Remix Wednesdays return for 2010 with this manic re-work of the Iz & Diz anthem “Mouth.” It’s a remix in two parts … we’ve got the opening bit which consists entirely of Diz’s mouth sounds (save for the main drum part), then we get the “Let’s start over” part replicating some otherworldly timpani/vibraphone jazz and possibly my favorite bassline that I’ve played. Not sure of the overall concept here, but it all seems to work and, if you couldn’t tell, I remain a bit enthusiastic about it. This track also makes me wonder if Diz had this book when he was a kid like I did.
I’m giving you something a little different this week for ‘remix Wednesday.’ Mercy Machine is a band I’ve collaborated with a few times, previously contributing a couple of remixes for their In My Bed remix collection. The band sought reinterpretations of their songs once again for their stark, religion-themed album The Devil I Know and I was certainly up for attempting a couple more. The fruits of our labor are below (and they are well-suited for these gray winter days).
As you’ll hear if you check out The Devil I Know album (click HERE to give it a listen) these are hardly what you’d call easily remix-able dance tracks. Many of the songs are percussion-less, featuring just the singer’s voice and some guitar. So indeed this was a remix challenge … and I like remix challenges. Here was a chance to try out some new tricks and draw from my somewhat eclectic musical background.
Around the time I was doing these remixes I was actively experimenting with the idea of creating contexts through sonic ‘mini-movies’ in music, an idea I was turned on to years ago by the singer/songwriter Jim White who I was doing some production for. The lyrics for both these Mercy Machine songs easily lent themselves to various mentally visual situations. The opportunity to remix these tunes fit right in with what I was experimenting with at the time.
First up, “The Devil I Know” in which I only used the vocal and created all the other sounds and music myself. I’ll leave it to you to imagine what is happening in this song but I will hint that a lonely singer is joined by quite a few (un?)welcome visitors by the end of the track:
The second remix I did for Mercy Machine was for the album track “I Need A New Jesus” (a Wise Blood reference, perhaps?). I based my mix around a piece of the original’s guitar melody and created a sort of ‘dub’ around the vocal. I added some slide dobro, bass guitar, and a cheap xylophone I bought at a market in Bogota, Colombia. I like that the result kind of sounds like a gothic early-80′s post punk band. Spooky stuff, I think. Anyway, there’s a ‘plot-line’ going on in this version as well but, again, I’ll leave the interpretation up to you.
I’m sort of a sucker for guitars in dance music. It’s probably from a youth immersed in all those Manchester bands but I do indeed like how chiming guitars and electronic drum beats go together. Thus I was immediately drawn to South African combo Bang Bang and their “Bikini Days“, a cool and gentle track certainly evoking some sort of beachside romp. Quickly snatched up and released on my Eighth Dimension label, I dug the song enough to partake in a remix of my own. You can hear the result here:
I kind of went for a psychedelic, Balearic feel making the aforementioned guitars all twisty and using the vocal verse of the song as if it were the chorus. The rhythms build a bit and the full brunt of the bass doesn’t really kick in until over halfway through (an exercise in patience on my part). I like the idea of the focused bits interchanging with the atmospheric sections, sort of like a camera lens in close-up suddenly pulling back for the wide shot.
Here’s my somewhat ghostly version of my Brazilian buddy Jota Wagner‘s track “Acid Resolution.” In this remix I went for some jittery beats and echoey synth action, as well as a cameo from Mr. Leary himself. Decidedly deep, suspiciously spacey, invitingly electronic. Listen here:
Another in the Lost In A Tunnel remix series, here’s a recent revision created for Mr. Sleazy McQueen (in collaboration with the mysterious B Stalz). Like Space Ghost in scuba gear, we’re cosmically exploring the depths here, the dark waters lit only by the gleam of a slowly rotating disco ball. Really. Have a listen:
Here’s a remix I put together for local Orlando label Chillin Music and Peruvian producer Alvaro Ernesto. Delving further into ‘perceived space’, it’s a deeply disco-tastic reworking. This is also the first in a series of Lost In A Tunnel remixes, AKA Don’t fear the reverb. I sorta really like the build and melody in this one. Listen:
As a reminder, I’m always up for remixing if your label or song is in need of something like the above. Feel free to contact me by clicking HERE. (more…)
Here’s an example of the different directions a remix can go. Last summer I was asked by London duo Kicksy & Alif Groove to remix their cool track “Out Of Nowhere”. I guess I was in one of those moods, and I have been experimenting with the idea of ‘contextual space’ lately (long story), so what came out of their glassy tech-house song was this somewhat pulsating revision:
It’s an exercise in a bit of crafty ebb-and-flow with a dusty spring reverb supplying some of the moist atmosphere. Early 80′s style goth-rock bass guitar and the surprise spaghetti western moment notwithstanding this turned into one of my favorite remixes as of late.
And, it also illustrates one of those odd situations where as a remixer I know I may not be going in the direction that the artist or label imagined for their single, but I can’t stop because I’m digging the result so much. That’s why, upon completion, I took this new version and decided to just remix it again, in a more decidedly club-wise fashion. Here’s what we ended up with:
This version is a bit closer in vibe to the original track with the bouncy bassline leading the charge. Yes, there’s a none-too-subtle nod to “Plastic Dreams” … good ear. Quite different, indeed, but you’ll notice the subtle connection in sounds and melody. I’m also really into the snakey bass bit where it stretches out while the space tone-hits signal on top. (more…)
This is a set recorded at the monthly “Black Pancakes” party at The Triple Crown in San Francisco. The party is named “Black Pancakes” as the DJs for the night are limited to just playing vinyl records. So, yes, this is a 100% vinyl set and, in honor of that, I span the years of my vinyl collection, including favorite tracks both new and old. Enjoy!
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a new DJ mix here but I’m hoping the frequency increases in the coming months. Soon I should be making an announcement regarding a monthly online radio show I’m launching which will mean monthly mixes that I’ll post here. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, here’s the free DJ mix I gave away at our April 2009 ¡Club Queso! party in Orlando, FL. I’m personally quite into this one, as it starts in a deep, techy house realm and smoothly evolves into the funky stuff. I hope you’ll dig it as well. (more…)
