As a fellow “remixer” in the DJ community, I personally enjoy sharing music with other remixers. The act of changing a song whether completely or additively, in order to create a different sound earns respect alone. Now days, the idea is to create a remix that will make a party feel amazed by a new sound; throw hands in the air; feel free from the ordinary style of play most would hear on an Ipod. Sadly enough, there has been a plague of mediocre remixes this summer. If your remixes don’t work at the parties you spin at, they probably won’t work for anyone else and shouldn’t be distributed.
A remix is an alternative version of an original song. Many DJs have taken this path of production and can be coined as the term “remixer.” More or less, a remixer is a producer with a DJ’s mentality to hype up a party. The process of doing so takes much creativity, technical skill, and maybe even some musical inclination. A great remix will speak for itself regardless of who made it. The remix may consist of multiple songs cut up and craftily placed, original drum production; the possibilities are endless for creativity does not have limits.
Remixes can be made of the latest songs or old classics, they can be pop songs or edgier underground tunes. Virtually anything can be remixed. While most remixes take the tune a bit more up-tempo, they can also make it more relaxed and chilled out. An album of chilled out remixes will be popular with people playing poker.dk and going on long drives, while an album of housified tunes will be heard in club, the living room and just about anywhere else people like to get down.
Unfortunately while technology has made the process of remixing easier, the creativity level has been hindered with some DJs. It is safe to say that many of the same hype acapella phrases and loops (especially voices of Lil Jon, Fat Man Scoop) have been recycled unnecessarily. Imagine going to a party with the same exact hype as an intro to every song the DJ mixes; that is almost as bad as hearing the same song twice, possibly worse. Keep in mind that the remixes that do last, are the ones that sound original.
Some edits weren’t made to last forever, which are respected at the time they are distributed. There is nothing wrong with making a nice blend between two songs, which will only last as long as those two songs are current. The problem with making remixes is the numerous amounts already made for the same song. Some of this summer’s hottest songs were: Katy Perry – California Girls; Usher – OMG; Usher – DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love Again; La Roux – Bullet Proof. These songs are awesome as originals I might add, but I love the urge DJs had to remix them (I remixed some myself). The fact of the matter is, timing and creativity. When did you think about making this blend? Do you know any other DJs who have already made blends for this song? If so, how can you make this song better? Some DJs may want to ask themselves a few of these questions before the production begins.
The reason I brought up this topic is because of a significant experience I had going through my music library. Surely nobody wants to look at their library and have nearly thirty versions of the same song, with the exception of two or three great ones. Before sharing your music please be considerate; test your music when you mix, stay creative and original, and be on your toes ready to work harder than the next remixer. Shouts to the many DJs who are grinding it out and being as creative as productive, you deserve the respectful credit.
