CID Talks Grammy Nomination & Remixing LSD’s “Audio” [INTERVIEW]

CID is up for a Grammy Award this year, which is the ultimate kind of recognition in the music industry. The work he did for LSD (Labrinth, Sia & Diplo) in the form of his “Audio” remix truly showcases dance music at its finest.

Speaking with CID about the remix project, he feels “fortunate” to have been able to rework “Audio.” It’s easy to hear — the track he prepared is dance floor ready and perfect for everyday listening, two huge factors he considers when remixing any track.

Here’s what he had to say about the Grammy nod and his work on the remix…

On first hearing “Audio” by LSD…

First of all the project I think is amazing. Sia is an incredible singer. Labrinth is — they’re both incredible songwriters. Labrinth is also a crazy producer. Then, you throw Diplo in there and it’s the ultimate artist project. Right away, even before I got the nomination I would have loved to do a remix.

On remixing LSD…

It was so easy to work with their vocals. You could put anything behind Sia’s vocal and it will sound amazing! [laughs] It wasn’t too difficult to get the idea. I love what they did on the original. For me, it was about taking the essence of what they had done and putting my spin on it.

On the most challenging part of the remix…

The tempo. For this one, I did something that I’ve never really done before. The original song is pretty slow. The first version I did — I did the whole thing at 124 bpm. I think Diplo heard the first demo I sent. He said, “Slow the whole thing down. The verse is too fast.” So, you can’t really notice it, but I’m changing the tempo. The verses are maybe 118 and when it gets to the pre-chorus then the chorus it starts speeding up really slowly, and the drop is around 124. That was challenging, trying to speed up without anyone noticing. It probably threw off a lot of DJs. If any DJ played it and mixed over — there’d be a lot of train wrecking going on.

On his previous Grammy win in 2014…

I won a Grammy for my work on Cedric Gervais’ Lana Del Rey remix. I’d been working with Cedric for a couple of years at the time. He’s an incredible producer and I was super grateful to be a part of that remix. I don’t think any of us realized what it would turn into. It was incredible to see how big that song was able to get. It was very smart putting it through the club system. He did the whole Beatport thing and it did really well there. I think Interscope took a shot on it and pushed to radio and it took off. The Grammys was one of the most crazy experiences to be a part of. It kind of gave me an inside look at how things develop along the way. For me, being at the Grammys was one of those mental images — like, this is what it takes.

It’s great to be coming back and doing it on my own. Obviously, my name is on this one. I’m just nominated now — that alone is just crazy to me, to think back at how far I’ve come. It’s just awesome to be going back there.

On making a good remix…

I’ve kind of been doing two different styles. The one, I’m making it strictly for the dance floor. But, I think the ones that make great remixes are the ones that you can go on Spotify in your house or in your car and just listen to. But, at the same time, you could play them in the club. That’s the sweet spot! If you can make it listenable and effective in your set, I think those are the best remixes.

CID’s ultimate goal with this remix and everything he creates — “I want people to be happy.”

Listen to “Audio” (CID Remix) below and check out the full list of Grammy nominees for Best Remixed Recording here. Don’t forget to tune in for the 61st Annual Grammy Awards on February 10.