From Beastie Boys to Delhi 2 Dublin, Remixes Boost Creativity & Marketing
Remixes have long offered a creative take on singles, especially in hip hop and dance music. But remixes also offer a variety of marketing benefits for both the artists being remixed and the dj doing the remixing and can now be regularly found for rock releases as well. Leah Collins took a look at some examples of creative remixing for Montreal's Gazette including a world music example in Vancouver's Delhi 2 Dublin.
Don't Play No Game Major Lazer Remix by Beastie Boys
She starts with the example of the Beastie Boys "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" that was remixed by multiple entities including Major Lazer for a lengthy ep that even included an A Cappella "Make Your Own" offering. Such releases tend to give established acts a fresh look while often boosting the individuals doing the remixing. The A Cappella versions also allow for widespread involvement that can lead to unexpected results.
As followers of RCRD LBL have known, rock has also been fair game for remixes, which they now highlight with the recent creation of dedicated channels for hip hop, rock and dance music.
Collins points to Toronto duo Bonjay's marketing boost from remixes of TV on the Radio's "Staring at the Sun" and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Maps" as an example of rock remixes.
But the most unique approach she shares is that of Delhi 2 Dublin, an eclectic world music group out of Vancouver, that put out an additional remix album for each album they release. The effort is not as unlikely as it sounds given that some members of the band also have a background in dance music. However, though they've done well with remixes by DJ Swami, they insist that they will only work with people they like rather than focusing on dj's that can boost their image.
To some degree it seems that, like cover songs, remixes have become much stronger vehicles for gaining attention and even sometimes making money with the advent of the Web and such sites as YouTube and SoundCloud. Though they tend to end up in either the hip hop or dance music category, it would certainly be interesting to explore the creative and marketing possibilities of remixes that approach songs from other genres as has happened with covers like The Gourds' version of Snoop Dogg's "Gin & Juice".
Article link via Adrian "Buzzsonic" Fusiarski.
Hypebot contributor Clyde Smith is a freelance writer and blogger. He is currently relaunching Flux Research to pursue his long-standing obsession with web business models. To suggest music services and related topics for review at Hypebot, please contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
