Welcome back, music lovers. This week I want to devote at least in part to remixes that barely resemble the original mix. In dance music, remixes used to be viewed as little more than b-sides, or included more for utilitarian purposes. By the late 1980s and 1990s the remix became viewed as an art form in its own right. Often remixes are done in a way to sufficiently reference the original track, perhaps emphasizing something a bit differently. Occasionally, a remix might be so different that one may wonder if the artist responsible for the remix even listened to the original track (Aphex Twin liked to do that, back when he was a big name).
Let’s start out with a track called Belong, originally written and performed by Spooky, a Manchester-based house duo, and released in 2002:
A pretty decent club track, and one that would invite plenty of ideas for remixes. Spooky had collaborated with another UK-based DJ, known as Sasha, and Sasha would offer his own remix on his first of three Involver compilations. Eventually in 2011, a new remix of Belong (this time referred to as the Shasha Involver-Prankster Bootleg Edit) happened, and got picked up by the Anjunadeep label – first released on YouTube and then included on one of their compilation albums (I think one that duo Above and Beyond put together). By this point, there is practically nothing left of the original track. Still, nine minutes of bliss, if you like deep house or trance.
If you’re curious about Sasha’s original remix (released in 2004), start at the 36:30 mark of this video and you’ll realize he stayed fairly true to the original. The more recent edit though is still one I love to crank up on long commutes.
Here is the first track off of Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2, known as Cliffs
That is one of those great chillout tunes I might use for background music while writing. Eventually an ensemble known as Alarm Will Sound would recreate this song quite faithfully using only acoustic instruments and vocals:
Here’s a live performance. The studio version is also well worth hearing:
That is a faithful reproduction. Now, let’s hear the remix that came as a bonus with the CD when released last decade:
That remix has a very different flavor. This you can groove to. The original is pure chillout. Either one will treat you right.
Cabaret Voltaire had fun remixing their own tracks – especially near the end in the early 1990s. They released an under-appreciated minimal synth album of remixes of their early hits, and that generated an EP or two as well, with even more remix magick. Case in point, Kino which was in circulation in video and in the clubs back in 1985:
This wasn’t the first I’d heard of the Cabs – they had some tracks and vids making their way to the States the previous year – but the paranoia in the song and video is spellbinding.
In 1992, they did a fairly straight remix, blending in contemporary trends in electronic dance music (the vid I am including was not done by the Cabs, but by a fan):
And then they did several more remixes of this same song. Here is one that contains some elements of the original, but sort of goes in its own direction:
The Cabs were always fascinated with both the authoritarian and anti-authoritarian undercurrents in US culture, and used that for inspiration while composing and compiling samples. Made for some fascinating listening back in the day.
Normally we don’t talk about turntablists and DJs doing remixes of “classical” composers. Steve Reich is a bit of an exception. Minimalism is a direct antecedent of so much of the music that I love, and Steve Reich is a composer whose work I have followed since my early teens. Elements of several of his compositions are combined in this track by Tranquility Bass (an artist who was on the scene only briefly):
I am familiar with each of these pieces individually, and when I am in a quite space (definitely not while commuting), love to play them. Combined, they take on a new life. The whole album (Reich Remixed) is well worth seeking out.
Any era of Miles is fine by me, although my preference is inevitably for his work during the first half of the 1970s. That music, too, provides much material for those wishing to try their hand at remixes. In fact, at one point, Bill Laswell not only got the opportunity to create remixes of music from that portion of Miles’ canon, but then an opportunity to let some DJs loose to remix the remixes. Crazy? Probably. But it worked more often than not. Take Rated X from the album Get Up With It:
His Stockhausen meets James Brown meets Sly and the Family Stone filtered through his own vision of improvisation as “controlled freedom” is on full display. Now, let’s hear how it gets filtered through Doc Scott:
Somewhere, deep in the mix is the original. We were having a lot of fun during the 1990s – actually there was quite a bit of experimentation going on among DJs and turntablists at the time as I recall. I was picking up some of this stuff on what was then a brand new company called Amazon (local record stores where I lived at the time were not as reliable with mail order as where I’d previously lived). Those were different times.
The tips and recs are always appreciated. I am sure Neon Vincent will have the bar open before all is said and done. Can mixed drinks be remixed? Let’s find out?
“I am sure Neon Vincent will have the bar open before all is said and done. Can mixed drinks be remixed? Let’s find out?”
That’s my cue!
When I searched for “remix” on Tipsy Bartender’s YouTube channel, Four Easy Tequila Drinks was the top result returned. Coincidentally, the day before yesterday was National Tequila Day. Works for me!
Tomorrow is National Scotch Day, so I’ll post a cocktail recipe featuring that ingredient then. In the meantime, the bartender is taking requests.
Happy National Scotch Day! To celebrate, today’s drink is Braveheart.