, and the harmonics and voices are amazing... but my remix? yeah... lol

versus my remix...
http://djryan.com/tracks/WithYou.mp3

Depends on what I'm remixing and what I can get in terms of samples, MIDI or even vocals. The more stuff like that I get my hands on the least likely I'm going to listen to the original, and I do this intentionally so I go in doing something on my own.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ RANN Sometimes, the biggest urge to do a remix comes from the fact I hear a that could have greatness, but just misses the mark. Maybe I'm more an engineer than a composer when it comes to producing, but so often the stuff that motivates me are those near misses where I can instantly hear what they "should" have done and how I'd do it.

I agree with this sentiment, and "urge" is the best way to describe the feeling. Those result in one set of remixes I'm willing to work on.

Otherwise, no, I won't listen to the track beforehand. I tend to think about it from the perspective that I'm creating something new, only with some "guidance". That means I'm applying my sound to the song, and anything else is unnecessary influence.

The approach has it's potential drawbacks, but it's a risk I'm willing to take in order to keep consistent with what I would do if creating something from scratch.

It's also a bigger challenge, IMO.

Re: Remixing...

quote:

Originally posted by SystematicX1 This is just a totally curious question. When you have remixed a song, do you listen to the original? I know this may sound strange in question however, I have been known NOT to listen to the full song (or even parts or melody) and only listened to the vox stems.

I like to dissect the original version to get an idea of how I can make something different while staying true to the original.

Yeah, it is about referencing the original though. I mean, it's a remix.

How do you not listen to the original? Depending on what level of the parts you get (i.e. stems, or individual tracks etc) you have to know what the original is.

Personally, I love to have everything, preferably the whole project file but that's the engineer in me. Next best is midi and audio tracks with a bounce of the each fx track, and then my least favourite is basic stems (really just becuase of the extra work you have to do to get the elements). Stems are fine for a "mix" but not really for a remix, and I've never understood those remix competition that let you download like 4 stems. great. I have the vox on a separate track, cheers for that. You basically want me to write a whole new song for you. That in my mind is re-composing the track.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ RANN Yeah, it is about referencing the original though. I mean, it's a remix. How do you not listen to the original? Depending on what level of the parts you get (i.e. stems, or individual tracks etc) you have to know what the original is. Personally, I love to have everything, preferably the whole project file but that's the engineer in me. Next best is midi and audio tracks with a bounce of the each fx track, and then my least favourite is basic stems (really just becuase of the extra work you have to do to get the elements). Stems are fine for a "mix" but not really for a remix, and I've never understood those remix competition that let you download like 4 stems. great. I have the vox on a separate track, cheers for that. You basically want me to write a whole new song for you. That in my mind is re-composing the track.

To me, if you have everything from the original and you know or at least are somewhat familiar with the original then your brain will constantly recognize it as well. Meaning, it's imprinted and to easy to add the same type of elements of the original without you maybe even consciously knowing it.
At the very least I want to study the vocal stem and hum along to see if I am getting any kind of groove off it. I have even turned a vocal stem into midi and got a very cool arp arrangement from it.
But for me, I just want to create something different and that is how I approach it most of time.
Totally agree however, it IS a re COMPOSE,and to me always will be but in today's standards..it's a Remix for some reason.

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