The Art of the Remix

A lot of people think that remixing a song means throwing a dance beat over it. That's alright, it's a common ignorance--and it's strengthened by the awful dance remixes that get play on the radio and in clubs. But that's really not all that remixes have to offer. There are a handful of popular remix artists who put a great deal of effort into remixing songs, creating completely new versions that bring the songs into a completely new light.

When creating a remix, an artist typically takes the master tracks of the original song and rearranges them or adds sonic effects. Additionally, many remix artists (these days, that is) also add additional instrumentation of their own. Through these methods, remix artists can transform the original song into a completely new vision.

Here are some remixes along with their respective original songs.





A Perfect Circle - "Three Libras"

This remix was done by Nine Inch Nails alumni Danny Lohner and his mixing partner, Josh Eustis of Telefon Tel Aviv. Lohner is a master of the art of the remix, and this is but one of many examples of mastery. The production on this remix becomes an instrument in and of itself--the subtleties in panning, the painstakingly automated volume shifts... the duo clearly put a lot of effort into this track, and it shows. The ambiance of this remix beautifully captures the lamenting tone of the original song and takes it in a new (and arguably darker) direction.





Thrice - "Broken Lungs"

This remix was done by the Legion of Doom. Thrice's original version was optimistic, and apparently the Legion of Doom didn't like that. Between the atmospheric drums and bass and the detuning of the guitars, these remix artists made "Broken Lungs" into something bitter. This version of the song would fit on a number of horror movie soundtracks. It's almost creepy.





Nine Inch Nails - "Only"

When Nine Inch Nails released With Teeth in 2005, some fans weren't very happy. After waiting six years for the follow-up to The Fragile, they were horrified by singles "The Hand That Feeds" and "Only," which sounded like The Faint and disco, respectively. I was one of those fans, and rather than complaining I decided to try to turn the new Nine Inch Nails into the Nine Inch Nails that I remembered.

And that's another beautiful thing about remixes... it's a whole different animal from actually writing music. When I did this remix, I had absolutely no musical knowledge. But I did have a computer.

The remix is a wonderful art form and one that is growing in popularity. Let's hope that more musicians take a cue from bands like Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead and Mindless Self Indulgence--all three of whom have taken to releasing master tracks from their songs for fans to remix.