Music Makers

announcing I Enjoy Remixes, vol. 3: Salgado x Vantin

It's All In The Remix...I Enjoy Remixes, the ongoing I Enjoy Music music project in which two musical artists remix each others' songs, is back again. 🎵🎵 🔀 🎵🎵.

This edition's pair of remixes comes from producers/DJs Salgado and Vantin, both members of the Los Angeles DJ collective HAL0STATION. Salgado produces house and techno music, works as a recording/mixing engineer, and has DJ'd at venues like Nublu in NYC and Jungle Hollywood in L.A. Vantin is a house music producer originally from Uruguay who released an EP called minimal care earlier this year. And as part of HAL0STATION, the two can be spotted at scenic vistas around the city, recording zesty and aesthetically pleasing DJ sets you can conveniently watch on YouTube at your leisure.

I met Salgado at the Sunday Brunch Collective party where I was 'liveblogging' and he participated in Music Moots a while back, so I'm thrilled to feature his work on the site in a new way.

He remixed Vantin's "The One" in a Miami style, adding considerable bounce to the rhythm, and bringing in some syncopation that adds a sense of playful urgency: it's time to party RIGHT NOW.

Vantin in turn takes Salgado's booming "Berlin" and acidifies it with those squirmy Roland-303 synths we all know and love, surely inspiring listeners to let their freak flags fly, and proving you can't spell audacity without A-C-I-D.

Both remixes made me want to go to the club real bad. The thing about being in a public place and listening to the kind of electronic dance music that doesn't have vocals, is it truly lets you figure out the shape of your own night, energy, existence. The club is not quite a blank canvas to project yourself upon, but it's a frame you can build over, or just climb like a jungle gym. The magic of 'the club' is it doesn't take much to create this kind of experience for people—sound system, lights (or lack thereof), someone playing music for everyone, four walls and a ceiling to contain everything—but it does require your full commitment to have a good time. You Are The Vibe...So Vibe Responsibly.

Tresor in Berlin. photo credit: Mitch Altman

I was going to write about my good club experiences but I feel compelled instead to write about a rare bad one instead. Back in New York, years ago, I was with some friends and we decided somewhat impulsively to go to Bossa Nova Civic Club. I didn't know the DJs playing that night and when we got there, someone was on the decks absolutely blasting hardstyle-tempo drums, like at least 150 bpm...no other 'music'...just drums...really just a drum. Here's what it sounded like: BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM. No melody, no bass, and no...other...drums.

There were like three people on the dance floor, bouncing up and down in a crazed manner. I tried, gamely, to get into the music, but it didn't take. There were no transitions, no changes in tempo, nothing to hold onto. The music never changed. It started to feel like a joke, like the DJ was trying to clear the floor on purpose, or trying to get amateur clubbers to go full customer service and ask for the dance floor manager.

Eventually we dipped, we just couldn't take it. And I think about that night sometimes because I do wonder if I could have pushed through to the other side, became the beat, felt God in this Chili's tonight. If I had just waited a little longer, felt a little less annoyed, and committed fully. But I didn't, and that's okay. Not all club experiences are the "there is pain in the world, but not in this room" type. You need a few bad times to solidify the good times. Friction begets smoothness; agitation can calibrate your sense of harmony. Also Bossa served Club Mate, so the night wasn't a total bust.

I asked Salgado and Vantin about their remixes...below...their answers...

behind the remix with SALGADO

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

While working on this remix, I was feeling very inspired from performing and clubbing in Miami with HAL0STATION, a Los Angeles based DJ collective I’m a part of! The first thing I thought about was transforming "The One" into a drum heavy minimal track with a driving bassline, while rearranging the vocals and effects in an interesting but familiar way.

What was the final thing you thought about when working on your remix?

Making the track as loud as possible so it could bring the energy when played out in clubs!

What about your remix are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of the infectious bassline I created for this remix!

Is your approach to remixing music different from your approach to creating music?

I love the challenge of creating something new while being inspired by the elements of the original track.

Do you have a favorite remix of all time? (if you can't pick just one, that's okay)

Lei Lo Lai (Masters At Work Remix):

Ninetoes - Finder (Carl Cox Remix):

The Martinez Brothers & Gordo feat. Rema - Rizzla (Mochakk Remix):

Louie Vega - Seven Mile (feat. Moodymann) (Kai Alce NDATL Remix):

To name a few!

Do you have any other remixes you've done that you think people should listen to?

Peggy Gou - (It Goes Like) Nanana (SALGADO REMIX):

What, to you, makes a good remix?

A really good remixer understands the context of the track within the original artist’s practice while sharing their own interesting and exciting perspective!

If you could remix something non-musical…what would it be and what would your remix be like?

I love seeing dancers interpret music into movement! I would maybe explore old school house and techno dance styles to create contemporary dance styles.

behind the remix with VANT!N

What inspired your approach to remixing “Berlin”?

Just by the name, “Berlin” immediately took me back to my first trip to the city with Salgado. That memory really helped me connect with the vibe of the track. The strongest image that came to mind was our night at Tresor, a legendary techno club, and my first real experience hearing techno where it’s meant to be heard. That energy guided me while working on the remix.

What are you happiest about with the final result?

I’m especially happy about weaving in that classic 303 bassline. For me, it instantly evokes Berlin and gives the track this raw, old school feel that fits perfectly with the concept. It was one of those choices that just felt right.

What’s your process when you start a remix?

Usually I like to sit with the original track and really feel what emotion it sparks in me. From there, I try to recreate that feeling in my own way. The tricky part is deciding how much to add versus how much to leave untouched, balancing between respecting the original and bringing in your own voice. But that challenge is also what makes remixing so fun.

Can you share a remix that left an impact on you?

Hernán Cattáneo’s mixes introduced me to one that really stuck with me: Radiohead’s Weird Fishes/Arpeggi in the Cian Moynagh remix.

The original is already one of my favorite songs ever, and hearing it reimagined in a progressive house context really blew me away.

Where can people hear more of your remixes?

Most of my remixes aren’t officially released, but when I do put them out, they’re on my SoundCloud at soundcloud.com/vantinmusic. I remember having a lot of fun creating an afro house version of “Intro” by The xx.

In your opinion, what makes a good remix?

A good remix should transport the song into a new sonic world without stripping away its original power. It’s about expanding the story, not erasing it.

If you could remix something non-musical, what would it be?

I would remix conversations I’ve had with people, chopping them up, rearranging them, finding hidden rhythms or meanings. It would be interesting to hear everyday dialogue transformed into something completely new.