Are remixes falling out of touch with the music industry’s standards?
One cold evening I get into my car and find that my aux cord isn’t working (Canadian weather amiright?). So I turned on the radio, and the first song that starts playing is Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” only it was a dance remix by Jonas Blue and Dakota.
My first thought was, “Oh wow, that’s so cool to have taken a beloved song and interpreted it as your own.” Then, my thoughts turned sour after hearing the progression of the verse into the chorus. The flute-like synth preset felt washed down and the singing was cold and emotionless.
While dance remixes give the songs a “new look” (in terms of polishing the rough edges of decades past), is it really a good thing that we’re resorting to just taking existing songs from different genres and turning them into dance remixes that shine the original version in a shallow light? It feels as though we’re prepping them for cosmetic surgery (like a facelift) when the dance remix will age poorly while the original will age like fine wine. It’s bad enough that the music industry is already oversaturated with artists trying to write original songs.
On the other hand, remixes are a great way for producers and DJs alike to express themselves and show off their talent by adding their own style to an already released song. This is what music is supposed to be about anyways, devoid of judgment for other genres and styles of interpretation.
There are good dance remixes and those that… well, let’s just say they’re in need of more emotion and feel. Dua Lipa and Elton John’s recent “Cold Heart” remix by PNAU, for example, was great. Why? Because the composition of the remix was well thought out considering it is a medley of four Elton John songs (“Rocket Man,” “Sacrifice,” “Kiss The Bride,” and “Where’s The Shoorah?”). Eric Prydz’s cover of “Call On Me” is also a classic, originally derived from the Steve Winwood song “Valerie.”
So when is a remix a good thing? It depends on a couple of factors. Every song is subject to be rewritten, but effort plays a big role in making a good remix. To musicians, it’s obvious when a song has not taken time to develop and was just released as a means of putting out content.
Graphic by Madeline Schmidt