Jiminy Hop’s latest release features the original mix and the artist’s remix of his own track.
Remixing a track for another artist is common place in the world of dance music. Bringing another artist on board for the release is a great way to get more attention to the track, add a new vibe and mood to the release, and offer a promotional platform for other artists.
But have you ever thought about remixing your own track?
Because remixing your own song has a ton of hidden benefits that go far beyond the conventional approaches to remixing. And nobody knows this better than Jiminy Hop.
Jiminy Hop recently had a release on David Hohme’s Where The Heart Is Records which included an original mix of his latest track ‘Feeling Alive’ alongside a remix by none other than… Jiminy Hop.
Listen to the differences between the two versions below, as we will be discussing them even more in depth throughout the length of this article. We’ve also included a few more places to stream it throughout the piece so the comparisons are easy to reference.
Why Would You Want To Remix Your Own Song?
When I wrote ‘Feeling Alive’, I had a specific vision of this track, its sound and mood. But at some point I realized that it was possible to reimagine the ideas behind the track from a more mainstream and commercial perspective in hopes to reach a wider audience.
We knew this might be a risk because there are many advantages to remixing yourself and attracting more attention from a wider audience, but there are also a ton of disadvantages.
Learn How Luciano Elvira Made His Track On Where The Heart Is <<<
The disadvantages would be that I did not want to deviate too much into the main ethos of the track. I only wanted to change the wrapper of the song while keeping the core message the same.
Sure, some other producer would certainly have made a remix in his own style and with his own flavor, and it might have been even more interesting, but I had a very special intention in mind when remixing my self on ‘Feeling Alive,’ and the result isn’t that bad!
Advice On Remixing Yourself
When I am remixing myself, I like to mute different elements and random and see what remains. This often gives birth to completely new track ideas in your head. New vibes, new moods, and fresh perspectives that you might not have thought of before.
With these fresh perspectives, you can approach your new remix with a ton of new ideas such as new sounds, different types of processing on the synths, messing with the pitch or timing of the stems, and other spatial effects that can make some really cool results.
Remixing Yourself: Before & After
How To Decide Which Elements To Keep And Which To Remove When Remixing Yourself
I usually try and keep the most defining elements of the original and remove all of the rest. So I’ll keep distinct pads, leads or vocals but delete things like the drums or the bass line.
Learn How To Produce Amazing Ambient Vocals In Your Next Track Here <<<
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Only the main idea remains and maybe some atmospheres. After doing this, I can pretty much make any track in any genre from the elements that remain since it’s the beat and the groove that really defines what the track will turn into.
Remixing Yourself Vs. Remixing Another Artist
When you are remixing yourself, it is often hard to deviate enough from the original idea and create something fresh and inventive. In the case of my ‘Feeling Alive’ remix, the very idea of writing a whole new remix around a track I had already created from scratch seemed to be very complicated.
In order to get myself out of the mindset of the original mix and into a new vibe for the remix, I only took a small portion stems and elements from the original and used those to help manifest a small starting point that eventually became the remix.
What Do You Learn When You Remix Yourself?
Jiminy Hop Sets To Work Remixing His Latest Single On Where The Heart Is Records
The sad reality is that remixing a track is much easier that writing and producing an original song. It was this thought that flashed through my mind when I was doing this remix. It’s simple, there is already and idea, harmony, and atmosphere. All I had to do was change the beat, the mood, a little arrangement, and that’s it, it’s done.
Compare this to when you are writing an original track, which takes a ton of time to take a basic idea and turn it into a fully fleshed out production. When it comes to remixing yourself, you often learn new and exciting ways to experiment and flip a basic idea (which is not as easy as it would seem).
Learn How Sleepy & Boo Made Their Track On Where The Heart Is <<<
Where To Start Remixing Your Own Track
If you want to remix your own track, you need to find the main element or elements in the track, some characteristic sounds.
Next, remove everything else and start experimenting with what is left such as the harmonies, leads, vocals, or even the beat.
Before long, you will have an entirely new track with a totally different mood. Then the process will go on by itself and the remix will very soon be close to completion.
Surprisingly, sometimes you may even like the sound of the remix more than the original.
Tips To Make Remixes More Unique
In order for the remix to be unique, it is necessary first of all to experiment.
You definitely need to get new sounds from the stems and elements you are give. I often take loops, samples, cut them, change them, process them with all kinds of plugins and get a very unexpected result, which usually turn out to be amazing.
Over time, your remixes will sound characteristic of the remixer, their unique voice and sound will be heard. This original sound is, without a doubt, the biggest sign of an experienced and talented producer.
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