There are a lot of DJ’s and performers out there. It can be a monumental task climbing up the endless heights to be known as a performer. One way you can quickly rise above the crowd and get recognition is through bootlegs and remixes. You can take any track and make your own spin on it. By taking popular dance tracks and adding your own spin you can quickly get your sound and vibe out to the world.

I just created a new Bootleg Remix Pack to help speed up the process and wanted to share some techniques and tips I use a lot in remixing.

WHAT IS A BOOTLEG REMIX?

To start, let’s define what a Bootleg is.

A Bootleg is one type of remix of a song in which the remixing DJ uses an entire song or samples from a popular song without the explicit permission of the original artist. A bootleg remix generally uses the stereo master track and or accapella of the track.

This differs from a Stem Remix. When you are working with stems or the separate parts of the track, you are generally working directly with the artist. This means when you are doing a bootleg you have to use all sorts of tricks to make it unique and cut parts out of the original track without having the separate parts.

TECHNIQUES IN CREATING A BOOTLEG REMIX

There is a wide range of techniques you can use to mash up your bootleg and make a unique new remix. Here is a list of tried and true ways of creating your bootleg.

Identify the Key Elements

When you are working on a bootleg it is really important to know what is special about the original track. Sometimes this is the vocal hook. Other tracks, it’s about the unique 808 basslines. Every track is different, but there should be a recognizable aspect of the track you want to have throughout the bootleg.

What might be the key element:

Vocal Hook

Lead instrumental

Bassline (especially if 808 music or dubstep)

Eye on the Prize

When doing a bootleg it is important to remember why and what you are doing. You might be taking an Adel track and making it ready for the dance floor. If that were the case, your composition and remix should be DJ friendly with a solid beat. You might be taking a Daft Punk song and making it a more lounge style. That would be a totally different way of using the original track.

So when you are working on a remix remember what you are doing and keep true to that for the entire track.

Know the Keys

When you are working on a Bootleg it is important to know the tracks original Key. Use a tuner VST in live, or Mixed in Key to figure out the key of the original song. Sometimes I just look up the song on Beatport for the key and BPM information.

Make sure that you are writing in either the original key or a related key. This will ensure that your track sounds coherent with the original. Also, when you are DJing you might want to move from the original 1/2 through the track into the bootleg you made. Keeping the same key and BPM will help in mixing the track live.

Software to analyze Key and BPM:

Mixed in Key (paid for Mac and PC)

Keyfinder (free for Mac and PC

Rapid Evolution 3 ( free PC only and fantastic)

Separate the Parts

After I know the basics of the track, such as the key element and scale, I can start getting the track ready for some remix magic. The first step is to Splice up the track to its different parts. I like to do this by making the initial loops based on the composition of the track.

Here is an example of me cutting up the track Royals by Lorde in Arrangement View:

If you like to start in Session View then you can still cut it into different sections to jam with.

Changing the Composition

Now that you have the composition of the track cut up you can start rearranging the different parts. This way you can have the chorus twice as long, cut out the bridge, and so on. If you are taking some 3-minute pop song and making it into a DJ dance track you will want to make the track a lot longer with build-ups and breakdowns. Get experimental in rearranging the parts.

Isolation of the Vocals or Leads

Another common trick for a Bootleg Remix is to EQ the track to isolate certain elements. You might want just the vocals of the song Royals. One of the easiest ways to do this is EQing out the main harmonics and frequencies of the human voice.

Above is an image of an Effect Rack in the Bootleg Remix Pack I made to help isolate vocals. You can see I cut out a lot of the low end and high end and kept the range of the human voice. This did a fairly good job of capturing just the vocals by Lorde. Granted, there will still be a lot of noise and extra sounds, but by the time I add new drums and elements, you won’t be able to tell that much.

Isolate the Vocals with the Acapella

Isolating the vocals is another technique you can use with the instrumental version and phase cancellation. Ryan McAllister made this fantastic video that walks through how you can get a decent Acapella if you have the full version and an instrumental version.



Adding your Signature

As you build out your Bootleg Remix it’s important to remember it add your unique sound to the mix. This can be a new baseline sound, added percussion, or anything to make this track stand out. When I am doing a bootleg I like to add 50% new elements to the track.

Explore and Create!

A Bootleg is also something you play out at gigs and never release online. Feel free to be more experimental with your sound because of this. Enter into new genres and territories.

I would love to hear whatever tips or tricks you have for making Bootleg Remixes. If you’re up for sharing some ninja remix skills comment below. Feel free to share the Bootleg Remixes you have done with a little tip or technique you used. Out of the comments below, I will pick a few to showcase in a future article.

If you want to look deeper into the Bootleg Remix Pack and how it can help speed up the songwriting and give you access to some fresh new remix tools, then check out the walk-through video.