Remix Project

Included in this project:

• Resources

• Sample Lineage

• Peer Remix Song

• Remix Song Process Reflection

Resources

• I read Ethan Hein's blog post An Intro to Remixes in which he defines the difference between remixes, mixing, mastering, remastering and re-editing. He also talks about the history of remixing and gives some examples that include both the original song and a remix of that song. It's interesting that it technically goes all the way back in music history, as composers took samples and melodies from other composers and used them to re-invent something new. That's basically the artistic process, right?

• Next I checked out the BBC's Beethoven Remixed page and just had to download the zip file of stems from Beethoven's 5th. Those would be really fun to play with.

• I loved exploring Citizen DJ. With thousands of sounds to choose from, there's absolutely no end to what could be created from this amazing resource. All sounds are free to use and come with links to the full track, as well as history and information about the original track. Amazing.

Sample Lineage - Let It Be

I used whosampled.com to find something related to a song I know and love, and it was Let It Be.

Let It Be - Beatles: Paul McCartney wrote Let It Be about his mother who died of cancer when he was 14 years old. The song was credited to the Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership and released on the Beatles' Let It Be album in March, 1970.

Let It Be - Dyme Def: Seattle Hip Hop trio Dyme Def released their remix of Let It Be in 2007 on their Space Music album. They've sped up the Beatles recording and it plays in a chipmunk-like fashion right at the beginning of the track. After a couple of phrases, they take out the vocal for the rest of the verse, then bring it back in at the refrain. Then the rap lyrics come in, with the sped-up Beatles piano track continuing to play in the background. The rap lyrics tell a story of some troubled relationships and problems in the narrator's life. There's a refrain that goes, "One-two-one-two... and when I get to three I'ma let it all go and let it be." It feels like the narrator is using some mindfulness techniques to deal with stresses in life. He doesn't get to three until the very end of the track, which feels really meaningful.

Let It Be Remix - Fearce Vill Feat. Grieves & Grynch: Fearce Vill is one of the Dyme Def trio. In 2014 he released the Let It Be Remix in which he gives an update on some of those stressors in (presumably) his life with entirely new lyrics alongside the "one-two-one-two" refrain. His collaborators Grieves and Grynch each take a verse to rap about their respective past traumas and troubles, and how they are moving on and trying to do better, improve their lives, have a positive outlook, and "learn to be more graceful."

It was pretty cool to find these remixes and really listen to them in a way I wouldn't have otherwise. I don't generally gravitate toward hip-hop and rap, but I find that often when I have an opportunity to really listen I have a great appreciation for the lyrics, and the songs almost always grow on me.

Peer Remix Song Process Reflection

I created copy of Darrell's loop song, "Odd Fellas Fella" by using "save as" after he gave me access in SoundTrap. I was astonished to discover that he used 32 different loops in the song! Wow! I listened to each loop separately to see what they all were. Then I listened to the whole song and discovered that there are really four distinct mini-songs under the Odd Fellas Fella umbrella (See Odd Fella Screen Shots below). Each of these mini-songs contain completely different loops, although the last loop of the previous mini-song and first loop of the new mini-song sometimes overlap a little.

I started playing with the tracks, changing the order and arranging them in a way that sounded pleasing to my ear. I wanted my remix a bit more chill, with a little bit less going on at the same time. I tried to create the same number of mini-songs, using many of the same tracks that each mini-song had originally contained, just rearranging them a bit. I deleted several tracks that I didn't need in my remix, while keeping much of the original character of each mini-song. I added one new drum track that connected mini-song 2 to mini-song 3 in a new way. Then I brought back the opening marimba riff at the end to bring the song back around full circle.

It was really fun creating this remix. Darrell's original song was so chock full of interesting and varied loops that there were infinite possibilities for things to do with it. Something else I might like to do is to flesh out each mini-song into a complete song of its own. I might do that with mini-song 2 because it got very minimalist and short. I think it would be fun to mash up mini-song 2 with Anisa's loop song. Hm... future goals...