MY REMIX TRACK/NICHE AUDIENCE

The effect a remix can have on a track can be greatly rewarding for the artist as it adds another dimension to their work. Remixes of mainstream/popular hits, such as Poker Face by Lady Gaga which got 1,739,176 hits, demonstrates the demand for re-worked and re-interpreted tracks.As we have seen from the parodies of Beyonce's Single Ladies, there is much room for consumers to join in and become producers using YouTube as their outlet.
Using audacity I have manipulated the audio from the interview including Thurston Moore, but aiming to maintain the clarity of the argument. I have chosen to insert sections of the interview throughout the track and not just at the beginning to further this aim.
After much deliberating I decided to mix it a track from the 'ELECTRONIC/INDIETRONIC' duo THE GOLDEN FILTER.
I chose a band that I had not previously heard of and all those I offered a sample to, also had not heard of the track or band before. I did this in order to eliminate any pre-misconceptions/expectations from the majority of my audience as they would be completely new to the sound and the 'brand' I would be creating around them. Therefore it would fit more easily into a 'new' concept and less repetitive of other similar groups.
I want to draw consumers that wouldn't normally choose to listen to this 'genre' to listen and experience something other than chart monotony.
Here is the ORIGINAL GOLDEN FILTER TRACK, before editing;

I liked how the dramatic alarm-like violin draws the listener in. The ghostly vocals surround this sharp tone. The sound was refreshing to me and I knew that to insert the words of Moore would add depth and more of a hook to keep the listener alert.

However, before editing, I knew I would need to request permission to use the track for my own purposes from the artists, so as not to breach copyright.
Here is evidence of contacting the band via email:

'Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Lucy Silverwood. I am a student currently studying at Walton High School, Stafford, UK. Your music attracted my attention via Spotify several months ago. I loved the ghostly vocals and traditional violins that creates something that sounds to me, much more new and exciting than other music groups in the charts at the moment. One of my subjects is Media Studies and I felt I had a great chance to communicate this interest in the brief given to me. To create a new and experimental music video for our chosen single, I knew I wanted to mix tracks to give it another dimension. I did not want to take anything away from The Golden Filter's track 'Dance around the Fire' by mixing it with another piece of audio, merely to enhance the message I wish to send in my video. I have taken a piece of audio from an interview with Thurston Moore, in which he condemns the artificial future of the music industry unless the youth fight against it. This issue fascinates me, as I believe that so many of today's bands are forced into designated groups and labels, by which they begin to loose their connection with the real skills and earthy nature that is music. I am writing to ask whether you would allow me to use this track in connection only with my current school work and for no gain other than for my own learning. I hope that, also the work would promote your band's image, as I would upload it to YouTube and the like, boosting numbers of listeners.
I would be very grateful for any acknowledgment, and hope that you see the potential in creating new interest in the track as I hope to achieve.


Thankyou,
Lucy Silverwood.'

Gratefully, I received the following reply:



'Hi Lucy.


Thanks for your email.

And a huge thanks for your kind words about our music.


We share Thurston's views on the music industry from that quote, so no worries on the use of the video / remix etc for the reasons you've stated.


Best of luck for the future,
Penelope + Stephen'

I found this exemplary of the importance of Moores' words and gave me even more motivation to challenge the industry in my visuals also.


Here is my finished remix:

Having uploaded the track to YouTube, a user posted the comment;

'Very good, the voice and the violins are very ominous together. Good build to the end.'

eleanorpenny17.

I also asked several students what they thought of the track and the reaction came as

'It was very different, I liked it' (age 17)

'It made a comment and I found it interesting' (age 34)

'It works really well, I can imagine loads of scenes'(age 18)

I then asked what they imagined visually when they listened to it ;

'I imagined a bare, stark desert or empty buildings in a deserted city' (age 42)

I liked this idea, another was;

'A slow dance, that goes to the beat'(Age 17) -this concept was more what I expected listeners to imagine and I intended to go against that expectation in my visuals to pull more viewers in.

This track is of my own creation, and therefore has no defined audience. The artists whose track I have chosen to remix are also relatively new and unknown and therefore their sub genre is established by comparisons, the band Royskopp is another band under the term 'indietronic'. This Norwegian band was formed in 1988 and from viewings of their videos on YouTube it seems they are most popular with:

'Males aged	35-44
	25-34
	45-54'

However, having researched into contemporary indie bands in depth, I have the overall view that 

as young as 18+ are interested and drawn to this niche music video, especially creative types.

In this way, I will be attempting to appeal to a relatively limited audience, but will hopefully increase this dedicated audience, who expect abstract images and concepts, with my intertextual references and comments on the state of the music industry in connection with Thurston Moore.