The idea behind the remix was to make recycled music that hacked the traditional definition of "remix" by redefining the source of inspiration. A remix is, popularly, a song that was taken and modified to create a new version of the original song. Typically, this is achieved by rhythmically sampling the original song, restructuring its elements, and adding some new elements to create a new sound.
It was my desire to create music using not previously existing music, but previously existing audio sampled from a non-musical context. In this way, I could catch the attention of the audience using familiar sounds that were traditionally perceived in a non-musical context.
To begin, I needed to collect inspiration from various mediums to use in my song. I did so passively over the course of the beginning of the semester. I carried a small book with me and noted every sound I heard that I found immediately evocative. In the end, some were from widely known sources, whereas others were more obscure. The sounds I used are over to the right in list form.
Some of you may have noticed a pattern by now, and I have only this to say in my defense: Pulp Fiction is a really...long...movie
once the samples were acquired, it was simply a matter of arranging them in an aurally pleasing manner, paying careful attention to ensure that the samples were clear and comprised the bulk of the song. Of course, there is plenty of audio that is not sampled, but synthesized. In addition to the samples mentioned previously, I used pieces of the classic 707, 808, and 909 drum kits as well as additive and subtractive synthesizers. On the right is a picture of the finished project file in Ableton, the program I used to arrange the song.
When finished, the remix had become more of an ordeal than I had originally imaged. It lengthened from my inteded 5 minutes to a whopping 7 minutes and 52 seconds. This is normal for electronica, but if you had asked me several years ago if I'd be producing 8-minute tracks without breaking a sweat, I would have laughed sardonically and freaked you out a little with my cynical response.
In the end, the remix evolved to become something more akin to two songs being played back to back. This had personal significance to me, so when I first began to notice that I had moved from one idea to the next, I decided to keep it as it was. As a DJ, my two most important duties are to find good music and move from song to song without anyone noticing. As such, it seemed very interesting to me that I had managed to move from one song to another without so much as noticing myself.
Finally, I feel that music should speak for itself, so were I to explain it any further, I feel I would be doing you, the listener, a great injustice. Without further ado, allow me to present "Strike Thee."