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- 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!
August 31st, 2010 at 6:45 pm
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July 29th, 2010 at 7:56 am
Man that rocked!
July 8th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
You just rock mannnnnnnnn……………………………………. awesome, awesome ur remixxxx…………….. r great………………………………
July 8th, 2010 at 4:53 am
Your songs are just GREAT! The first time i heard Reckoner Lockdown, I immediately fell in love with the music
Can’t wait to hear the United States of Pop 2010
June 20th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
I have been listening to your mashups the entire week-end and there are just great
This is a pleasure to ear soooo nice music. When will we be listening to you on the French radio? and in French clubs as well?
All the best to a great Dj!
June 14th, 2010 at 3:01 am
I loveeeee DJ Earworrrmmmmm ! (: