|
|
 |
|
- Kanye West - Love Lockdown
- Radiohead - Reckoner
Both Kanye West and Radiohead are participating in a long overdue trend that seems to now be emerging where musical artists are beginning to release “stems” from their tracks. Until recently, a mashup or remix artist would feel lucky just to find an instrumental version or acapella (vocals only) of a favorite track. But these musical stems allow us much more control.
Most modern recordings have many tracks, usually more than ten, and sometimes more than a hundred. Each track typically represents a single recording or electronic sound. Traditionally, before all these tracks are mixed down into a final stereo mix, it is first mixed down into about four to eight separate audio files (stems). All the foreground vocals might be on one stem, all the drums on another, while the guitars and keyboards might be on yet another. When all the stems are added together, you hear the song as it was originally meant to be heard. The traditional purpose of these stems was to enable the mastering engineer to give the final mixdown just the right sound for various formats (radio or club, CD or vinyl).
Now, with DIY remix culture exploding, we sonic manipulators are growing hungry for disassembled pop music, and the music industry is beginning to see the benefit of increased exposure through releasing stems directly to the public, allowing us much greater freedom than if they had simply released the instrumentals and acapellas. Now we can choose which instruments are playing.
This new trend augers well for us in the mashup community, and I look forward to the practice expanding. Thank you Kanye, thank you Radiohead, and thanks to all the other musicians (and music execs) that are starting to see the light!
February 27th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Hi Earworm, could you please make available for download (or send me) an instrumental version of this? I’d like to record non-Autotuned vocals for this version. I think that would be fun.
Came across your site searching many things, including Daniel Levitin’s book This Is Your Brain On Music, which is where I first heard the term ‘earworm’. This is just an awesome track. A better version of one of the better songs of last year, putting Reckoner Lockdown in the running for best track of 2008.
February 10th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Nah. Not feelin it. Your Viva La Pop mix is def. tight though.
February 4th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
I loooove it
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Amazing and once again inspired.. an instant favorite. ¡VIVA EARWORM!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:32 am
[…] You can even read the thought-process for each composition on his fantastic website. Read about Reckoner Lockdown here. […]
January 26th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
fuck dude, you are a BEAST. this mashup is simply amazing, as well as all your others, im starting to become a huge fan, and i just found you today. keep up the amazing work.
January 17th, 2009 at 7:47 am
interesting. i always wondered how the remixes were done….but me likey.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
[…] DIY remix culture exploding and related software becoming more powerful and affordable, sonic manipulators are growing hungry […]
January 1st, 2009 at 4:24 pm
ABSOLUTELY GOoooOOOrrRGEOUS!!!! Specially ‘Reckoner Lockdown’…
December 30th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Make more radiohead mashups!!!