Nick Pittsinger, Behind the 800% Slower “U Smile” Remix

The term “overnight success” has rarely been so accurately used to describe an individual’s ascent to fame as with Nick Pittinger.  When the young producer remixed Justin Bieber’s song “U Smile” by slowing it down 800% the song took the Internet by storm on sites such as Reddit, The Daily What, and Gawker.   Pittinger transformed the bubblegum R&B ballad into a swirling ambient piece reminiscent of post-rock luminaries Sigur Ros and Godspeed! You Black Emperor, catching the ears of over one millions listeners.
J. BIEBZ – U SMILE 800% SLOWER by Shamantis

Do you mind sharing some of your IRL info? Name, age, location, etc.?
Of course! Nick Pittsinger, age 20, located in sunny (and deathly hot at the moment) Tampa, Florida.

How did you get involved with music production and how long have you been making tunes?
I have been involved with music production for about a year and a half now, and making tunes almost every day since then. I’m getting better every day, too!

Between getting over one million hits in a week and receiving mentions from NPR , The Washington Post, and Justin Bieber himself, what has been the most surprising response to your remix?
The most surprising? Well, it all has been a huge surprise since it started off as a joke/experiment, but I can definitely say the most rewarding response is how many fans I have listening to my actual music now! Also, the claims that I changed the face of music, or started a new genre, are a bit surprising. I don’t really believe them, though.

Can you provide an overview of the different software and techniques you used to make the remix? How did you come up with that combination of effects?
Honestly, it was all Paulstretch. I know it sounds like there are a bunch of effects in there like pre-delay, reverb, and whatnot, but all of that is part of the beautiful program that is Paulstretch. It takes a song, stretches it anywhere up to 1,000,000x using a complex algorithm and makes a “texture” out of the sound.

Was there anything particularly interesting about ‘€œU Smile’€ that inspired you to remix it or was it more of an arbitrary choice?
It was just a joke/experiment. I wanted to utilize Paulstretch to stretch some audio 800%, and thought it’d be entertainment to throw Justin Bieber in there.  Little did I know…

I saw that you licensed one of your older tunes for a surfing documentary. Have you received any new offers with all of the increased attention stemming from the ‘€œU Smile’€ remix?
Yes, a few! As far as taking them, I don’t know. I’m working with my managers and playing my cards right to maximize this great opportunity of overnight fame!

Do you have any plans to provide a similar ‘€œslowdown’€ treatment to other tracks or do you think this was a one-time affair?
I released a whole EP of slowed down originals, mainly just for meditative/sleeping purposes. Check it out!

Do you have any plans for the future that we should keep our eye out for?
Oh yes, yes yes yes. I have a few releases planned for later this year, including my second Shamantis album, “Blue Skies are Space Oceans” (half the album is available to preview on my Soundcloud!) as well as releases under my dubstep moniker, Halo Nova.

With styles ranging from ambient to down-tempo to dubstep, Nick Pittinger is an artist with a tasteful palette and a diverse set of influences who is truly grateful for having the spotlight focused on him, if only for a few minutes.  Only time will tell where the tremendous attention of the “U Smile” remix will take him, but I am sure he will be able to handle the ride.  For a clearer picture of his work, head over to his Soundcloud account and dive in.