Watch: How to remix a track, 3 killer tips from this Sydney producer

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Byron Bay outfit Tora just put out a couple of remixes for their latest tune Wouldn’t Be The Same ft. Keelan Mak and one of the artists commissioned was none other than Sydney’s own Mookhi.

The resulting remix was a gloomy almost spooky chilled out vibe that makes use of distorted vocals and a super basic beat to really turn Wouldn’t Be The Same into something completely new and exciting. Being the absolutely top human being she is, she’s given us a quick run through of how she did it via this sweet little vid!

We took it one step further and asked her for a few tips and tricks to consider when attempting to remix a big tune, so check out the video, read the tips below and let us know if they helped! 

Tip #1 – Strip it back
How I approach a remix might be considered unconventional, but I don’t know, I don’t ever think there’s a right or wrong with music. I know a lot of people may take a good listen of the original and jot down ideas to plan their overall concept, but I find this a bit overwhelming. I like to start with simplicity so I have room to grow with my own direction. I recommend taking just 1 single stem or element of the original and simply play with ideas – like a child. Physical application of ideas may seem like it eats up time, but in the long run you’ll find things come more fluidly; you’re less analytical and maybe less critical of your process.

Tip #2 – Consider the listener’s experience
This ones a tough one. The original has already established ideas, conventions, impressions and expectations with the listener. You have a choice, you can either explore what’s already established, or create a completely new listening experience. With recontextualisation, I’d recommend finding out the original key before changing it as there may be some chords/scales or modes that will clash (but that may be the effect you’re going for, who knows?). Identifying the emotional source of the original could encourage you to explore the opposite sentiment also.

Tip #3 – Make mistakes
What people don’t consider is that you can’t force yourself to make a mistake, it just happens. It becomes a mistake once you call it one. What you can do is force yourself to further explore that mistake with a “try it for the lols” attitude – no inhibition or expectations. Having that connection to your intuition sometimes gets clouded by those nagging critical thoughts. I feel exploring a mistake, however lame or stupid it may seem, resets you a bit, and allows you to connect to that powerful intuition of yours.

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