Remixes give music new life


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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Charles Colton, a writer as old as the earth and as dead as mixtapes, quipped this fantastic little line way back in the day. But this quote doesn’t just apply to the girl in your film class who decided to purchase the exact same shoes after seeing you wear them.

It applies to music, too. After all, disc jockeys around the world make a living enhancing familiar sounds with their own flair.

USC students unfamiliar with the mash-up and remix scenes received a taste of this exciting world back in fall 2012, when Program Board and Undergraduate Student Government brought the ingenious DJ duo, The White Panda, to campus.

The following playlist features an eccentric collection of artists who have stripped down or jazzed up the work of others. If you’re looking to change things up in life this week, enjoy this collection. Headphones are recommended to fully enjoy the experience.

1.  “Diggin’ Ray Charles” by MashMike

DJ MashMike, hailing from Germany, boasts a SoundCloud profile stocked with wacky mixes of the greatest hits. In this selection, he combines the catchy vocals of Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” with the unorthodox Chiddy Bang number, “Ray Charles.” MashMike’s version stays pretty true to the original, save the beats. So you can still sing along to this mash-up without being caught off-guard.

2. “6 Foot 7 Foot” by J-Trick 

Forget Lil Wayne’s verses. By simply sampling the “six-foot, seven-foot, eight-foot, bunch” hook from the Carter IV album, Australian DJ J-Trick makes this track killer. The unbelievable bass and skillful use of the synthesizer, electronic music’s manna, gives “6 foot 7 foot” a complete face-lift.

3. “Clarity” by Aylen

Unlike J-Trick, Aylen is not as prominent in the electronic world. But Zedd’s song, “Clarity,” is definitely no stranger to ’SC. You’ve heard this song so much that you can sing it in your sleep — and most likely have done so already. Electronic producer Aylen’s version leaves listeners with a far more euphoric feeling due to its faster tempo and imaginative background beats. If Aylen keeps this game up, we’ll certainly see more of him around town.

4. “Royals” by Ross Horkings

Some songs are so good you never want to see the word “remix” next to them. The thought of some weird-looking dude butchering your favorite anthem is simply unacceptable. But Ross Horkings is neither a weird-looking dude nor a man who has butchered an international favorite. In fact, he serves up an irresistibly caffeinated account of Lorde’s popular single. Though radically different from the original, Horkings’ adaptation does justice to Lorde’s talent.

5. “Firefly” by The White Panda

“Firefly” is arguably the most mind-blowing mash-up on The White Panda’s most recent album, Bearly Legal. The intelligent minds behind The White Panda, Dan Griffith and Tom Evans, have seamlessly blended four hits: Ellie Goulding’s “Anything Could Happen,” A$AP Rocky ft. Kendrick Lamar’s “F*ckin’ Problems,” Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Snow (Hey Oh)” and The Lumineers’ “Ho Hey.”

6. “Fix You” by Aylen

Electronic producer Aylen is so good he gets a double feature — this version of U.K. band Coldplay’s popular song, “Fix You,” his addictive sounds breathe fresh air into a rather melancholic song. Some electronic enthusiasts describe similar renderings as “chillstep,” a musical genre likened to dubstep but with slower, calming tones and heavy bass. For the latter portion of this playlist, we’ll explore less fast-paced choices, so you can put away your dancing shoes for now.

7. “Concrete Wall” by RAC

Remix artists from around the globe make up RAC, which stands for Remix Artist Collective. Their most popular productions have altered the sounds of artists such as The Temper Trap and Lana Del Rey. In this lesser-known selection, they’ve injected a funky and synthetic feel into Malaysian artist Zee Avi’s tender voice.

8. “Atlas Hands” by Kashii

For this song, headphones aren’t just advised, they’re required. Benjamin Francis Leftwich, an artist from York, England, possesses a spellbinding voice — airy, yet dynamic. British DJ Kashii has carefully remixed Leftwich’s most popular song, “Atlas Hands,” to produce an equally entrancing edition.

If you enjoy this version of “Atlas Hands,” I also highly recommend the Karma Kid remix. Karma Kid’s version barely resembles original, but the innovation makes it a keeper.

9. “Old Pine” by Peking Duk

Remixing acoustic or folk music requires serious talent. After all, how can you take a song meant for enjoyment while lounging lakeside and turn it into a club-worthy track without irking a few hipsters? Somehow, Australian DJ duo, Peking Duk, took the mesmerizing voice of Ben Howard and transformed his song, “Old Pine,” into a radical work of art. Peking Duk sampled Ben Howard’s melodious voice for their intro, but just wait for the beat drop 10 seconds in. The song assumes an entirely different character and instead of objecting to the change, you’ll embrace it.

Rini Sampath is a sophomore majoring in international relations (global business). Her column “Traveler’s Tracks” runs Mondays.

Follow on Twitter @RiniSampath