Musical Puzzle: My First Remix

(Click the image for the video!)

The Concept and the First Steps

The song wasn’t created in a single burst but in many small steps, progressing as much as my time allowed. I had a clear vision of what I wanted: a piece of music with an arc and dynamics, something that builds and arrives somewhere. It was important to me that the repetitive parts – like the choruses – wouldn’t become boring and would always offer something new.

As usual, I used the Reaper DAW. After importing the downloaded audio tracks, the first thing I listened to was the vocals. I found the singer’s work fantastic. The tracks sounded great and were professionally mixed. This in itself was inspiring. To establish my sense of harmony, I recorded the root notes of the corresponding chords using a bass guitar plugin, which later served as a foundation for the arrangement.

The “Hook”

As a guitarist, I initially envisioned a lot of guitars in the song and definitely wanted a soloistic melody on the guitar. I improvised a lot over the original arrangement, searching for “that” specific melody. When I found it, I wanted to record it quickly. But to avoid fiddling with the guitar recording setup, I used a synthesizer plugin. At the time, I thought it would be a temporary solution, but the sound found its place so well that the synthesizer stayed. This melody became the song’s “hook,” which appears in the intro and later in the choruses. However, those with a keen ear might notice that it also plays very softly in the background on a guitar. (That recording, though, was made much later.)

The Layers of Arrangement: From the Chorus to the Verses

I started the work with the chorus because I believe it’s the song’s center of gravity, and everything should align with it. First, I wrote a melodic bass line that goes a bit beyond simple root notes, and then I shaped the drums to it. This presented a small challenge: the lines of the chorus (starting from the second one) begin an eighth note before the bar lines, which gives it an exciting pulse. Among the original tracks, I discovered a beautiful acoustic guitar, which I also incorporated into the chorus, complemented by a soft piano sound.

The path leading up to the first chorus (intro, verse, pre-chorus) was also based on the original acoustic guitar track. I built my own ideas upon it, gradually enriching the sound. The bass guitar plays an important role here as well, and in the pre-chorus, the piano rhymes with the acoustic guitar chords, resulting in a really beautiful texture.

It Can’t Be the Same

For the second verse, I wanted something new. I started experimenting on the piano, and eventually, two parts were born: a repeating melody over the chords (an ostinato) and a variation of it that follows the changes in the chord progression. I really liked the combined sound of the two, and it ultimately became an accompaniment consisting of a brighter and a darker piano, along with a reverberant synth. Funnily enough, despite being a guitarist, this became one of my favorite parts! It was only later that I realized I could have used a guitar for the chords in the second half of the verse instead of the piano, which would have made the sound even richer…

Variations

The second chorus introduces that brilliantly crafted electric guitar melody that follows the vocals – I took this from the original version as well. I liked the unconventional, imaginative, and clever guitar playing so much that I plan to transcribe and learn it. The other new element in this chorus is the return of the main melody from the intro, the “hook.”

In the song’s bridge, the original recording features an electric guitar playing chords, but I used the acoustic guitar track again. This alone would have been a bit sparse, so – as a standard solution – I designed a “synth pad” for it. I pulled up my two favorite synthesizer plugins and found a pleasing sound in each. To my great delight, they sounded excellent together: one provided the high frequencies, the other the lower ones, and the two created a unique soundscape. This pad also sounds beautiful with the acoustic guitar. You might not even notice it’s there, but if I turn it off, its absence is immediately felt. Finally, for a little extra enrichment, a wind-like sound from one of the synths also appears in the bridge.

Music and Lyrics

In the original song, there is only one chorus after the bridge, but I doubled it early in the process because I felt one wasn’t enough for the conclusion. This decision also created space for the next modification.

When I showed the work-in-progress to my son, he pointed out that the mood of the music – which is fundamentally cheerful – was in stark contrast to the somberness of the lyrics. This realization gave the ending a completely new direction.

I had to consciously “dismantle” the final chorus to make the tension of the lyrics appear in the music. As the song nears its end, I started muting tracks one by one, so that only the lonely vocal remains. But I felt that wasn’t enough. So, I got the idea to add a violent, pulsating rhythm on the toms, one that feels a bit out of place in the song. Then I reinforced this with a distorted guitar, and in the end, only these elements remain alongside the vocals. This way, I hope the song’s conclusion somewhat reflects the mood of the lyrics.

Realizations

I thoroughly enjoyed the entire process; the excitement of songwriting and arranging completely drew me in again. However, I also seem to be discovering my limitations. I feel that with the drums and keyboard instruments, I’ve used up all my tricks, and I’m not sure I could create more complex motifs – the lack of instrumental knowledge sets a limit. Similarly, although I am satisfied with the final result, I originally wanted a more dynamic sound; for that, my mixing skills probably need improvement. It would be interesting to tackle the remix I made with a knowledgeable sound engineer and professional musicians to see what more could be brought out of it!

This blog post is being written two weeks after the song was finished, and it’s strange to think back on the process. I can no longer bring back that creative state, but the memory of how good it felt remains. Tackling a new musical task is always a fantastic experience. You should give it a try!

Have Your Say!

What do you think of my remix? I look forward to your thoughts as a comment under the video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUWbFz2lP5Y

Ps. I’ve added an easter egg to the album cover image above. Have you found it? 🙃