What do you call a remix without the original tracks? A production by the Avalanches, Australia's premier mix-and-mash crew. In their version of Belle & Sebastian's "I'm a Cuckoo," the familiar pop band is gone, making way for an African festival of flutes, accordions, voices, and percussion, performed by denizens of Melbourne's refugee community. Of Belle's recording, only the lead vocal remains. Here's how they changed their tune.

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Contact wiredlabs@wired.com to report an issue.

1. Trial mash-up: In any Avalanches remix, the first step is to settle on a creative direction by rubbing the original song up against existing recordings. "I made a CD of about 15 tracks ranging from early T. Rex to Paul Simon's Graceland to African high-life, and put the Belle song in the middle of it," says founding Avalanche Darren Seltmann. "I gave that to all the musicians, saying this is basically what we're thinking."

2. Auditions: The Avalanches had produced a benefit CD in 2003 for African expatriates seeking asylum in Australia. Now they worked their refugee connections in search of talent. "One guy said he was the best drummer, singer, and guitarist in the world," Seltmann recalls. "He started playing drums – not great. He sang – out of key. We handed him a guitar, and he strummed it without touching the frets. He had never played guitar in his life!"

3. Recording: Seltmann and fellow Avalanche Robbie Chater have home studios, and they invited some musicians to record there. For players less accustomed to studio work, Seltmann brought the studio to them. "I've got a little old laptop," he says. "It could record only a couple of tracks at a time, but it worked." After capturing several takes, the remixers compiled ideal performances of each instrumental part.

4. Mixing: At Chater's studio, they threw out the guitar, bass, and drum tracks they had recorded – "too much like Graceland," Seltmann says – and focused on the African instruments. A Sudanese choir had found Belle & Sebastian's music difficult to follow and reverted to a traditional hymn, which was only sporadically consonant. The Avalanches adjusted the choir's volume level accordingly, featuring the hymn after "Cuckoo" ends.

5. Burn-in period: The Avalanches generally spend a month making a remix, and they always reserve the last few days for getting a bit of distance before declaring the project finished. "It becomes distorted in your mind when you listen to it a million times," Seltmann explains. "You need to let it marinate." A short time after completing the mix, the team took a final listen. The conclusion: This cuckoo was cooked to perfection.