Rarely do we encounter stories as captivating as the collaboration between rock legends Aerosmith and the groundbreaking technology UmixIt launched on June 8, 2004. This partnership, anchored in the sophisticated features of the Cakewalk Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software served as a powerful testament to Aerosmith’s trailblazing spirit in harnessing technology to enrich musical experiences.
The journey began in November 23, 2004, with the release of “You Gotta Move,” a DVD concert show featuring tracks from Aerosmith’s blues-inspired album “Honkin’ on Bobo.” A bonus disc included a special UmixIt track ready to be remixed, “You Gotta Move”. This inclusion marked one of the initial forays into offering fans a more interactive listening experience, allowing them to engage with the music on a level previously reserved for professional sound engineers.
UmixIt Technologies was a joint venture between Enterprise Golden Hawk LLC and Webster Hall Records, in a business and technology alliance with Cakewalk, in which Cakewalk powered the UmixIt technology that allowed music buyers to make their own mixes of songs using Microsoft’s latest digital rights technology.
UmixIt’s technology was simple yet revolutionary. By providing the original audio tracks of songs on CDs or DVDs, along with an 8-track and a 16-track version and a selection of royalty-free loops formatted for ACID, fans could delve into the art of mixing using the Cakewalk Media Mixer application. This initiative opened the doors to a world where fans could not only listen to music but also actively participate in its creation, remixing their favorite tracks by adjusting volumes, adding effects, or even integrating new instrumental loops.
The concept was officially unveiled at CES 2005, where Aerosmith and the UmixIt team, joined by Intel CEO and Steven Tyler, showcased the potential of this technology on January 06, 2005. Steven Tyler expressed the essence of UmixIt with enthusiasm, stating, “You never know what you can hear between the tracks unless you can solo them. We’ve made that possible without having to go to a recording studio. You can hear things like Joe [Perry] stomping his fuzz-tone, and shoving his guitar into the amp for feedback, not to mention me clearing my throat and singing the wrong lyrics for all the right reasons.”
Following the CES announcement, Aerosmith and Joe Perry continued to explore the possibilities of UmixIt. Perry’s solo album, released on May 3, 2005, included two additional UmixIt tracks, “Mercy” and “Push Comes to Shove,” further expanding the scope of music that fans could interact with. These tracks were made available in both 8-track versions and a purchasable 16-track version, pushing the boundaries of traditional music consumption.
The Aero Force One & UmixIt “You Gotta Move” Remix Contest showcased Aerosmith’s innovative approach by merging music with technology, allowing fans to remix a track for unique rewards. This initiative, emblematic of their role as pioneers in fan engagement, not only invited fans into the creative process but also left a lasting legacy of Aerosmith’s efforts to blend technology with music, redefining the artist-audience relationship.
Cakewalk was eventually acquired by Singapore-based BandLab Technologies in 2018. Despite the eventual market failure of UmixIt and the cessation of support for its file types by Cakewalk’s later iterations, the legacy of this collaboration endures.
Do you still have the multi-track or your best remixes? Let us know!
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