Respectful remixing
Typically, the best remixes will pay homage to the original track while introducing a splash of the remixer’s own production flair. As most artists are precious about their music (often reluctant to let others remix it at all!), it’s important to approach the remix proces with care and respect. You wouldn’t fill a delicate, emotional folk track with Tim Westwoodstyle dancehall sound effects, would you?
Instead, it’s best to think about how your chosen track can be updated or reworked in a respectful way. Using the signature parts of the original track in a sympathetic manner can really give your remix a strong identity: if you’re remixing a track with a killer vocal, you could still use it in your version, but change it slightly by altering the tuning or adding some effects, keeping it recognisable but still giving it your own sonic stamp.
If you’re creating a fresh rhythm track for your remix, try making a groove template from the original drums and applying it to your beat to infuse your drums with the original track’s groove. Another way to keep your remix authentic while bringing the original up to date is to recreate any synth parts as closely as possible using a virtual synth of your choice. Once you’ve done this, it’s simple to tweak the synth’s parameters to your heart’s content to create interesting variations that doff their cap to the original track whilst sounding modern and reflective of your production style.