Hasta La Ideas

Andre Anjos and Karl Kling are part of the Remix Artist Collective (RAC), which also includes Andrew Maury. Since 2007, RAC has produced remixes for bands such as Arcade Fire, Radiohead and Tokyo Police Club.

How did you get RAC started?
Andre: I had to choose between studying design and music – I chose music. I started out during sophomore year at Greenville College, where both Karl and I went. I studied music business but I wasn’t getting any internships, so I decided to make up my own job. I started doing remixes for fun, set up a website and started emailing people. After 6 months, still nothing was happening. But then I did my first remix, for the Shins. Remixes just seemed like a corner of the music industry that was untapped. Now I’m able to DJ full time, I don’t have a real job.The whole idea kind of RAC has changed, though. Originally I wanted everyone to do collaborations together, but it’s difficult to sustain and to do on a consistent basis. Now we’re a bunch of different people who do different things under one name. I think the name [Remix Artist Collective] still applies.

Do you have a remix philosophy?
Andre: We’re both definitely song writers and producers first. We approach our remixes from the song and studio perspective. We’re not thinking about the dance floor. We try to make the song better, to complement it. We try to use common sense.
Karl: And make good pop music.
Andre: We don’t think too much about it, it just kind of happens. With remixes there’s a deadline, no choice about getting it done. We just go do it and go with it.

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