Evaluating "The Remix"

Oh, remixes. Often categorized as God's mistakes, blasphemy toward the original artists' work, a perversion of original talent, and the root of all evil, the "remix" is over dramatized and over politicized. I know a good number of people who scoff at the notion of a remix of a song being just as good or even better than the original, which is their preference. However, I believe a remix to be neither an excuse to avoid recording new content nor a correction of a failed attempt at a song.

A remix works on three levels, regardless if not every listener is a fan of one or not. The first being audience expansion. There will be those who enjoy the work of the track's original artist and that of the artist who performs or programs the remix. If this is the case, the listener will most likely be inclined to delve for further information on this new artist and expand their music library. Some listeners may experience the same effect, but in reverse. Furthermore, if a remix artist is in focus, more of their remixes will fall into light.

Secondly, a remix acts as an artist's way of expressing their own personal take on a particular track. This could be either a complete reinterpretation of how they would program the song, or additions to it to add personal flair and talent. It is an outlet for creative addition, which brings me to my third point. A remix does work for the artists themselves, drawing upon each others' talents to fuel ideas for future projects. Through a remix, a new sound style, modular synth pattern, or other electronic effects may be made apparent to an artist for future use.

Legitimacy is more than just the whim of a stubborn listener. Remixes promote progressive sound and advancement, whether or not your buddy hears one and says "Oh my God...Man this is terrible; turn this shit off," in which case you should bluntly offer a pimp-slap.