Tag Archives: remix

beastmix01


So my friend Amy called me from one of her long weekly work-roadtrips crying that she was going to go bonkers if she had to listen to the Tom-Tom Club CD that’s been in her car stereo so long it had become “part” of the car.

What would have a 10 minute iTunes playlist assembly and clicking “burn” turned into a weekend-long obsessive project.

I’d downloaded some mixing software for Chad a couple of years ago but never really messed with it.

I used to enjoy mixing my obscure import vinyl remix collection into mix-tapes for friends back in the pre-digital-era… The practice is how I got started in graphic design – In those days using a Tandy computer, a dot-matrix printer, highlighters, xacto knives, stacks of Interview Magazines and a glue stick to make these belabored, love-soaked  j-card inserts.

So for shits and giggles and a way to fill the solitary hours of the evening, I blew the dust off the DJ software and took it for a spin… wow… it’s crazy easy fun now.  ESPECIALLY considering that the software cost a fraction of just ONE of the Technics 1200 direct-drive turntables I used to lust after.packaging pic

cd envelop

No more are the days of getting 30 minutes into a mix, screwing up, … doing what apparently is some sort of signature angry leprechaun dance I do when I’m really pissed (dunno – ask Elise) … and starting all over again.

So it was the perfect self-distraction storm… Nostalgic playlist… I’m turning 40 later this month… Plus there’s this big musclebear fella I chat with a lot who just had a birthday and wanted to send him something hand-crafted…. so the whole thing turned into a “project”.

This is PRECISELY the kinda crap my coach told me is the lifeline for creative dorks.. “PLAY”… i.e. “do what you *do* for fun for a change… not just for work.”

Best…. Therapy….. yet.

I created a short-run of these and distributed them to my closest friends…

Just like the old days….. Except:

The computer did all the hard stuff…
My age since the last one has increased by a factor of X2…

… and there was  no lepracauhn dancing…

 

download the file

 

DUE CREDIT:
inception / catalyst : Amy Gill
series inspiration: Ken “Beast” Colina
the hard stuff: MixMeister
non-linear mixing tutorial: Dustin Lee (DJcubster)
illustration: Schreddedwolf