Music Review – 8 Bit Jazz – Flo Rida Remix
This one is an exciting track for a number of reasons, it feels like a whole different piece of music from one section to the next at times, yet it all has that feeling of being entirely thought through and utterly complete. It’s achieved a level of greatness in my opinion that is exactly what should be aimed for when remixing music.
The track has some moments of real creative bliss, the instruments run wild in a way, and if at first it sounds like a deep bass dance or house track, it quickly mutates into something much more unique. The whole thing has a really fresh sound to it, you get lost in the sound-scape of it, the hypnotic stutter of the beat, the synths, the riffs – the atmosphere emerging as it all progresses is a little overwhelming, in a good way, plus, the electronic style solo section is intense, really unusual; pretty amazing to listen to.
The build up is awesome, as is the drop. I’ve not quite appreciated any new music lately that has satisfied these innate needs for nostalgic house or big beat electronica. There’s also this incredible oriental feeling to the instrumental section about two thirds into the track, after the big drop; it’s this after party sort of zone, and it sets an amazing scene within your head space as you listen. Really nice.
What’s been done with this song is beautiful, the whole release features some fantastic production – to the point that no volume is too high, no effect too strong. It’s the kind of music that provides the essential headphone heaven we all crave in our busy lives. Real moments of escapism. The production hasn’t followed any set pathways or guidelines, which is great – that creative edge is ever intriguing. I’m not overly familiar with the original song, but the remix is a winner. It sounds incredible, the bass, the riffs, the production. A great job has been done in bringing this music to life.
By Rebecca Cullen
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
8 Bit Jazz: Music has always been a central source of inspiration and relief for me from a very early age. In the early parts of my teenage years, I learnt how to play the piano without any supervision or external guidance. The inspiration to produce the best possible quality of electronic music came when I attended my first ‘rave’ or outdoor party at the age of 16. The performer in question was Above and Beyond, followed and preceded by other notable acts from the world of Electronic Dance Music. When I first heard A & B drop their hit single ‘Sun & Moon’, I was quite literally taken aback by the creativity and passion with which every melody and beat was synchronized to perfection. Right then and there, the only thing going through my head was “I have GOT TO learn how to make this kind of music!”.
Through the process of learning how to make similar beats, I realized two things about my artistic persona:
1) Although Trance is beautiful, it is not my ‘thing’; a notion I realized from the earliest days of my production repertoire. I wanted to make beats that would send shockwaves through the crowd and force them to go absolutely wild!
2) As my ability to produce banging beats and unique melodies improved, so did my thirst for mixing similar sounds in harmony.
Thus the ‘Producer’ and ‘DJ’ tags of 8 Bit Jazz were conceived.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
8 Bit Jazz: Other than music production and the art of mixology, gaming and artwork have always been my alternative sources of leisure or entertainment. The love for gaming bodes as true today, with my PS4 controller in hand, as it did 15 years ago with my PS1 controller in hand! So much so, that one of my most revered and favored games of all time; ‘The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’ inspired me to tattoo the infamous ‘Zelda Hearts’ on my forearm! My love for gaming has exceeded just the realm of games, and also transpired into the world of artwork- 8 Bit artwork to be more specific.
‘Jazz’ also being a synonym for music; 8 Bit Jazz was born…
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
8 Bit Jazz: In my opinion, the idea of online music sharing, and platforms that allow online music sharing have dramatically transformed the music industry over the years. Online music sharing is an unrivaled form of promotion and boost for all upcoming indie artists, established musicians, and record labels alike. In this age of global, social media dominance, online music sharing platforms and outlets are at the forefront of providing top quality music for the whole world to listen to. At the moment, as I have just kick-started my promotional campaign on various social media outlets, in order to gain recognition, I would gladly allow free downloads of my various original tracks, remixes and sets. This is a mindset I wish to implement in the future as well, regardless of how ‘big’ or well regarded I may become one day. To me, music is more than just earning revenue or royalties; it is about uniting people through sound, and my love affair with all kinds of music is unmatched!
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
8 Bit Jazz: Being a startup myself, I honestly don’t have much in terms of advise or tips to provide other startups with. However, what I am learning at these preliminary stages, is the importance of promotion and ‘getting yourself out there’ in terms of exposure, in order to gain an admirable organic following. Promote yourself and your work as frequently and diversely as possible.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
8 Bit Jazz: I have yet to experience the hectic nature (I am sure) of writing songs, but in terms of developing melodies into production values for example, my ideal source of inspiration would be drawn in a darkened room, hunched over my laptop and midi-keyboard, surrounded by boxes of pizza, diet coke, and cigarettes, without the luxury of seeing sunlight for days!
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
8 Bit Jazz: I don’t have a specific website dedicated to my music-related activities, however, you can catch all my original songs and remixes on my Sound-cloud page (https://soundcloud.com/8bitjazz), and my YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi5gRhkrXeM5eS45w7_8DoA).
For my own mixes, mash-ups, and sets pertaining to Melbourne Bounce and Trap music specifically, please refer to my Mix-cloud page (under the same alias).
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
8 Bit Jazz: I would take my family on a trip around the world, and purchase for them whatever their heart desires!
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
8 Bit Jazz: For me, as a kick-starter, indie producer and DJ, I’ve found that social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. are a goldmine waiting to be tapped into, in terms of exposure and reach. Often times, it also helps to pay for promotional activities or sponsorships on the aforementioned media outlets.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
8 Bit Jazz: This is a big year for me, as by the end of the year, I plan to produce an album’s worth of original content (inclusive of original tracks and remixes). However, for the very near future, keep an eye out for my new single; a trap exclusive collaboration with acclaimed Malaysian rapper; Catch 22.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
8 Bit Jazz: In all honesty, I would be a much, much better student if I weren’t making music!
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
8 Bit Jazz: As a student, with academic responsibilities to uphold, honestly it has been quite difficult. But I try to focus primarily on production and mixing, during my leisure time and also during any free moment from my daily routine. I try to work on music as often as practically possible throughout the course of a day.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
8 Bit Jazz: Like I said, 2016 will be a pretty big year in terms of production and original contents, so fans should definitely look forward to a very active and banging 2016 from 8 Bit Jazz.
