So folks, I am currently listening to a remixes album of one of my favourite artists. I am left thinking about how entire albums of remixes can leave us with feelings of love or hate. To further this idea, I remembered the entire remix album brought forth by the artist Ciara which featured several remixes of the hit song 1-2 step. For those of you who don't recall the album, here's a link to youtube's version of one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBHNgV6_znU particular (probably the original) version.
The amount of disdain towards Ciara's entire remix album, contrasted with my own personal love of the Nine Inch Nails Year Zero Remixes (and APC's Remix album, both really good) is one experience of remix culture that I wanted to share. To break down the difference: the Nine Inch Nails album was released long after the artist was 'established', and all the remixes were created by 'established' Djs and other artists. The reason why I use the word 'established' in scare quotes is to show that establishing oneself as an artist is arbitrary. In this case it just means that they've been around for awhile, whereas Ciara had only recently debuted on the music scene.
So the question remains, for you as listeners/participants in remix culture: can a remix album make you love your chosen artist even more? Is there anything better to hear a great remix to your favourite song?
You can sometimes find new ways to enjoy particular songs: see here, two versions of A Perfect Circle's The Outsider. It's a little heavier than the aforeposted Florence and the Machine, but the remix is actually more popular than the original song (as it is in Residence Evil Apocalypse, hence the remix name)
The original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzyNWyZhUS0
The remix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzrWETIc28M
I remember back in the good ol' 90s, I was a huge Alanis Morisette fan. Particularly I remember repeating her album, "Jagged Little Pill" over and over, easily making it one of my all time favourite albums. I believe it was ten years after the release of this album she came out with an Acoustic version of the exact same album. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I think it was because I already knew that I love the songs on the album, but this way I get to hear it in a way I had never heard it before, and that's why it was successful and why I bought it. So, yes, I would argue that a remix album can be a successful way for an artist to re-introduce themselves to their fanbase. Worked on me!
ReplyDeleteI was unaware of the Ciara backlash and I find it surprising.
ReplyDeleteCalendar Girl, to address your point about established artists being remix worthy, lets get right down to it and start talking about Lady Gaga. At this point in her career, Gaga has released more remixes than original songs. This is great. The more varied beats with which I can sing along to "Love Game" the better (especially while Marilyn Manson sings along incorporating a little of Bowie's "Fame").
Despite the above testament of the Ciara backlash, I believe that the remix and the remix album serves to solidify an artist's "established" status. Gaga serves as a recent example of this and almost any electronic artist is established by their remixes (of other artists and of their own work remixed by other artists). The remix or the remix album serves as a stamp of cultural approval while establishing the artist as a "real artist" like Gaga.
I'm not sure that a remix can make me love or hate an artist more.. but I definitely feel like a good cover song can make or break someone for me. In my opinion, cover songs can be considered a type of remix (to an extent) and I'm not going to lie.. when I heard John Mayer cover the song 'Free Fallin' he automatically gained an extra 10 points.
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