FLIP, EDIT & CUT IT: Remix Culture

A BASIC INTRO TO REMIX CULTURE

Where the original record becomes just the starting point.

From the introduction of the 12” single in the 1970’s offering extended mixes and Re-edits of disco bombs, to officially approved remixes produced in the 80’s and 90’s for the B-Sides of the 12” singles, to limited press edits and self released mashups on 45. How DJs turned their unreleased remix wishlists into a 7-inch vinyl reality.

Whether it meant looping and extending the breaks or boosting the beat for a heavier punch, mixing vocals and instrumentals together from two different tracks, or just putting out a stone cold groove that was never previously released on 7”, editing and remixing on 45 has taken off like a wild fire, possibly fuelled in recent years by the advancement of Stems and fun DJ’s have been having with stems when playtime comes around on the wheels of steel..

For decades, the 12-inch remix was the DJ's weapon of choice. Artists and labels commissioned producers to extend, reshape and reinterpret songs for the dancefloor, with new mixes appearing alongside the original on officially released records and in some cases, with the B-Side featured remix being the most desired version.

2 classic examples are Young MC - I Come Off (Southern Comfort Remix) and Eric B. & Rakim – Paid In Full (Seven Minutes Of Madness - The Coldcut Remix)

But something different began to happen. DJs started making their own versions.

Initially, these were often personal edits on digital format made for the DJ's own sets. Then they began circulating between DJs, finding their way onto self released white labels and eventually into the hands of smaller independent record labels.

And somewhere along the way, the humble 45 came back to life.

Pressed in runs of a few hundred copies, often released under aliases or anonymous labels, these records weren't trying to compete with the mainstream music industry.

They were made for the DJ’s and diggers, The edit became the record.

Here are a few Labels and Cuts worth checking out: