Music Makers

behind the remix with Geiger von Müller and Pelso

I Enjoy Remixes, this we know, and I recently gained access to a very curious remix indeed. "London-based contemporary experimental slide guitarist interprets folk song, which then gets a moody space-y remix from follow London-based musician" is basically as good of a pitch as one could hope for, on I Enjoy Music.

The original song is "Origins #5" by Geiger von Müller, a sub-one minute track off his 2023 album Slide Sonatas II. von Müller released the Pelso remix as a b-side for his single "Alien Fig Yogurt Incident," and just gave it a trippy music video treatment in May.

The original is a neat sliver of undulating, harmonic-adorned solo slide guitar; the remix scrapes up that guitar into an icy trip-hop granita, a noir palate cleanser somehow both stuttering and smooth. True vibeification right there: a sharp idea becoming an immersive aura in real time.

I asked both von Müller and Pelso some questions about making the original and the remix...below...answers...

behind the remix with Geiger von Müller

Would love to hear a little background on making Origins #5. What is your composition / recording process like?

The tune is based on a folk theme. But it gets quite gritty and raspy. And I changed it from a major key into a minor key, so it's a bit more blue.

Origins #5 is a relatively short song compared to others on Slide Sonatas II. what are your thoughts behind having sub-1 minute songs included alongside longer ones?

The 1-minute format, I think it's a good way of presenting a quick flash of musical thought. A few months back there was an unorthodox radio show of such tunes, where I had the honor of being playlisted. Beastie Boys, Kraftwerk, King Crimson, Zappa etc, all there, I think sub-1min a perfectly valid format!

How did you decide the song should get a remix? And how did you link with Pelso?

I knew Pelso from earlier collabs, e.g.:

He chose this tune for remixing.

What was your reaction to receiving the final remix of the song?

Haha! First I didn't recognize some of my own guitar parts in it. Said to myself, what are all these crazy cool sounds, and where's the guitar? Then realized they were in fact morphed from the guitar. I guess it should have been obvious straight away. But apparently, when you have worked so much on an original recording then that exact sonic texture gets engraved in your brain. So your brain has difficulty recognizing it when it undergoes a bit of a tweaking.

What is something about playing slide guitar that the average music listener might not know or be aware of?

It's not so much the slide itself perhaps. But a reviewer remarked 'Origins #5' sounded as if a toy piano was played along the slide guitar, whereas in fact it's all just one guitar being played. Finger-style, using bottom end slide themes with more high pitch harmonics on top.

behind the remix with Pelso

What was the first thing you thought about when working on this remix?

Originally it's a folk song and Geiger's interpretation was already unique. He managed to morph it into something else while retaining every note but obviously the timing is very different and his signature string and guitar body articulations dominate the whole piece. I thought why not have a similar approach so I 'invited his work into my world' just like he did the same previously to the original song. We both have got our own ways and processes how we like to cover original themes and what you hear is the end result of this 'double treatment' 🙂 But if I need to answer the question, to be honest I can't remember what my first thought was...I just had a little fun with his guitar track in my DAW and that's where it ended up. I didn't want a 'proper' remix but something that was just entertaining to my ears...🙂 And the choices I made during the process led me to this result..

What was the last thing you thought about when working on this remix?

The last thing i ever consider when i'm in a creative process is if there will be any soul on this planet who might like it or not 🙂 It might sound arrogant but if you think about it—the only place where you can be absolutely free is in your head and nowhere else. Especially when it comes to creativity, so possible opinions of others while you're in the process are just irrelevant.

What, to you, makes a good remix?

I don't think there's a formula for good remixing. Every case is different.. But if it contains at least small recognisable traces of the original that's already a remix. 😅 Good or bad? Depends on the listener. I'm personally not a fan of the usual predictable genre remixes like house, dnb and so on. If it's just as unique as the original that's much more interesting (even if it was made in mentioned or any other electronic genres.) But it's rare. The double remix album of Can is one of those rarities in my opinion.