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The Fader: The State of the Remix

Open Culture

Music and culture magazine The Fader launched a new online column today called “A Rational Conversation Between Two Adults,” in which editor Eric Ducker IM-terviews a staffmember or guest about a subject of interest to the magazine’s readers. The debut entry is a chat with DJ, producer, and label head Nick Catchdubs about “The State of the Remix.” Although Creative Commons doesn’t come up specifically, the discussion highlights several ideas that are revelant to musicians and remixers working to advance CC’s concepts and tools.

It’s always been a symbiotic relationship, and I think the degree of who benefits more depends on the individual track. What’s interesting now is that there’s a definite “remix economy,” both on the official side with a constant stream of commissioned remixes from labels looking to get in on sounds/scenes that are bubbling and managers hustling to get work for their producers, as well as the unofficial tracks from producers looking to make a name for themselves by bombarding the internet. What I always think about in regards to remixes is, “Does this need to exist?” To me the best remixes become new songs that are greater than the sum of its individual parts.

Posted 11 November 2008

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