About

A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. A remixer uses audio mixing to compose an alternate master recording of a song, adding or subtracting elements, or simply changing the equalization, dynamics, pitch, tempo, playing time, or almost any other aspect of the various musical components.

Some remixes involve substantial changes to the arrangement of a recorded work, but many are harmonic, such as creating a "vocal up" version of a song that emphasizes the lead singer's voice. Contemporary remixes are often produced in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), which allow producers to reorganize tracks and apply various effects.

Remixes are highly popular in the rap community due to rappers wishing to put their name on a popular song to up their "Street Cred". A song that was subject to a slur of remixes was All Gold Everything by Trinidad James. The song was remixed by many rappers, including 2 Chainz, Tyga, and Honey Cocaine.

Origin

Since the beginnings of recorded sound in the late 19th century, technology has enabled people to rearrange the normal listening experience. With the advent of easily editable magnetic tape in the 1940s and 1950s and the subsequent development of multitrack recording, such alterations became more common. In those decades the experimental genre of musique concrète used tape manipulation to create sound compositions. Less artistically lofty edits produced medleys or novelty recordings of various types.

Notable Examples