Remixes have always been a way to revolutionize a song that people may know and recognize, or tweak a track that needs some fine tuning. Nowadays everything can be changed with new technologies and ideas. Skrillex, Avicii and Daft Punk are only a few well known groups that make remixes and electronic beats, but there are also a few right here at Steinbrenner, waiting for the same recognition.
Junior Matt Geier had not even heard of EDM style music until one fateful day that would change his life. “My friend Nate showed me this electronic group called Daft Punk. It was the first time I’d heard electronic music,” said Geier. “At first I thought, ‘that’s cool, it’s different.’ Then I heard Steve Aoki and this other guy Skrillex, and then it clicked: ‘This is amazing, this is crazy, how do they make this kind of music?’” From then on Geier began to realize his dream, and it became more than just a hobby. “It’s my dream to do this, and not just electronic music, but all types of music.”
Geier began by looking into the production of the music he had heard to help him in making his own sound. “I looked up tutorials on how to do things, [and] eventually I got this software called Ableton (music production service) and that’s how I started making my music,” said Geier. He also incorporates instruments such as the piano and the guitar into his remixes to help diversify his style. “One of my favorite bands is Nirvana,” said Geier. “I’m inspired by their music.”
But practice always comes into play, as most artists understand. Geier had a few things to say about taking a sound and applying it perfectly with other elements to create a symphony: “There are different ways to start. Some start off with a drum beat they make and then play around with a keyboard and melody, but I make music with a really good song, sound, or bass sound and I’ll toy with it for a little bit and just try and make something cool off it.” He finds that the same thing happens with guitar riffs and remixing; his inspiration comes from the artists’ original beats, which influences him to add his own twist.
Geier has even taken his music a step further with his best friend Nate Horvat (senior at Hillsborough High School) to create their own group called Youth Revolt, and they have music songs on Soundcloud. They also opened for an impersonation of Daft Punk in front of hundreds of people. Although they work together well, Matt also has a solo career known as Chaos and Poetry.
This is one junior taking steps towards making his dream a reality, working to build a serious future around his remixes while motivating others. Matt’s words of wisdom: “I can’t really see myself in a desk job… Whether it’s producing electronic music or recording, I really want it to be a part of my life forever.”
Logan Conrad/Staff Writer
