The Reborn Identity

July was a bit of a wash out weather-wise but at least the mashup scene could be relied on for some rays of sunshine. Here’s my pick of the mashups that rang my bell this past month.

1. Dunproofin’ - Groove is in the Girls [MP3]
2. DJ Clive$ter - Just A Little More Religion [MP3]
3. LeeDM101 - Disco Fire [MediaFire]
4. Dan Mei - Heartbreak Diana [MP3]
5. DJ Schmolli - The Trooper Believer [MP3]
6. Norwegian Recycling - Wanna Be Mixin’ Something [DivShare]
7. Hi-brid - That’s Not Gay [DivShare]
8. BigBadBaz - Don’t Rock ‘Til You Get Enough (part 1) [MP3]
9. G3RSt - We Will Rock On [MP3]
10. Eve Massacre - Dance to the Sound of Unity [MP3]

1. Dunproofin’ - Groove is in the Girls [MP3]
- Deee-Lite - Groove is in the Heart
- Prodigy - Girls (Rex the Dog Mix)
Groove is in the Girls is a perfectly produced dancefloor slammer that brings the charms of Deee-Lite bang up to date. Proof, if (dun)proof were needed that any song, no matter how familiar, can be given new life in the right setting.

2. DJ Clive$ter - Just A Little More Religion [MP3]
- David Guetta - Just A Little More Love
- R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
The dance vibe continues with this latest stunning pairing from DJ Clive$ter, which recasts R.E.M.’s iconic slice of MTV-friendly miserablism as an unlikely floor filler.

3. LeeDM101 - Disco Fire [MediaFire]
- Kasabian - Fire
- The Trammps - Disco Inferno
- Ottawan - D.I.S.C.O.
The lead single from Kasabian’s latest (overrated, in my opinion) album is a slinky, steamy affair anyway. In the capable hands of LeeDM101 though, its indie simmer is cranked up to a full-on disco inferno.

4. Dan Mei - Heartbreak Diana [MP3]
- Freemasons - Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)
- Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana
- Madonna - Music
Since Michael Jackson’s tragic death back in June, his music has been all but inescapable and there’s been no shortage of Jackson-fuelled mashups. With Heartbreak Diana, Dan Mei has shied away from sacharine tributes in favour of pure dancefloor gold.

5. DJ Schmolli - The Trooper Believer [MP3]
- The Monkees - I’m a Believer
- Iron Maiden - The Trooper
The prize for the most unexpected and extreme genre clash of the month has to go to DJ Schmolli’s superb Trooper Believer. The relentless metal of Iron Maiden couldn’t be any further from the made-for-TV scampishness of the Monkees, but here the two elements seem truly made for one another.

6. Norwegian Recycling - Wanna Be Mixin’ Something [DivShare]
- Michael Jackson - Billie Jean, Bad, Smooth Criminal, Black or White, Thriller, HIStory, Dangerous
- Britney Spears - Gimme More
- Nelly Furtado - Say It Right
- Justin Timberlake - Lovestoned
- Outkast - Ms. Jackson
- Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
- Timbaland - Give It To Me
Of all the mashup tributes to Michael Jackson, Norwegian Recycling’s Wanna Be Mixin’ Something is far and away the most impressive. Featuring no less than seven of Jackson’s tunes, along with perfectly chosen samples from other artists, it’s a superbly-produced reminder of why he was considered by many to be the king of pop.

7. Hi-brid - That’s Not Gay [DivShare]
- OMD - Enola Gay
- The Ting Tings - That’s Not My Name
It’s back to the ’80s now, courtesy of the latest mash from one of my favourite producers, Hi-brid. This shamelessly fun track revives Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’s deceptively cheery ode to the Hiroshima bomber with the infectiously catchy hooks of The Ting Tings.

8. BigBadBaz - Don’t Rock ‘Til You Get Enough (part 1) [MP3]
- Oasis - Rock n Roll Star
- Jackson 5 - Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
Oasis and the Jackson 5 are pretty unlikely bedfellows for a single track, but BigBadBaz has managed to pair them up for a full 9-track mashup album. The standout track from the compilation is this charming pairing which turns Liam Gallagher’s sullen snarl upside down.

9. G3RSt - We Will Rock On [MP3]
- Queen - We Will Rock You
- Aerosmith - Dream On
- Eminem - Sing For The Moment
Like Deee-Lite’s Groove is in the Heart, Queen’s We Will Rock You has been all but worn out by mashup producers alread, but that’s not stopped G3RSt from crafting something really special from it. The end result is a suprisingly tense and heavyweight affair, which benefits hugely from some well-picked movie samples.

10. Eve Massacre - Dance to the Sound of Unity [MP3]
- Afrika Bambaata & James Brown - Unity (Pt 6 - World War III)
- Math Head - Get Hype
- Bloc Party - Ares
- Dynamix II - Pledge Your Allegiance to Electro Funk
World Famous Audio Hacker’s The Sound of Funky Breaks compilation saw a handful of the best producers around turning their hands to creating old school electro funk. It’s a strong album that’s well worth a listen but it’s Eve Massacre’s electrofunk take on Bloc Party’s Ares that really gets my feet moving.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 5th, 2009 at 11:15 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.