Thomas Gold shines on official remix of Madonna's 'I Rise'
Thomas Gold has been keeping busy producing music and touring, but the artist has kept it particularly fresh for fans as he continues to diversify his portfolio. Whether with his tech house alias AU-1 or experimenting with new sounds like tropical-leaning “Seventeen,” Gold is one of those producers who increasingly has something for everyone. His latest release is his remix of Madonna‘s “I Rise,” which is the final release from recent album Madame X.
Gold spoke with EDM All Day about being chosen to do the remix, explaining, “It’s a great honor to do an official remix for Madonna. I grew up to all her music, she was kind of always ‘there’ as she released so many great songs throughout the years. So when I got the request to do a remix for ‘I Rise,’ I was like ‘Yes, I want to do this, but I want to deliver something which pays respect to Madonna’s voice and the vibe of the original song.’”
The original track is a slow and sultry tune that highlights Madonna’s vocals. A slow pulsating humming in the background is juxtaposed with her singing, leaving the vocals to do most of the work on the track. Gold speaks to his goal for the remix, saying, “As the original version runs at a much slower tempo than my remix, I had to find the right way to speed up the vocal and the sounds I intended to use – without losing the vibe of the original.”
Gold keeps Madonna’s alluring vocals intact with the same cool tone of the original, but he completely transforms the BPM and enlists a vintage house style that is fitting, as those who are familiar with Madonna’s earlier releases can attest.
He explains the creative process behind what yielded his final result, saying, “I went for a classic house style approach with some well-known organ and piano sounds (hello Korg M1!), which I thought would fit perfectly for her voice. For the verses, I created a completely new chord progression. It was actually just a spontaneous idea I had, but I liked it, so I kept it. Once I had put together the basic sounds and the layout structure of the remix, it was just about creating a good flow throughout the track. I also used almost the entire original vocal, this was not too difficult, and it was fun to see how everything came together nicely.”
Ultimately, Gold trades in some of the sultry mood for more of a euphoric one, and his remix takes the track to a dance-worthy and fun-loving piece of music that showcases both artists at their finest. It’s an infectious song to begin with, but Gold’s house touch takes the track to the next level.
“At the end, I was happy that I had been able to still maintain some of the typical ‘Madonna’ vocal sound whilst giving the music a completely fresh approach,” Gold says. “And I was super happy when I got the final approval from Madonna and her team!”
