The Reborn Identity

It’s been another diverse month for mashups (as well it should be), with some tremendous dancefloor tracks, twisted rock numbers and superb retro reworks. Here’s what’s tickled my fancy these past few weeks:

1. DJ Earworm - No More Gas
2. Bobby Martini - Killer Client
3. Apollo Zero - Robot Music Forever
4. Sugamotor - Wouldn’t Nine Live Be Nice?
5. Mighty Mike - I’m Fluorescent
6. Calmucho - Work It Out, Do You Love Me?
7. Dunproofin’ - Police Klaxons
8. DJ Tripp - B.U.D.D.Y
9. The Tony Crackburn Orchestra - Disposable Tampon
10. Ken Carson - I Kissed a Barbie Girl

 1. DJ Earworm - No More Gas
~ Rihanna; Kardinal Offishall Feat. Akon; Ne-Yo; Estelle Feat Kanye West; Pussycat Dolls; Leona Lewis; Danity Kane; Madonna; Timbaland & Justin Timberlake; Lupe Fiasco Feat. Matthew Santos; Britney Spears; Flo-Rida feat. T-Pain
With No More Gas DJ Earworm delivers another stunning masterclass in mashup construction. Not only has he seamlessly blended together 11 pop tracks of the day, he’s also turned these seemingly vacuous slices of pop fluff into a strong message about America’s self-destructive thirst for oil. Well crafted smart pop at its finest.

2. Bobby Martini - Killer Client
~ Client - Radio (Cicada Remix)
~ The Killers - Somebody Told Me
Mashup producers aren’t simply thieves, stealing from other people’s washing lines to clothe their scarecrows. They can also be missionaries, taking the word about a band into unfamiliar territory. Bobby Martini is preaching the gospel according to Client on this superb electro track, and winning over many well-deserved new disciples to their fold.

3. Apollo Zero - Robot Music Forever
~ Bruce Haack - School For Robots
~ Kraftwerk - Robots
~ Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
~ Donna Lewis - I Love You Always Forever
~ Tracey Thorn - Raise The Roof
~ I Robots - Frau 
This latest number from Apollo Zero slices through the usual run-of-the-mill mashups like a hot knife through a Battenburg. Where else are you likely to hear a bizarre children’s song reinvisioned as a surprisingly charming electro-pop track?

4. SugaMotor - Wouldn’t Nine Live Be Nice?
~ Midnight Juggernauts - Nine Lives
~ The Beach Boys - Wouldn’t It Be Nice?
The complex harmonies of The Beach Boys can be tough to integrate into a mashup but you wouldn’t guess from this perfect matchup from SugaMotor, which pairs the Californian greats with rising Australian electropop band, Midnight Juggernauts.

5. Mighty Mike - I’m Fluorescent
~ Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent
~ Diana Ross - I’m Coming Out
Mighty Mike is proving himself a master of the unexpected combination. Hot on the heels of last month’s union of The Klaxons and The Commodores comes this startlingly apt match of the indie darlings, The Arctic Monkeys, with the queen bee of disco, Diana Ross. It has no right to work at all, let alone as well as this.

6. Calmucho - Work It Out, Do You Love Me?
~ Beyonce - Work It Out
~ The Contours - Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)
This month’s retro quotient comes from this superb little number from Calmucho, which intertwines tracks from two movie soundtracks - Austin Powers: Goldmember and Dirty Dancing. Beyonce’s vocal has never sounded better.

7. Dunproofin’ - Police Klaxons
~ The Klaxons - Golden Skans
~ The Police - Can’t Stand Losing You
One of the finest producers on the circuit, Dunproofin’ has a posted a pair of outstanding tracks this month. Police Klaxons gives a new lick of paint to the Police classic, Can’t Stand Losing You, which works beautifully with the eminenently mashable Klaxons.

8. DJ Tripp - B.U.D.D.Y
~ Weezer - Buddy Holly
~ Justice - D.A.N.C.E
Picking out a couple of tracks that work together is only the first step in the mashup process. Exactly how those tracks are merged is all down to the style and skill of the producer. DJ Tripp clearly has style and skill in adundance from the way Weezer’s Buddy Holly vocals have been given the full Justice treatment. Seriously slick.

9. The Tony Crackburn Orchestra - Disposable Tampon
~ Marilyn Manson - Disposable Teens
~ Harpers Bizarre - Feeling Groovy
It takes a certain degree of genius or madness to slip the cute-as-pie cheer of Feeling Groovy and slide it between the moist thighs of Marilyn Manson’s visceral Disposable Teens. Whether it’s insanity or inspiration is irrelevant - the end result is sickeningly charming and perfectly off kilter (and off key). Dreadful name for a song though…

10. Ken Carson - I Kissed a Barbie Girl
~ Aqua - Barbie Girl
~ Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl
Of all the Katy Perry mashups and mixes I’ve heard, none quite holds up a mirror to its place in the history of pop quite like this one. Pitched up to novelty pop setting, the song finally comes home. 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 at 12:04 am 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.