bad idea #1

In 2025 I think it's pretty safe to say mixing music remains extremely popular. It feels like the veil of what's required to be a disc jockey has been lifted, and more people than ever are exploring their relationship with music.

 

3NDLES5 in Adelaide, 2025.

Back in 2024 Jenkem Magazine ran a piece called 'turning classic skate soundtracks into an NTS radio show' where Ben Komins interviewed Gianluca Quagliano about skateboarding & music.

In that interview Ben asked;   

'Do you think a song can ruin a skate video?'  

To which Gianluca responded,

'If a video part is sick, music can make it better. [& more]'

 

Like most skateboarders I used to make playlists of my favourite songs from video parts. 

 

Later on I would rip raw footage from filmers YouTube channels and make my own re-edits, changing clip order and using songs I thought fit the output. Here's one where I tried to make Leo Valls skate to Mall Grab in an attempt to depict that playful movement feeling you get sometimes skating to a spot or the shops - bonking cracks, hopin curbs, pwr sliding to burn off speed, etc.

 

I was at home watching some Alexis Lacroix raw footage on Instagram posted by Loopholewheels when an observation turned into an idea. My brother (a musician & DJ) a room over from me was spinnin records.

As I was watching the footage I noticed the music was on point. Not quite Doc Browns flux capacitor, but a light-bulb moment regardless.

I know as an editor of skate videos, music control is a massive creative standpoint. But imagine if some videos didn't have music, instead published later on as raw, alongside editors intent. Viewers could play their own music over the top, and even mix sets to parts/footage.

This idea became so attractive to me. To make skateboard video parts almost interactive and open to creativity with the Internets best virtue - access.

Imagine going to a video premiere where the video is looping, a different live cut where a DJ is mixing various tracks over different sections of the video. What an experience that could be. Wake the next morning to watch the online published video with it's final soundtrack, and have another experience all over again. 

At the Rage 5 premiere in Sydney earlier this year, I stood next to Toby Cregan, and when the video wrapped we had a quick chat about it. He explained even after rewatching it so many times, each premiere led to making edits. 

Surfing video's are prime for my silly idea, unlike skateboarding which benefit from having the noise of the action.

It's hard to imagine Rage 5 without its soundtrack, but that's sorta the point. In writing this I decided to play B4 by Effective Power over the Kai-MAC footy just to experiment, and while it's not the same as hearing his own music score it, it fits Gianluca's point; 

'If a video part is sick, music can make it better.'

I understand the complications and reluctance to publish raw videos. 

but some of my favourite songs are remixed versions, and I think skateboarding could very well experience the same effect if there was this kind of interactive shift. Give the video to a magazine, publish raw footage later under the brand/crew.

I thought of the homie Tate Grivell. We had caught up briefly at the skatepark the night before my idea. He told me about his newfound hermit lifestyle since moving out, mainly mixing records in his spare time and how much he was loving it. I imagined him and his room mate mixing records to video parts. What a way to enjoy the intersection of both. 

I have stupid ideas all the time. Some even make it into a notebook in my car. This one felt like it needed sharing/record so thank you if you read this far.