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As promised last time around, the Reborn Identity round-up of the year’s best mashups is now going monthly. Whittling down the amazing tracks released in June to just 10 has been tricky to say the least, especially given the incredibly varied mix of bootlegs on offer this month, but after much deliberation here they are…

1. ComaR - Knocklife
2. Mad Martigan - Let’s Get Illusion
3. Beloki - Imperial Stress
4. Kro - Punklover
5. G3rst - Kenny’s Last Rhythm
6. Ben Double M & ElectroSound - Since Arguru’s Gone
7. DJ Schmolli - The Wonderwall Tempest
8. Voicedude - Ride A Black Horse
9. DJ Lobsterdust - Same Old Songs EP
10. Celebrity Murder Party - Sabotage the Reaper

1. ComaR - Knocklife
~ Lily Allen - Knock ‘em Out
~ Blur - Parklife
From the moment Lily Allen’s vocal first kicks in over the Blur backing you just know that this one’s going to work a treat. The two tracks fit beautifully together to create a perfect tongue-in-cheek pop track.

2. Mad Martigan - Let’s Get Illusion
~ Marvin Gaye - Let’s Get It On
~ VN Nation - Illusion
Some tracks grab you by the balls on the first listen and can’t be shaken loose. Others start with just an amiable nod across the club but within a few weeks they’ve moved all their things into your flat and are leafing through your baby photos with your mother. Let’s Get Illusion is a fine example of the latter - a track that just gets better and better with each listen.

3. Beloki - Imperial Stress
~ John Williams - Imperial March
~ Justice - Stress (Auto Remix)
My obsession with Star Wars goes back longer than even I can remember, so any mashup featuring music from the films is onto a winner with me. Beloki’s take on the Imperial March is truly inspired though, and is a surefire dancefloor filler in even the most wretched hives of scum and villainy.

4. Kro - Punklover
~ The Teddybears - Punkrocker
~ Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
Since the studio acapella of Bleeding Love emerged, mashups and remixes of the track have been everywhere. A couple of outstanding dance bootlegs just missed out on this top 10 but it’s Kro’s pairing with the Swedish electro-rockers The Teddybears which really hits the high notes.

5. G3rst - Kenny’s Last Rhythm
~ Johnny Cash - Get Rhythm
~ Mint Royale - Kenny’s Last Dance
This top 10 countdown was all but wrapped up until I heard this incredible Junkie XL-influenced bootleg. For this inspired pairing, G3rst has dug out his Cash in the attic and paired it with a superb Mint Royale track to create an excellent chart-friendly combo. 

6. Ben Double M & ElectroSound - Since Arguru’s Gone
~ Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone
~ Deadmau5 - Arguru
I’m a big fan of Ben Double Mand the effortless way he blends club tracks with vocals to create guaranteed dancefloor stormers. He’s teamed up with fellow bootleg purveyor ElectroSound for this one, and it’s a match made in heaven.

7. DJ Schmolli - Wonderwall Tempest
~ Oasis - Wonderwall
~ Pendulum - Tempest
When I started this countdown of my favourite bootlegs, I never intended to feature a DJ Schmolli track every single month. He’s a master of the art though, and has a habit of producing exactly the kind of tracks I like to listen to. This one may divide opinion - a drum’n'bass-meets-death metal spin on Wonderwall won’t be to everyone’s taste - but I for one love it. 

8. Voicedude - Ride A Black Horse
~ KT Tunstall - Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
~ Big & Rich - Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy
~ Will Smith - Men In Black
KT Tunstall’s Black Horse and the Cherry Tree is a modern classic and it’s now a whole lot more danceable too, thanks to Voicedude and the Hip Hop-lite vibes of Will Smith. A tongue-in-cheek dash of Big & Rich is just the icing on the cake.

9. DJ Lobsterdust - Same Old Song EP
~ Blondie vs The Temptations - Call Me Already
~ The Clash vs Marvin Gaye - Train It Up
~ Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross & Jody Wisternoff - Star Mountain Drive
~ The Four Tops vs Bloc Party - Same Old Uniform
You can’t go wrong with a good Motown mashup, so an EP of four of them is a treat not to be missed. Call Me Already and Star Mountain Drive are my personal favourites, but DJ Lobsterdust doesn’t put a foot wrong in any of these tracks, so I recommend them all!

10. Celebrity Murder Party - Sabotage the Reaper
~ Blue Oyster Cult - Don’t Fear the Reaper
~ Black Sabbath - Paranoid
~ Beastie Boys - Sabotage
I’m not a rocker, nor was I even born when the track came out, but that doesn’t stop me from holding Don’t Fear the Reaper in high esteem. With a slice of Black Sabbath and a heavy dose of Beastie Boys style, CMP’s remake puts some cool new flesh on the Reapers‘ bones.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 28th, 2008 at 04:27 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.