I Wanna Be Yours (Namira Remix) Music Liner Notes
On April 18, 2025, Korean American DJ Namira released a club remix of the Arctic Monkey’s indie ballad “I Wanna Be Yours.”
Namira’s intention for the remix was to evoke a dialogue between genres and era - indie vs. EDM and the mid 2010’s vs. mid 2020’s. Namira collaborated with indie producer William Kast on the arrangement and tapped Los Angeles Master Chorale soprano Tatsumi to cover the iconic melody. The production was mixed by Michalis "MsM" Michael, known for pioneering the sound of UK grime as Skepta’s engineer. The remix was mastered by British Grammy-winner John Greenham.
Nostalgia for mid 2010’s indie rock and EDM
Namira and Kast first collaborated on her debut single “Come with Me,” which was released in December 2024. While producing “Come with Me,” Kast developed indietronica elements that were ultimately tabled for the single but inspired Namira and Kast to attempt a remix of a classic indie song as their next project. They chose “I Wanna Be Yours,” the final song on the 2013 album “AM” by the British indie band the Arctic Monkeys, which had reentered cultural zeitgeist through Spotify’s Global Top 50. They individually wrote starter melodies for the drop, with Namira gravitating toward the nostalgic sound of Lana Del Rey dance remixes and Kast leaning toward dynamic synth leads reminiscent of Zedd. They then convened to merge versions and co-write the remix. Production took place from late December 2024 to early February 2025.
Female cover of a teenage boy band
“I Wanna Be Yours” was originally performed by Arctic Monkey’s lead singer Alex Turner. Namira and Kast decided to flip the gender perspective and re-record the remix as a female cover. In searching for a vocalist, Namira envisioned a singer who could embody the “nervy and literate” personality of the Arctic Monkeys as they describe themselves on their Spotify biography. She landed on Tatsumi, a classical soprano who performs regularly with the Los Angeles Master Chorale. It was Tatsumi’s first time recording indie vocals and she worked closely with Namira and Kast to translate her classical background into indie genre conventions. Recording took place in North Hollywood at the studio of Los Angeles producer Mikaru at the Garnish Los Angeles location shared with Loudboy Studios. Namira, Kast, and Mikaru had all previously been introduced through Loudboy Studio founder Appu Krishnan.
Indie sensitivities within EDM
Namira and Kast made stylistic choices to preserve the indie rock character of the original song. This included keeping the vocals in the pocket but not perfectly gridded to the time signature to preserve the authenticity of the live performance. They also introduced a suspension into the bassline to provide emotional complexity below the looped sample during the drop.
Homage to British club music
Throughout production, Namira and Kast paid homage to UK club music from the last decade. This included soaring synths of mid 2010’s EDM and a driving saw bassline associated with Charli XCX’s 2024 brat album. To ensure the remix remained true to its British roots while also maintaining the hip hop influence on original Arctic Monkey’s song, Namira enlisted Michalis "MsM" Michael to mix the recording. MsM rose to prominence in the late 2010’s as Skepta’s mix engineer, defining the sound of UK grime as a meeting point between hip-hop and EDM. British engineer John Greenham mastered the final mix.
“I Wanna Be Yours - Namira Remix” is now available on all streaming platforms.