How I Use Remixes For Inspiration

Neon Notes — Week [12]

Writer's block is a real thing, whether you write lyrics, instrumentals, or both, this can be frustrating.

When I'm having a little writer's block, I tend to do a few things to help me overcome it. I'll either go into an old project and make a new version, sound design in Serum for future songs, or remix someone else's song.

Most of the time, sound designing or going into an old project just help me stay sharp, but remixes usually give me some kind of inspiration.

There are various ways to get vocals from popular mainstream songs, but that's another post on its own, and any remix I make using these vocals are only for me. While I may let people hear them, they are never uploaded to any streaming sites.

One example is a remix I'm working on using the stripped vocals from a song by Dua Lipa titled Break My Heart.

When I do a remix like this, I purposely stay away from referencing the original song. I may be familiar with the song, but I don't want any influences other than my own creativity and the vocals to drive the song forward.

I want my song to sound completely different from the original, so this is how I use remixes for inspiration.

I listen to the stripped vocals, no music, no beat. I just listen and try to imagine my own song around the vocals.

I may leave the vocals lined up like the original song, sometimes I'll chop or rearrange them.

For the Break My Heart remix, I chose to leave them as is, follow the sections and put my own spin on it.

I wasn't too familiar with this particular song, so when I heard the vocals, I had no song reference to go by.

I laid the vocal track into my DAW and got to work.

From there I start the remix like I start all my songs.

I experiment with tempo, bass patterns, different drum patterns until I get something that feels good, and complements the vocals.

I may go through a few iterations until I have something that works, but this is where this helps with inspiration.

Once I find the starting point, the rest of the song tends to fall in place.

This is the beauty of remixes. Sure, I might not always finish the songs, but great ideas come from them. I may use the main drum pattern in another song, or use a whole section to rewrite a song around that.

Sometimes, I'll just strip the vocals and keep it as an instrumental, or add different vocals that are royalty free.

Remixes have helped me get out of that stuck feeling.

In the end, it's not about making a slightly different version of the original, it's about sparking inspiration to make the song mine.

Now Creating

• The last song of the EP is out
• Still working on website
• Working on new artwork for old songs

Thanks for reading.
If you have thoughts about any of this, I’d love to hear them.

This post is part of my weekly Neon Notes series. New posts go live every Wednesday.