the appeal of remixing/listening to remixes

[justinj212]

Hey all! I'm prepping to write a short article introducing people to the video game music remixing community and places they can find remixes. As part of the introduction I wanted to explain the appeal behind remixing, that is, why musicians choose to remix vgm. It would be very presumptuous of me to answer that question myself, so I wanted to get your thoughts on it!

For you remixers - What is the appeal of remixing video game music and becoming a part of the remixing community?

For everyone - What is the appeal of listening to video game remixes?

Your responses would be greatly appreciated, and if I quote you I'll send you a draft of the article so I don't horribly misconstrue your answers. If anyone's interested, the article will be posted on my blog.

[noTuX]

For me, the opportunity to express some creativity and share that with whoever is willing to listen, and maybe get some recognition from the other artist out there.

I listen to remixes because they seem to be more creative than music that you would hear on the radio. Every single song on this site is unique even though some may share the same source tune. Its refreshing.

[Hemophiliac]

I think the number one answer you're going to hear is nostalgia.

[WillRock]

I think the number one answer you're going to hear is nostalgia.

This.

There are other reasons tho. Some people do it because its a good way of getting your music out to the world because remixes are easier to find than originals that don't get the promotion.

For me, I do it to bring new life to tunes that didn't have the equipment needed to realise their full potential as works of art.

[Level 99]

1) For fun. This includes both making the music and being part of the community, as I would enjoy these people even if I made zero music at all. We share lots of common interests so that conversation never gets old. These are people you really enjoy being around. Making music is also a great fun activity.

2) Nostalgia. As has been mentioned before, it's the joy of going back to something you have fond memories of (or are trying to make new memories of old things. I didn't play FF4 until I started doing a remix from it). Games have huge impressions on us, and recreating a song that means a lot has a unique sense of accomplishment to it.

3) A challenge. Challenges to improve skill, stretch musical boundaries, and attempt collaborative efforts. Collaboration also has to deal with #1, however any way in which I know I can grow and become better at my hobby is a good thing. Plus, if people enjoy listening to it, that makes all the effort worth it.

4) Giving back. To recreate a track in order to honor the composer, the composition, and the original game.

I'm sure there's more but those are the ones that immediately come to mind.

[Benjamin Briggs]

the only reason I remix is to give a bunch of random nerds goosebumps

[linkspast]

I like hearing new spins on old stuff..

Like Link to the Mask.

Its cool to hear what can be done with older tracks to make them more modern.

[Gollgagh]

I listen to remixes because they're music and they're there to listen to.

[Ray Falling]

For everyone - What is the appeal of listening to video game remixes?

For me it is being able to listen to my favourite video game tracks without actually having to play the game, so I can listen pretty much everywhere I go

Now, the appeal to listening to remixes of vgm is to hear someone take a soundtrack to a next level. A lot of songs can be made much more awesome by way of remix, which is exactly what people here at OCR do best

I love to be surprised by what people make of an original tune. Listening to remixes also introduced me to "genres" of music I didn't know or appreciate before, but now do.

I dunno how much nostalgia actually plays a part in it. I just want to hear already great musics being turned into even greater musics. No amount of nostalgia can make me appreciate a badly done remix.

[DCT]

1) For fun. This includes both making the music and being part of the community, as I would enjoy these people even if I made zero music at all. We share lots of common interests so that conversation never gets old. These are people you really enjoy being around. Making music is also a great fun activity.

2) Nostalgia. As has been mentioned before, it's the joy of going back to something you have fond memories of (or are trying to make new memories of old things. I didn't play FF4 until I started doing a remix from it). Games have huge impressions on us, and recreating a song that means a lot has a unique sense of accomplishment to it.

3) A challenge. Challenges to improve skill, stretch musical boundaries, and attempt collaborative efforts. Collaboration also has to deal with #1, however any way in which I know I can grow and become better at my hobby is a good thing. Plus, if people enjoy listening to it, that makes all the effort worth it.

4) Giving back. To recreate a track in order to honor the composer, the composition, and the original game.

I'm sure there's more but those are the ones that immediately come to mind.

What he said.

[Bahamut]

For me, it was curiosity. I loved listening to video game music for quite some time, even when it was harder to find. I happened upon remixed/rearranged songs often by accident & grew to appreciate them.

[Rozovian]

Aside from so much that's already been said, there's the challenge and fun of screwing with the sources, turning a four-note thingy into several minutes of music. Then, some of the time, it's a visible way of saying "I played this game back when, and I liked it", or just "I like the music of this game".

[ella guro]

It's been awhile since I've really done a remix, but I'll respond.

I guess I just love a lot of game music and this is the way I know how to do a tribute to it. Maybe it's partially fighting for people's respect, because there's so much well composed and interesting game music that so many people don't take seriously at all because it's from a videogame. And that can be really upsetting.

Also, it's a chance for me to experiment and explore musically, and have an audience. Or do a tribute to a game, and its atmosphere.

[justinj212]

Thanks for the insightful responses! I aim to have the article done by Thursday, and if I quote you I'll send you a draft before I publish the article.