Portland Indie Remix Pioneer, RAC, On His Grammy-Nominated Work
Portlander Andre Allen Anjos is up for a Grammy on Monday for best remixed recording. He works under the name RAC, and he\u2019s become the go-to guy for remixing indie bands, from The Arcade Fire to Foster the People.
As a college student in Greenville, Illinois, Andre Allen Anjos didn\u2019t aspire to be a globe-trotting artist and DJ whose songs have racked up millions of listens.
\u201cMy highest aspiration was to be a studio assistant, where I could work with recording equipment and make a living, but not necessarily be a musician,\u201d he says.
But he wasn\u2019t getting anywhere, so he decided to create his own agency called the Remix Artist Collective, or RAC. His first cold call: the Shins. The band was putting out its third album, \u201cWincing the Night Away.\u201d The manager asked for some demos. Weeks later, he called Anjos in the middle of history class \u2014 Anjos had a green light to remix \u201cSleeping lessons.\u201d
\u201cJames mercer, he\u2019s like super nice,\u201d says Anjos of meeting the bandleader backstage after finishing the remix. \u201cI was just this little kid \u2014 so scared to meet them. He told me he liked my version better than his.\u201d
The music taste-making blog Pitchfork picked up the remix, and the band released it as a B-side. Suddenly Anjos had real cred, and he saw an opening.
\u201cAt the time, remixing was just dance beats underneath a vocal,\u201d he recalls. \u201cNot a lot of people were remixing indie bands or remixing more rock-oriented stuff.\u201d
Pretty soon, bands were soliciting Anjos. He\u2019s worked with a who\u2019s who of indie royalty: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Death Cab for Cutie, Tokyo Police Club, not to mention mega acts like U2, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga.
Read the full story: http://www.opb.org/artsandlife/article/portland-indie-remix-pioneer-rac-on-grammy-nominated-work