BATTLE OF THE SOUNDCLOUD REMIXES: HARLEM VS HOLD THE LINE

BATTLE OF THE SOUNDCLOUD REMIXES: HRL'M SHAKE VS HOLD THE LINE

 VS

Did anyone say creative commons?

ON

The remix battle from the present (Harlem Shake) to the past (Hold The Line).


Questions:

• Has the art of remixing lost its touch within the last 3 years?
• If so, is this because of the latest fruity loops editing and like software?
• Or because of the sonic mechanical onslaught of  Trap music?
• Did not Diplo (Major Lazer), Spank Rock (XXXChange), Santigold, M.I.A, or even Guetta lay down the marker enough?

Anyway as Kurtis blow once said in the 80s, these are the breaks....(battles)

BATTLE 1:
ARTIST: LDUK
REMIX: HARLEM SHAME (2 MONTHS AGO)
PLAYS/DOWNLOADS/FAVS: 3798/100/25

THE PRESENT FAD   

VS

BLAST FROM PAST

ARTIST: .BIRDY

REMIX: HOLD THE LINE (4 YEARS AGO)

PLAYS/DOWNLOADS/FAVS: 580/1/38

VERDICT:
Lduk's remix; 

• cut up and editing (mediocre)
• ideas (efficient)
• mixdown (efficient)
• overall (borderline efficient - would be thumping live)

Birdy's remix;

• cut up and editing (efficient)
• ideas (efficient)
• mixdown (mediocre)
• overall (borderline efficient - the harmonica addition and ending is 3 dimensional)

Victor: Draw

BATTLE 2:

ARTIST: HENERZ10

REMIX: HARLEM SHAKE (2 MONTHS AGO)

PLAYS/DOWNLOADS/FAVS: 498/23/N/A

THE PRESENT FAD   

VS
BLAST FROM PAST

ARTIST: ASSAFSPECTOR

REMIX: HOLD THE LINE (3 YEARS AGO)
PLAYS/DOWNLOADS/FAVS: 550/15/1

VERDICT:

Henerz10's remix; 

• cut up and editing (mediocre)
• ideas (efficient)
• mixdown (mediocre)
• overall (mediocre - humorous)

Assafspector's remix;

• cut up and editing (efficient)
• ideas (efficient)
• mixdown (efficient)
• overall (efficient - utilised a specific part of the track and reworked it in a different flavour/genre dancehall style)

Victor: Assafspector (smoother remix, better for sub-woofers)

BATTLE: 3  

ARTIST: KURT BORTECENE

REMIX: HOLD THE LINE (1 YEAR AGO)
PLAYS/DOWNLOADS/FAVS: 146/5/N/A

BLAST FROM PAST

VS
THE PRESENT FAD   

ARTIST: DJEVERGREEN
REMIX: HARLEM SHAKE (1 MONTH AGO)
PLAYS/DOWNLOADS/FAVS: 1/1/1

VERDICT:

Kurt Bortescene's remix; 

• cut up and editing (efficient)
• ideas (efficient)
• mixdown (mediocre)
• overall (borderline efficient - game soundtrack jam)

DJevergreen's remix;

• cut up and editing (efficient)
• ideas (efficient)
• mixdown (mediocre)
• overall (borderline efficient - dubstep-like loud and strange)

Victor: Draw

With the hype of Hrl'm Shake by Mr. Bauer slowly starting to fade, I wanted to investigate how fellow independent DJs, artists, and remixers on soundcloud have gone about adding their own spin on the track.

I have used three Hrl'm Shake remixes no longer than 3 months old and put them against three Hold The Line (Major Lazer) remixes (also by fellow soundcloud artist) that are at least a year old. 

This would be partly to see how hype affects productivity and ideas, and partly to see where the tools of souncloud users on the main - with regards to clubhot dance tracks - may be heading.

I have used ranking terms as: Optimum (efficient enough), Mediocre, and Non-existent to judge the areas of:

1. CUT UP AND EDITING
2. IDEAS
3. MIXDOWN
4. OVERALL IMPACT

Within each track.  


WINNER OF BATTLE: HOLD THE LINE REMIXES

WHY: It could be because of source material flexibility and dynamic drive, or just because I like the original track better.

THE OVERACHIEVER OF THEM ALL: Without shadow of a doubt

Rae Burnz