Drifting with... WOST
I've spoken with Venezuela born DJ and Producer WOST about his brand new remix.
A few weeks ago, I drunkenly met WOST (Kelvin) in the Video Club green room. It’s always strange meeting a person who you feel like you already know because you play so much of their music. It reminds me of when you follow someone on instagram who you don’t know personally, but you know that their little brother recently graduated and that they got a flat tire last week. You can so easily feel apart of their world even though you are a complete stranger.
I think that’s what is so interesting about remixes. They are the reimagining of someone else’s world in a very public way.
I am extremely thankful that Kelvin took the time to put this remix together. When writing this track, it had really felt like a ‘big room’, euphoric, set-closer type track, but what I find so interesting about this version is that it really brings the track back into a small, sweaty club. I’ve played it out a few times already and I love how different it feels live to the original but still holds a lot of similarities. Kelvin kindly sent me this message when he had finished the track and it made me want to dig a little deeper and find out about how he got to the final version…
What do you think makes a great remix?
I love when a remix preserves the original motif of a track but is completely reinterpreted through the remixer’s own vision. I’m usually drawn to remixes that take an already great track and turn it into a full-on dancefloor weapon.
When working on ‘Wolfgang’, which element of the original inspired you the most and became the starting point for your remix?
While working on the Wolfgang remix, I felt that the main synth was the track’s backbone. It has this bell-like quality that evolves throughout the original, and that was the element I wanted to highlight the most in my version. I think it ended up fulfilling that role incredibly well.
Did you have a clear direction from the beginning, or did the idea evolve unexpectedly?
At first, when I tried working on the remix, I felt stuck for several days—until I deleted the project entirely and started from scratch, lol. After that, I experimented with pushing the track toward a more traditionally “techno” direction and started testing classic drum machines like the 808. That’s when everything began to take shape in a really cool way. The little bleep-blop sound that repeats throughout the track also helped a lot—it felt like the cherry on top that made everything click.
What tools, synths, or plugins were pivotal for this remix?
One of my favorite plugins, and one that played a major role here, is Infiltrator by Devious Machines. I found a preset that turns almost anything into a small techno-like melody created through frequency resonances. This plugin has helped me add extra layers of complexity to the sounds I use in my tracks.
What makes a remix feel authentically you?
For me, a remix feels authentic when you can tell the producer let their creativity flow without staying too tied to the preconceived idea of the original work. I like when the motifs remain present, but I’m obsessed with reinterpretations that come from a totally different point of view of the same piece.
Do you prefer transformative remixes or subtle reinterpretations?
Following that same line, I think I’m more of a fan of remixes that make an impact by taking the track somewhere completely different.
If you could remix any track in history, what would it be?
I don’t know if there’s one specific dream track, but I’d love to do an official remix for an El Alfa song, lol.
Do you have a favourite remix by another artist?
One of the best remixes I’ve been obsessed with lately is Mantequilla (Pariah Remix), released on TraTraTrax a few months ago. It’s incredible how someone like Pariah can take Maoupa Mazzocchetti’s reggaeton track and turn it into a technological club banger.
☆ ☆ Be sure to check out the remix on any DSP or buy on bandcamp today ☆ ☆
