Secret Machines Announce Remix Contest

BY Brock ThiessenPublished Oct 9, 2008

Following the Radiohead marketing model of success, Secret Machines have thrown their hat into the ring known as the remix contest. The NYC outfit have announced they will launch the "Atomic Heels” Remix Contest for GarageBand on October 14, the same day their upcoming self-titled full-length drops via the band’s TSM Recordings.

Like most contests of this kind, this one involves Secret Machines dividing new single "Atomic Heels” into individual "stems” for fans to rearrange, reinterpret and, of course, remix. The resulting re-workings are then presumably shared through the band’s social network, thesecretmachines.com.

Here is head Secret Machine Brandon Curtis’s very detailed reasoning for launching the project:

To be honest, at first I didn't really grasp why we would want to do this, Secret Machines weren't initially on the bandwagon of high-profile remix enthusiasts. For us right now the most important priority is connecting with our fans. To celebrate the release of our first single, "Atomic Heels," we decided that there was no better gift than to let them explore and experiment with our music — have them feel the same excitement we first felt when we laid down the tracks for this song at New York's Magic Shop Studios.

So yes, it's about technology, but it's also about embracing how this technology impacts us artistically, by allowing us to make our music available for the first time in an interactive way. As the traditional label industry keeps changing, and the sale of recorded music keeps dwindling, we're thrilled to be among a growing number of artists that now provide our fans with a dynamic digital means to distribute our music, for free, among themselves. We can't wait to hear what they come up with.


The contest will run until November 2, when Secret Machines will announce the remix champion online. And instead of just remixer pride, contestants have a chance to win an iPod nano-chromatic pre-loaded with Secret Machines’ new album and band videos, as well as a limited-edition EP that will include the winning remix and a few other exclusive tracks.

In other Secret Machines news, the band have a whole pile of Canadian dates lined up for this fall, along with several in the U.S. Here they are:

10/16 Washington, D.C. – 9:30 Club
10/17 Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero
10/18 New York, NY – Webster Hall
10/20 Cambridge, MA – Middle East Downstairs
10/21 Montreal, QC – Les Saints
10/22 Toronto, ON – Lee's Palace
10/24 Chicago, IL – Metro Secret Machines *
10/25 Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre *
10/27 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
10/28 Aspen, CO – Belly Up *
10/30 Los Angeles, CA – Key Club *
11/1 Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern *
11/3 San Francisco, CA – The Independent *
11/5 Portland, OR – Berbati's *
11/7 Vancouver, BC – Richard’s on Richards
11/9 Calgary, AB – SAIT ^
11/10 Saskatoon, SK – Louis' Pub ^
11/11 Winnipeg, MB – Pyramid Cabaret ^
11/14 London, ON – Call the Office ^
11/15 Ottawa, ON – Babylon ^

* with the Dears
^ with Small Sins

The Secret Machines "Sad and Lonely”

Latest Coverage