Remix & Recombine: How to put things together to make something new, with Graeme Park

Future-Proof Your Career

In this episode of Future Proof Your Career we're looking at recombination: how to bring old things together to make something new.

To help us to get our heads around mixing and remixing, we have a real expert in the studio today. Graeme Park has been one of the biggest names in the house music scene since the late 1980s. Well known for his residency at the Hacienda and long stints on a number of major radio stations, Graeme remixed tracks by the likes of Brand New Heavies, New Order, Eric B & Rakim, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

Graeme has most recently been one of the founding forces behind Hacienda Classical, bringing together classic dance tunes with a full live orchestra. He has even found himself behind the microphone, going back to his musician roots.

Here's what we learned from Graeme:

• Remixing is a creative art! Just because you're working with existing components, it doesn't mean this isn't real innovation. Recombining things can fulfill that creative urge.
• Seperate the technical skills required to remix something from the relevant domain knowledge. You may only have one or the other. For example, you might understand the business processes you're working with, or the industry sector. But you might not know the technology or have the political clout to build something new. Partner with someone who does.
• Play with your tools and components. Get to know the things that are at your disposal. What can you draw on in terms of resources: people, data, partners, platforms? And what can you use to stick them together? Software, systems, or just a telephone and some bits of paper?
• Agility: respond to what the audience wants. Don't set out with a singular vision and keep pursuing it without showing it to anyone. Get it out there early and change direction based on feedback.
• Collaborate. Bring in different ideas, perspectives and skill sets. You don't want design by committee but you're more likely to succeed with two heads than one.