Remixing like a true Remixer...

For my EMP remix, I am currently working on a song entitled Let You Down, recorded by a young Melbournian band called Honey Bucket.
As yet, the original song is unreleased, so I cannot link to a published post or anything of the sort, but here is a wav file of an excerpt of the track (produced by Nicholas Elliott) -

Let You Down wav
File Size:	9874 kb
File Type:	wav

Download File

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I picked the song mainly because I dig the melody, and really love the singer's voice - it's full of feeling and natural genuinity. The whole track's a nice groove too. I'd like to maintain these aspects through my remix, so I am planning to keep the vocals basically identical to the original performance (with a similar, if not same, tempo), like a sample being used by Moby or something (as previously discussed). I also want to incorporate the original bass line, and possibly the guitar part (depending on how it will suit the style of the remix) because it's a great performance. 

In terms of a particular remix 'style', there isn't a specific genre or anything I am going to try to emulate, but there are certain artists and songs whose style I enjoy that I aim to draw from... Folks I've spoken about (behind their backs) in my past blog posts - namely the Gorillaz and Radiohead - as well as some I haven't, and also a few here-and-there tracks that inspire me creatively.

I listen to Alt-J Alo-t and that's because their music is so pleasurable to listen to. The balance of their tracks is so pristine, and they have a wonderful integration between acoustic and electronic, to make extremely complex, creative and interesting tunes. Plus the rhythms are absolutely mental! The drummer is extremely unique, and the syncopation throughout the song is completely absorbing.

​Hunger Of The Pine has a wonderful undercurrent of intertwining synths that give the song its strong base, and round, full presence (the song also employs an awesome use of sampling: the female vocals, first at 1:20, are from a Miley Cyrus song!) 

Hunger Of The Pine, from the LP This Is All Yours (2014).

​Tessellate (2012) is just an insanely cool meshing of parts and pieces that individually are great, but even more astonishing in conjunction. I will never fully comprehend the brilliance of the group as artists, and their production team - the music is really at the pinnacle of where I'd like to be production-wise one day. 

Tessellate, from the LP An Awesome Wave (2012).

​Teardrop is a song I loved from first listen. Its sharpness and lucidity are really alluring, and it has a graceful air to it, whilst being powerfully fervent. The electronica presents as effortless; all the features lay within the mix so at ease and concerted 
​(and what a great video clip goodness).

Teardrop, by Massive Attack (from Mezzanine, 1998).

This one is a real suave one, and definitely a song that brought EMP to an area of real admiration for me. The opening synth riff hits you immediately, and the funk maintains throughout the track.  From the 80s drum-machine fills, to the Jamaican-style steel drum breaks, the wobbly modulating synth that sounds like a video game soundtrack, and the highly reverberant claps - it's a feel-good, loose track full of speckled electronic goodness.
I hope its sense of joy will rub off on the music I make.

Heartbeats by The Knife (from the album Deep Cuts, 2003).

I tried thinking what these songs have in common that draw me to them, and I think it's that they each boast a sort of faultless simplicity and clarity - there's not a great deal of sound invading the ear space at any one time, and you can always focus in on the individual parts.
They are nicely balanced and composed, and thoughtfully arranged... This will also hopefully be a description of the track I am to produce (wishful thinking).
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They also mainly have a stand-out riff or melody to hang on to, so I will compose something of the sort, and a rhythm that drives the whole song.

I will depend on these artists and songs to act as guides for this remix of mine, considering this is the first I have ever attempted - I am going to need help, professional help.
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I will also be keeping contact with Nicholas, who 'lent' me the this song to remix (also with permission from the band), ​and he will pass on a draft to the band to give the thumbs up, or the please-start-again-this-is-hideous, or the ol' changed-our-minds-please-leave-our-song-alone one.
Hopefully it is an all okay though, and I will ask for any feedback they can give, to hopefully produce a final product they are happy with! After all, it is their song.
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Speaking of 'them', here are the lads on Facebook and Soundcloud !