We're looking some "remixers"

[beatmunga]

I've got a lots of dishwasing to do, anyone want to come over and do it?

I used to have a friend who did this once in a while. She loved to clean and wash and smiled while doing it. She called me up and was like "can I come over and clean your floors or something".. I didnt even have to be there. I suppose it was an obsession. Much like me and my music..

(she was married, so no, there was only cleaning involved..)

Nice story, but is that an obsession or an illness?

Your friend definitely needs some kids. That'll keep her ecstatically clearing up other people's mess for many years...

Seriously though, are there loads of people on this forum who just have an excess of time on their hands? Does no one actually need to work in a job or bring up families? Both of these things tend to make you sort of choosy how you spend the precious gift of free time. Electronic music is so often a solitary pursuit, hard to justify to loved ones who crave your company. If you are lucky, they understand and give you some time. You spend it wisely knowing their sacrifice.

You can't all be spoilt students, rich kids, unemployed or housebound, surely?

There is always the possibility of course that the original Spanish Metal tracks have blown you away creatively and that you would walk over broken glass to spend some time with those golden parts.

Where are the parts, by the way?

[ttilberg]

This thread is nutso!

It's hardly like asking a stranger to wash your dishes for free.

1) I don't like washing dishes -- I do like locking myself in my music studio
2) I don't have a lot of skills left to learn in the ways of washing dishes. I do in the studio.
3) There is pretty much only a small handful of ways to wash the dishes. There are infinite other "creative ideas for music" and exposing yourself to these, might make you a better artist.

What do you gain by trying to remix a track for free? Experience. The opportunity to try and grow your skills. Just like a lot of starting mixing/mastering engineers might ask around for opportunities to mix and master music for them. If they aren't offering payment for it, obviously they aren't looking for a well established master of the dance floor with 100 Beatport top 10s to work their track. It's something you can add to your portfolio of "Stuff I've done."

I've actually been feeling around for remix opportunities myself. I doubt that what I come up with will be the winning #1 formula, but it provides me the opportunity to open my creative process to something a little different, and might provide a music collaboration relationship.

Edit: Also, I am none of these:

You can't all be spoilt students, rich kids, unemployed or housebound, surely?

[beatmunga]

This thread is nutso!

It's hardly like asking a stranger to wash your dishes for free.

1) I don't like washing dishes -- I do like locking myself in my music studio
2) I don't have a lot of skills left to learn in the ways of washing dishes. I do in the studio.
3) There is pretty much only a small handful of ways to wash the dishes. There are infinite other "creative ideas for music" and exposing yourself to these, might make you a better artist.

What do you gain by trying to remix a track for free? Experience. The opportunity to try and grow your skills. Just like a lot of starting mixing/mastering engineers might ask around for opportunities to mix and master music for them. If they aren't offering payment for it, obviously they aren't looking for a well established master of the dance floor with 100 Beatport top 10s to work their track. It's something you can add to your portfolio of "Stuff I've done."

I've actually been feeling around for remix opportunities myself. I doubt that what I come up with will be the winning #1 formula, but it provides me the opportunity to open my creative process to something a little different, and might provide a music collaboration relationship.

Edit: Also, I am none of these:

You can't all be spoilt students, rich kids, unemployed or housebound, surely?

All very well said, very hard to disagree with such a well put case.

Such enthusiasm for experience can lead to being exploited, though. Some real sharks out there. Shame not to go swimming though just because of them.

Can I just as ask though ttilberg, what are your ambitions for your music in the long term? Would you like to devote most of your working time to it eventually or are you looking to stay in your current job and do a very fulfilling hobby? Not knocking either by the way, I would just really like to know.

[ttilberg]

I have always been absolutely fascinated with the musical process since my dad first showed me this trick: instead of plugging headphones into my Casio keyboard's headphone jack, he spliced some cables together and plugged it into a line in on his big stereo system. I gave the obligatory O_O face in excitement and curiosity. I think I was like 5 or 6.

I then went on to be the principle cellist throughout high school and my first year of college, studying music theory, and loving it. I dropped out after my first year for a variety of reasons, the two biggest being A) Financial issues (little parental support, they were as broke as me!) and B) I was horribly terribly addicted to Final Fantasy XI (the anti World of Warcraft) and had little desire to do real world things besides show up to a job to collect a paycheck. This is probably the first time I'm willing to openly admit to B .

All between this, I have been hooked on making (bad) dance music for the last 10+ years. I'm always eager to work with more people to watch their processes and learn new tricks. I DJ at a local club every few months, used to be a lot more, but I'm kinda partied out.

I still get a raging hardon when I somehow manage to make a track I feel is "club worthy" -- even in the sense of my local Duluth, MN "club" and am absolutely fascinated by sound design and acoustic principles.

The future of my music endeavors? I work for a technology company doing cool stuff, and enjoy it substantially. Music will probably always remain a semi-pro hobby. I say semi pro, because technically I do get paid now and then for DJing. I would love to produce a track that is stellar enough to find attention on a proper label, but seriously, let's not hold our breath here.

I say hobby, because I don't think I'll ever be able to give up my fascination and desire for fat beats, and will continue to enjoy learning and passing the knowledge on to others for as long as I can imagine.

Last year I stopped being a wareznoob, even though it's only a "hobby." I run everything completely legit, and pay for it all with my regular day job. Would it be cool to use money made from making music to pay for more music? Sure. That would be stellar, but unlikely.
Thankfully instead of wanting a fast/new car and a fancy house or apt, I want music stuff, and my girlfriend of four years, whom I've lived with for 2 is totally cool with it.

ummmmmmm http://www.soundcloud.com/arsenal represent lol

[ttilberg]

I just wanted to add, there is definitely a TON of truth to this:

Such enthusiasm for experience can lead to being exploited, though.

Sometimes I feel that way about some of the bigger shows I've DJd -- but then it ultimately comes down "Do I want to play on this ridiculously huge system in front of 1000 people for the first (and 2nd - 4th) time in my life? Or do I want to stay home and not do it because I won't get paid..."

I was definitely upset I wasn't getting paid, but I opted to take the beating nonetheless.

[beatmunga]

Thanks ttilberg, I've got more of an idea now why you may consider doing such a remix. And listening to some of your productions, I bet you'd do a really pro job.

One last piece of advice though for what it's worth. Forget about money and even talent for a moment: just never undervalue your enthusiasm to say yes to more musical experiences. It's a gift that the energy vampires in this world have a taste for. So choose the recipients of your gift wisely or you could end up with little left for yourself and those that may be more deserving of it.

Sorry to seem so portentous! Best of luck.