Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now (Thumbs-Up Dance Remix)

Some classic Joni with a heavy injection of DANCE.

Just posting this as a draft for the moment. I'm probably going to sample a bass guitar line to replace the synth bass eventually... the production overall isn't exactly immaculate, as I'm still learning the ropes of mixing dance music properly. Also, it's sort of quiet because I couldn't find a way to effectively compress it without making it sound super stuffy. Any input from more experienced producers would be greatly appreciated!

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posted by CarrotAdventure (3 comments total)

i think you need to roll off the bass on the acoustic guitar - i'd lose everything under 1000khz and see how this sounds - usually you'd want to cut off under 200-300, but for dance music, acoustic guitar's taking up too much space - you might want to consider not having it

the kick needs to be stronger - and you need to compress the drums and the bass separately - i usually cut off the bass under 60-80hz and over 2000 - that will leave room for your kick and for the other higher instruments

the shakers need to be turned down or eq'd - they're taking up a bit of space

i think you need a pad to tie it all together - some synth strings would work

the secret to getting things loud is EQ - every mix is different - generally, you want to try to have each instrument have its own wavelength band to be heard in

try to get this sounding right without reverb - you can always add that later
posted by pyramid termite at 10:13 AM on March 31 [1 favorite]

I have no insight for you re: mixing dance music. But I have insight for you as someone who loves both dance music and Joni Mitchell.

WOOOOOOOOO FUCKING HOOOOOOOO!

I can't favorite this post enough times.
posted by greekphilosophy at 10:24 AM on March 31

Wow, I think you may have found a way for me to finally enjoy Joni, something I have been trying to do for a long time! This is really fucking sweet. Makes me really happy.
posted by ORthey at 10:43 AM on March 31