A Study of Remix Music’s Transformation Methods

Abstract

The act of remixing to create a new cultural product by reconstructing an existing one is being performed in almost all cultural content fields today. Even so, although the remix concept originated in the musical field, theoretical discussion concerning its reconstruction principles in popular music compared to other genres is lacking. This paper analyzes the methods of transforming original songs in remixing. Furthermore, it presents a theoretical basis for its systematic understanding. Ninety-four previously released popular music remixes were selected and compared with the original songs in terms of musical elements, thereby identifying representative types of reconstruction as a new standard for remix music creation. This comparison is then further studied to explore whether applying analytical methods of literary works allows for a deeper understanding of the musical remix process. As a result, musical remix types were categorized as either 1) an “expansion” process that preserves the original accompaniment (i.e., background) and transforms the vocal composition, or 2) a “transposition” process that creates a new accompaniment while preserving the original vocals (i.e., characters). Based on this finding, musical remixing could be described as preserving either the vocals or the accompaniment of the original song while completely transforming the other element. Thus, it maintains the original piece’s identity and aura but simultaneously reveals the difference. These results identify types of remixing popular music based on principles borrowed from a non-musical genre. Furthermore, they analyze existing types and suggest systematic strategies for creating new ones.