Not everyone knows this…

But I used to be in a punk band.

We toured the world for 3 years before the “Brenmar” you know today existed.

We were called ”These Are Powers”.

Here is one of our music videos.

Yup, I had a whole other life as a musician before I became a DJ and music producer.

But that is a story for another day…

Today, I want to talk about remixes.

What they mean to me, how I think about them, and some tips to help you with yours.

So why did I mention the band?

The truth is…

Remixing literally saved my music career.

At the time, the band was starting to fall apart.

We had no money, and tensions were running high.

Band life is not for the faint of heart. It’s REALLY hard!

I dedicated all my time and energy to this band.

What the hell would I do if we broke up?

Heck, I even moved to NYC from Chicago to join this band.

(I was 22 when I moved.)

I used to make my own beats before joining the band.

And as a form of therapy…

I started making beats again.

Some of those beats turned into remixes for well-known indie bands that were then featured by Pitchfork.

The biggest online music magazine at the time would rarely show my band love…

Yet they were writing up every single one of my remixes!?

Check out this old Pitchfork blurb I found for one of my earliest remixes:

That was all the motivation I needed.

Within a few months, I worked up the courage to quit the band and pursue a career as a solo DJ and music producer.

Then SoundCloud happened and well…

Things got crazy good.

But that’s also a story for another time.

So what makes a great remix?

I used to think that the key to a great remix was to completely overhaul the original track.

But after years of trial and error…

I've discovered that the real secret is knowing how to preserve the soul while switching up the style.

Here's my recipe for remix success:

→ Start with a high-quality acapella or track that vibes with your style and target BPM. The cleaner the source material, the more flexibility you'll have in the studio.

→ Identify the core elements that give the original its unique flavor - then figure out how to recontextualize them in a way that feels both fresh and familiar. This is probably the hardest tip to teach others. But practice and intention help a lot here.

→ Don't be afraid to invest in a reliable stem converter. Having clean, isolated stems to work with will make your remixes sound more professional and less amateur.

To sum it up…

Work hard to preserve the essence of the original track while putting it into a new context.

As Full Crate said here…

“If it’s not as good or better than the original, then it’s not a good remix.”

This is my current favorite stem converter.

Hit me up if you have any questions or comments!

Till next week!

Brenmar

P.S. My Jeremih remix is up for download below. Only available here :)

Sound Bites 🔉 

• I haven’t ordered this book on synths yet but I just might.

• 6 Spotify tools to help you find tunes and curate playlists to your taste.

• 83 Brenmar remixes and edits from 2010 to 2017: HERE

Tools & Resources ⚒️ 

• I’ve been using this music app to help me focus. It works!

• Learn how to make awesome images with AI. This free short course on getting started with Midjourney is really good.

• Having a physical practice is essential to the creative life.

Jeremih - Pass Dat (Brenmar Remix)