Weird Fishes: Arpeggi from flight404 on Vimeo.
Plenty of bands have jumped on the "remix generation" bandwagon, releasing music to be remixed and sampled and visualized as a publicity stunt. But, then, plenty of bands aren’t Radiohead. Readers here may have been disappointed that our favorite superband didn’t embrace Creative Commons sharing when announcing their iTunes-only stems. But a number of the artists we follow came up with some brilliant work.
In Visuals: Robert Hodgin, aka Flight404, has the enviable job of exploring new visual expressions as his day gig of sorts. Working primarily in code developed in the open-source, Java-powered Processing, he develops a technique and then iterates and iterates on it until it goes from computer gimmick to refined artistry. He blogs that process, as well, pushing forward the rest of the Processing community. His video above uses abstract, generative processes to visualize Radiohead’s "Weird Fishes", but is developed enough to become organic. It’s a voyage under the sea. Via our sister site, Create Digital Motion.
In Music: A number of readers tackled the Radiohead remix contest. Here’s my favorite: our friend Alan Molina created a sparse string accompaniment that spotlights Tom Yorke’s vocal part. He explains:
Thanks for listening! I actually recorded and mixed all the strings.
They are all a violin (just lots of layers of me). My profession is an orchestral violinist–this remix was an outlet to do something different!
I used Ableton Live 7 for the effects, and used the kind of mic that clips on behind the bridge of a violin. Done on my couch in front of my computer!
Of course, the other direction to go is stretching the tune past the point of recognizability, with strange bizarro-universe remixes pulling the tune to experimental glitch and faux-punk. Here are a few of the more unusual takes on their music:
But I have to say, I’m delighted by these results. They really do give me a new sense of the music. And to people who complained that it’s a publicity stunt … well, hey, at this point, I think you all know who Radiohead is, so I don’t particularly feel like I’m shilling for them. (Hey! You’ve got to listen to this new band!)
What’s wonderful about this is getting to hear the songs differently — and, whatever Radiohead’s celebrity, you’ve got to admit Thom Yorke’s voice got to where it did for a reason.
But if you are looking to discover some new music, definitely check out the comment thread on the previous story with other artists offering remixes and stems.
And if you’ve got a favorite Nude remix you want to share, let us know in comments.
No, not photos of you remixing in Ableton in the nude! Sheesh. Wish I hadn’t opened my inbox. 😉
The Alan Molina sounds nice, love those strings! The Manuel Salinas mix is pretty cool too.
As much as I wanted to get in on this, I just couldn't bring myself to pay $5 to do a remix for them, that's just not right in my eyes. Usually you pay people to remix you, or they do it for free. I've been a Radiohead fanboy for years now, but this whole pay to remix deal has left more than a sour taste in my mouth. No way in hell I'm going to pay $60 to see them live after this either.
@dead_red_eyes, I totally hear you … at the same time, this demonstrates some of the range artful remixers can achieve. I'll be surprised if some don't get paying work out of it. And it's a reminder that remixes *can* be meaningful, if the music's great…
Hey everyone, check out my Radiohead remix if you get a chance.
Radiohead – Nude (Minty Fresh Remix)
http://radioheadremix.com./remix/?id=1527
Thanks!
i have one two that im really proud of
http://www.radioheadremix.com/remix/?id=874
This video is simlar to the Benga video for "Night"
Here is the YouTube link…
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rNStVlJWy88
if you like remixes of Radiohead, you guys should put your hands on an collection of mashups/remixes by AmpLive called "Rainydayz Remixes".
8 tracks based on "In Rainbows" (CD1), ft. Del the Funky Homosapien, Cheli 2na,..). Very good surprise!
Be grateful to Ableton for making this possible!!
[…] Digital Music have highlighted a few of their favourite Nude mixes on this page, which is certainly worth a look and listen. Share this […]
hey people,
i just wanted to leave a message saying that there is another rather experimental remix here:
http://www.radioheadremix.com/remix/?id=1889
cheers
Beyond the disappointment of the 'terms & conditions' etc..controversy, I do sincerely appreciate the huge diversity of all these remixes. Radiohead attracts so many different composers/remixers, that it makes the contest really exciting and often surprising.
If you want to listen, here is my piano-based contribution, i tried something a bit different with the old same melody.. <a> <a href="http://;http://www.radioheadremix.com/remix/?id=1334” target=”_blank”>;http://www.radioheadremix.com/remix/?id=1334
oups, working link :
http://www.radioheadremix.com/remix/?id=1334
[…] Thanks to Create Digital Music (a forum for musicians using technology), I stumbled upon something called “audio responsive […]
hi there.. to add one more..
i've made a glitchy quiet decontruction of the song.. give it a listen ..
http://www.radioheadremix.com/remix/?id=1555
[…] video links – gorgeous experimental video for Radiohead tracks, and a discussion on live video with Sufjan Stevens’ tour videographer. Fascinating stuff – I […]
[…] release of acapellas and instrumentals, and more recently bands (most famously Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead, amongst countless others both big and small) have been letting fans have the component musical […]