The History of Remixing

THE SINGLE WAS A GREAT COMMERCIAL SUCCESS $URING THOSE YEARS 3ALSOUL 2ECORDSWOULDALSOBETHEHOMEOFMANYREMIXLUMINARIES INCLUDINGTHELEG ENDARY 3HEP 0ETTIBONE WHOSE WORK LAY THE FOUNDATIONS FOR THE REMIXERS OF TODAY

)NDEED3HEP0ETTIBONEHAVING FOUNDHIS FEET INDISCOWENTON TODO REMIX WORK FOR 4HE 0ET 3HOP "OYS AND ,EVEL IN THEMID S BEFOREWORKING WITH -ADONNA (IS lRST ACHIEVEMENT WITH THE MATERIAL GIRL WAS HIS h#OLOR -IXv OF h4RUE "LUEv IN AND THIS LED TO FURTHER WELL KNOWN REMIXES OF h#AUSING A #OMMOTIONv h,IKE A 0RAYERv AND h%XPRESS 9OURSELFv 3OON THE REMIXER BECAME THE SONGWRITER AND PRODUCER WHEN HE COLLABORATED WITH -ADONNAONHERSINGLEh6OGUEvANDHERALBUMErotica4HISWASREALLYAMAJOR STEP BECAUSE PRIOR TO THIS REMIXERS HADBEEN JUST THAT REMIXERS 0ETTIBONES COLLABORATIONWITH-ADONNAONh6OGUEvREALLYMADEANIMPORTANTSTATEMENT THAT THEWORLDOF REMIXINGHADDEVELOPEDANDACHIEVEDA LEVELOFSOPHISTICA TION EQUAL TO THAT OF ACTUAL PRODUCTION/F COURSE REMIXERS ARE NOWUSUALLY PERCEIVEDASBEINGEQUALSINTERMSOFSKILLSANDTECHNICALKNOWLEDGEBUTPRIOR TOh6OGUEvINTHISHADNTBEENTHECASE

4HETHIRDMAJORDEVELOPMENTINREMIXINGALSOHAPPENEDATAROUNDTHETIMEOF THE3ALSOUL2ECORDSREMIXESANDWASBORNOFAFUSIONOFTHE*AMAICANDANCE HALL CULTURES AND 53 DISCO SOUNDS FOLLOWING AN INmUX OF *AMAICAN IMMI GRANTS TO.EW9ORK )CONIC$*'RANDMASTER&LASHWASONEOF THElRSTPEOPLE TOUSEhCUTTINGvANDhSCRATCHINGvTECHNIQUESTOCREATEMUSICALCOLLAGESINREAL TIME7HILE THESE TECHNIQUESWOULD LATERBE INCORPORATED INTO REMIXING IN A MOREPLANNEDWAYTHISWASAVALUABLEADDITIONTOTHEREMIXERSTOOLBOXANDIT ALSOBECAMEONEOFTHETRADEMARKSOFHIPHOPMUSIC

$URINGTHESMOSTREMIXESWEREBASEDONREARRANGEMENTSOFTHEEXISTING MUSICALPARTS AND AS SUCH THEYDIDNTPARTICULARLY CHANGE THE GENREORMAR KETOF THE SONGS(OWEVERWITH THEBIRTHOFHOUSEMUSIC IN THE EARLY S AND ITS PHENOMENAL GROWTH THROUGHOUTMID AND LATE S A NEW FORMOF REMIXEMERGEDTHATALSOTOOKADVANTAGEOFIMPROVEMENTSINMUSICTECHNOLOGY DURING THAT TIME 4HROUGHOUT THES ANDS ARTISTS SUCH AS+RAFTWERK *EAN -ICHEL *ARRE AND 6ANGELIS HAD BEEN EXPLORING THESE NEW SYNTHESIZERS ANDSEQUENCERSANDTHISLAIDTHEGROUNDWORKFORHOUSEMUSICWHICHINTURN DEVELOPEDINTOTHENUMEROUSFORMSOFDANCEMUSICWEHAVETODAY-ANYACTU ALLYCONSIDERSOMEOFTHEHI .2'FORMSOFDISCOTOBETHEDIRECTANCESTORSOF HOUSEMUSICBECAUSEOF THE INCREASINGUSEOFDRUMMACHINESANDSEQUENCED BASS LINES7HILE THEACTUAL SOUNDOF$ONNA3UMMERSh)&EEL,OVEvWITH ITS NOWLEGENDARY'IORGIO-ORODERSEQUENCEDBASS LINEMIGHTBEA FARCRY FROM SOMEOFTHEEARLY#HICAGOHOUSEMUSICTHEREAREMANYSIMILARITIESNOTLEASTOF WHICHISTHEROCK SOLIDTIMINGANDLARGELYREPETITIVENATURE

&OLLOWING THE EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF DANCE MUSIC DURING THE S REMIXES STARTED TO TAKEA SLIGHTLYDIFFERENTDIRECTIONANDEVOLVEMORE TOWARDWHATWE GENERALLYASSOCIATEWITHREMIXESTODAY4HEREMIXERSOFTHELATESANDEARLY SWEREUSINGLESSANDLESSOFTHEORIGINALINSTRUMENTATIONINTHEIRREMIXES

ANDUSINGMORENEWLY CREATEDMUSICALPARTS4HE RAPIDADVANCES IN SEQUENC ING AND-)$) BASEDMUSICMADE THIS EASIER AND AS THE TECHNOLOGY EVOLVED SODID THE CREATIVITYOF THE REMIXERS 0ERHAPSONEOF THE EARLIEST EXAMPLESOF THEhMODERNvREMIXCAMEINWITH3TEVEh3ILKv(URLEYSREMIXOF2OBERTA &LACKS h5H /H ,OOK /UTv7HAT WAS NOVEL ABOUT THIS REMIX WAS THAT only THEVOCALFROMTHEORIGINALTRACKWASUSEDWITHallOFTHEMUSICALPARTSBEING NEWLY CREATED 4HIS METHOD OF REMIXING IS STANDARD FARE THESE DAYS BUT AT THE TIME ITWAS REVOLUTIONARY AND REALLYWAS A LANDMARK IN THE EVOLUTIONOF REMIXES

!RGUABLY ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS DANCE RECORDS OF ALL TIME WAS -!223 h0UMP5PTHE6OLUMEv3HORTLYAFTERITSRELEASEINITWENTTONUMBERIN THE5+CHARTSITALSORECEIVEDA'RAMMYNOMINATIONIN!LTHOUGHNOT TECHNICALLYAREMIXTHESONGUSEDMANYPOPULARREMIXTECHNIQUESOFTHETIME ANDWASCOMPOSEDALMOSTENTIRELYOF SAMPLESOFOTHER RECORDS )T SPAWNEDA WHOLEhSAMPLINGvSUBCULTUREWHICHDURINGTHEEARLYSWOULDLEADTOA WAVEOFTRACKSTHATUSEDSAMPLINGTOGREATEFFECT

!S SEQUENCING TECHNOLOGY MOVED AWAY FROM DEDICATED HARDWARE UNITS AND BECAMEMORECOMPUTER BASEDANDTHESOMETIMESPROHIBITIVELYEXPENSIVEAND COMPARATIVELY LIMITED ANALOG SYNTHESIZERS AND DRUMMACHINES STARTED TO BE REPLACEDBYMOREVERSATILEANDCHEAPERDIGITALONES ITBECAMEPOSSIBLETODO MOREFORLESSMONEY!LSOAROUNDTHISTIMEMOREAFFORDABLESAMPLERSSTARTED TOENTERTHEMARKETPLACE4HEARRIVALOFTHIShTRIPLETHREATvRADICALLYCHANGEDTHE DANCEMUSICGENREANDTHERISEOFDANCEMUSICTOTHETOPOFTHECOMMERCIAL CHARTSBEGANINEARNEST

4HERAVESCENEINTHE5+INTHEEARLYSSPAWNEDAHUGENUMBEROFTRACKS THAT SAMPLEDOTHER SONGSORDIALOG FROMlLMSOR46SHOWS ANDUSED THESE OFTENSPED UPSAMPLESASTHEBASISFORNEWSONGS!LTHOUGHTHESESONGSWERE OFTENMARKETEDAShORIGINALvTHEYWERETOSOMEEXTENTBASEDAROUNDTHESAME PRINCIPLESASTHEREMIXESTHATWEREHAPPENINGATTHETIME!STHISWASTHEDAWN OF THESAMPLEDMUSICGENERATIONMANYOF THESESONGSINCLUDINGh0UMP5P THE 6OLUMEv WERE COMMERCIALLY RELEASED WITHOUT LEGAL ACTION 4ODAY IT IS EXTREMELYDOUBTFULTHATASINGLEONEOFTHEMWOULDBERELEASEDWITHOUTSECUR INGBOTHSOUNDRECORDINGANDPUBLISHINGCLEARANCE!TTHETIMEHOWEVERTHESE THINGSWERE IFNOT IGNOREDAT THEVERY LEASTNOTPURSUEDSODILIGENTLYAS THEY ARE TODAY !S A RESULT OF THIS YET ANOTHER NEW KIND OF hREMIXv EVOLVED THE MASHUP

!LTHOUGHAMASHUPISNTAREMIXINTHESENSETHUSFARDESCRIBEDITISTOSOME EXTENTAT LEASTSTILLWITHINOURINITIALDElNITIONOFAREMIXANALTERNATIVEVER SIONOFASONG!MASHUPISAMIXOREDITOF TWOORSOMETIMESMORE OTHER SONGS TO CREATE A NEW ONE -OST OFTEN MASHUPS CONTAIN LITTLE OR NO ACTUAL MUSIC ADDED BYWHOEVER CREATED THEM )NMANYWAYS THEY COULD HAVE BEEN ANDOFTENARE CREATEDBYASIMPLE$*SETUPOFACOUPLEOFDECKSANDAMIXER 3AMPLING AND SEQUENCING TECHNOLOGY OBVIOUSLY MAKES THIS EASIER THAN TRY INGTOMIXBEAT MATCHKEEPINSYNCANDRECUERECORDS!DVANCEDTECHNOLOGY

FACILITATESMOREELABORATEANDCLEVERMASHUPSANDTHISSTYLEOFREMIXINGISSTILL VERYPOPULAR#REATINGAMASHUPCANBETECHNICALLYDIFlCULTSINCEYOUAREDEAL INGWITHMIXINGTOGETHERTWOFULLTRACKSWHOSEMUSICALELEMENTSDONTALWAYS COMPLEMENTEACHOTHEROREVENMATCHATALL/NTHATBASISA$*ORPRODUCER OFTEN LOOKS FOR AN A CAPPELLA TRACK PURELY VOCALS AND MIXES THIS OVER AN INSTRUMENTALTRACK4HISMETHODREDUCESMANYOFTHETECHNICALPROBLEMSASSO CIATEDWITHMAKINGMASHUPSBUTDOESNTOVERCOMECONCERNSABOUTLEGALUSAGE

!S REMIXING CULTURE GREW THROUGHOUT THE SMORE ANDMOREMAINSTREAM ARTISTS EMBRACED THE IDEA OF THE REMIX )N SOME INSTANCES THIS WAS SIMPLY BY SPEAKING OUT IN APPROVAL OF THE REMIXES OF THEIR WORK BOTH OFlCIAL REMIXES ANDhBOOTLEGSvORMASHUPS /VERTHEYEARSARTISTSSUCHAS.INE)NCH.AILSAND %RASURE HAVE MADE THE ORIGINAL MULTITRACK RECORDINGS OF THEIR WORK AVAILABLE PUBLICLYTOALLOWFANSTOCREATETHEIROWNREMIXES3OMEOFTHESEREMIXESHAVE EVENENDEDUPBEINGRELEASEDCOMMERCIALLYBYANORIGINALARTISTSRECORDLABEL 4HISISQUITEARAREOCCURRENCEHOWEVERANDTOTHISDAYTHERECANBEQUITEALOT OFRESISTANCETOTHESOMETIMESRADICAL CHANGESAREMIXCANBRINGTOTHEORIGINAL RECORDING 3OMEARTISTSHAVEALWAYSBEENMOREOPEN MINDED AND SOMEMORE PROTECTIVEOFTHEIRWORK)DONTIMAGINETHISWILLCHANGEANYTIMESOON

!NOTHER WAY IN WHICH ARTISTS HAVE SHOWN THEIR SUPPORT AND EMBRACED THE REMIX CULTURE IS THROUGH THE RECORDING OF ADDITIONAL VOCALS SPECIlCALLY FOR A REMIXEDVERSION4HISDATESBACK TO THE VERY EARLYSWHEN-ARIAH#AREY BECAMETHElRSTMAINSTREAMARTISTKNOWNTORERECORDAVOCALFORAREMIXEDVER SIONOFONEOFHERSONGSANDWITHINA FEWYEARSNEARLYALLOFHERSONGSHAD RERECORDED VOCALS FOR USE IN THE CLUB REMIXES OF HER TRACKS-ANY OTHER ART ISTS HAVEDONE SIMILAR THINGS IN TERMSOF RERECORDING VOCALS SPECIlCALLY FOR A REMIXED VERSION AND SOME HAVE ACTUALLY WRITTEN AND RECORDED NEWMATERIAL FORTHEREMIX4HISSCENARIOISMOREPREVALENTINRAPANDHIP HOPMUSICWHERE REMIXES WITH hGUESTv APPEARANCES BY OTHER ARTISTSRAPPERS HAVE BECOME THE NORM!SREMIXESGREWINPOPULARITYONCEAGAINSODIDTHEPOSSIBILITIES THAT EXISTEDWITHRERECORDEDVOCALSNEWMATERIALANDGUESTAPPEARANCES

/VERTIMETHEUNSTOPPABLERISEOFTHEREMIXCONTINUEDFUELEDBYTHEGROWTH AND INCREASING DIVERSITY OF DANCE MUSIC ITSELF 3LOWLY AND SURELY REMIXES BECAME PRETTYMUCH INDISPENSABLE AND BEGAN TO BE SEEN AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE PROMOTIONAL PLAN FORMANY COMMERCIAL RELEASES 3OMUCH SO THAT IN $EF *AM 2ECORDS COMMISSIONED REMIXES OF EVERY TRACK FROM 2IHANNAS MASSIVELY SUCCESSFUL Good Girl Gone Bad ALBUM SUBSEQUENTLY RELEASING A hLIMITEDEDITIONvOF THEALBUMTHAT INCLUDED THE REMIX#$4HERECANBENO DENYINGTHATREMIXINGHASBECOMEANIMPORTANTASPECTOFMODERNMUSICCUL TURE *OHN6ON3EGGERN FROM THE5NIVERSITYOF#ALIFORNIAS %THNOMUSICOLOGY $EPARTMENTSTATESTHATAREMIXIS

a major conceptual leap: making music on a meta-structural level, drawing together and making sense of a much larger body of information by threading together a continuous narrative through it. This is what begins to emerge very early in the hip-hop tradition in

works such as Grandmaster Flash’s pioneering recording “Adventures on the Wheels of Steel.” The importance of this cannot be overstated: in an era of information overload, the art of remixing and sampling as practiced by hip-hop DJs and producers points to ways of working with information on higher levels of organization, pulling together the efforts of others into a multi-layered, multi-referential whole which is much more than the sum of its parts.