Music Makers

behind the remix with Sugardeer

feature image photo credit Kaitlin Purdham

I Enjoy Remixes vol. 2 is OUT! On Bandcamp, and now on streaming too. Sugardeer and Vien Kohl remixed each others' songs, it's a whole vibe, you should get into it...

I sent a "behind the remix" questionnaire to both artists to get the scoop on their Remix Attitudes. Let's start with Danny Kit from Sugardeer, who remixed the Vien Kohl song "Coughing Fit"...

I knew which Vien Kohl song I wanted to remix immediately, but I had to listen to the original "Coughing Fit" a lot before I had a fully engaged thought, to be honest. At the start of any project I want nothing more than to find the "correct answer," which is both limiting and not really possible to do. All I actually needed to do was understand the song well enough to understand what I could contribute to something I already enjoy so much. I ended up leaning on the instruments that I’m most comfortable with, piano and voice, and just started jamming with it. Once I did that, what I wanted to say sort of revealed itself.

That piano and guitars are still crazy to me to balance! I think I let loose a little more than I have in the past with this one.

I allowed it to be rougher around the edges, and I think it’s one of my better mixes for that. I worry I get too used to the sound of a mix and overbake the cake.

I think it’s almost the same, by necessity. My experience as a producer and mixing engineer is almost entirely informed by my performance/songwriting experience. I try not to look at this as a weakness in my production (though it feels like it sometimes), but more of a framework I can build my skills and understanding of the process around.

I thought I would come up with an answer for this that makes me sound cool but I failed to. I have no choice but to admit that it’s "Simple and Clean (planitB remix)" from Kingdom Hearts for the PS2.

I don’t have any other remixes, but I have done a couple covers that I produced myself. I did "Summer Skin" by Death Cab for Cutie for a Flowerpot Records tribute compilation album, and coming up this Labor Day I’ve organized a Palestine benefit cover compilation featuring mostly music from the folk and americana traditions. I’ll have a song on that too :)

I think a remix showcases qualities of a song that you don’t recognize on the surface. It’s sort of the same with live performance; music is something that takes place over time, and while records are interesting for working to perfect that experience, live performances always have something different to offer, whether the performer means it to or not. I’m happy that recorded material is provided the same opportunity to evolve through remixes, and it’s exciting when that evolution has something to say.

This is only a silly question because the urge to give a silly answer is so much easier than a cool answer. So with that said, I would remix the 2002 film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. I was only able to refine this take because of a video essay (s/o Schaffrillas) but yeah: A cut of this film with less jukebox score and less Matt Damon horse narrations would be such a good movie.