remix
An alternative version of a song created by rearranging, adding, or removing elements from the original recording.
In Depth
A remix takes an existing recording and reimagines it — typically by altering the beat, tempo, arrangement, or sonic character. Remix culture originated in Jamaican dub music of the 1970s, where producers like King Tubby and Lee Scratch Perry stripped reggae tracks down to their bass and drums and added echo effects.
Today, remixes are a standard practice across electronic music, pop, and hip-hop. A club remix might add a four-on-the-floor beat to make a pop song danceable. An official remix might feature a new artist adding a verse. The art of remixing demonstrates that a recording is not a finished object but raw material that can be continually reshaped.
Daft Punk's remix of their own song Around the World by Motorbass is considered one of the greatest remixes ever — it transformed a repetitive electronic track into a completely different sonic experience.