The Reborn Identity

1. Off the Beaten Meter - Mashups Beyond 4/4 [Compilation]
Picking out the crowning gem of April’s output from the mashup community was very easy thanks to the release of the incredible Off the Beaten Meter compilation. The 20-track album, compiled by DJ Not I, brings together an eclectic range of mashups with one common thread - they all use unusual time signatures.

What could easily have been a gimmicky collection has turned out to be one of the smartest and best produced mashup albums of recent years. There are many standout tracks - personal favourites include G3RSt’s “The Impossible Son of Bolero” and Overdub’s “Five Step” - but it’s a collection that deserves to be listened to an enjoyed as a whole.

2. Fissunix - Doin’ the Jumpo [MP3]
- James Brown - Doin’ the Limbo
- Van Halen - Jump
The synth-heavy rock of Van Halen’s Jump is one of the band’s poppiest moments but paired up with James Brown it’s totally believeable as an authentic ’60s soul track.

3. Frunt Room - Series 1 Episode 1: Auction [MP3]
A new podcast series featuring the talents of seasoned mashup producers Pilchard, The Who Boys and the Tony Crackburn Orchestra, Frunt Room is nothing like any podcast you’re likely to have heard before. Described as a “strange kind of radio soap opera with a curiously relevant soundtrack”, it’s a slice of surreal mundanity served up with a healthy dollop of all-new mashups. Though at times bewildering, it’s never any less than entertaining.

4. Phil RetroSpector - Monkey Gone to Opera [MP3]
- The Young Punks - O Mio Babbino Caro
- Pixies - Monkey Gone to Heaven
There are few mashups producers who continue to impress and surprise me with pretty much every release. Phil RetroSpector is most certainly one of them, and this deliciously chilled mix of opera, Pixies and a dash of Goldfrapp is yet another reason why he’s one of the best in the business.

5. Jarod Ripley + Sergio - Love Game’s Theme [Fairtilizer]
- Lady Gaga - Love Game
- Barry White & The Love Unlimited Orchestra - Love Theme
Lady Gaga mashups are far from a rare breed, but there’s something about the inescapable Germanotta’s music that fits beautifully with so many different genres. This mashup of Gaga’s Love Game, part of the recently-released Sounds in the New World compilation, gives her a smooth and sexy disco vibe that fits like a Swarovski crystal-studded skintight leotard.   

6. Mighty Mike - Cocoon People [MP3]
- Cocoon - Chupee
- Village People - Y.M.C.A.
We stick in the ’70s vibe for the next track in our countdown but we’re now a million miles away from disco. On Cocoon People, Mighty Mike updates the iconic Village People hit with a slice of gentle French folk.

7. MadMixMustang - Fat Bottomed Girls Come Together [MP3]
- Queen - Fat Bottomed Girls
- The Beatles - Come Together
Like Doin’ The Jumpo, this seamless rock mashup from MadMixMustang has an authenticity to it, which makes it fully believable as an original track. There’s some clever vocal interplay too, which helps give the track its title and conjures up some interesting mental images…

8. Fissunix - 21 Babas [MP3]
- The Who - Baba O’ Riley
- Green Day - 21 Guns
While I normally avoid mentioning the same producer twice in these round-ups, I had to make an exception for this excellent concoction from French producer Fissunix. Bringing together masher’s favourite, Baba O’ Riley, and Green Day’s recent 21 Guns, the end result fits seamlessly.

9. Go Home Productions - Carpenter’s Wonderwall [MP3]
- Oasis - Wonderwall
- The Carpenters - We’ve Only Just Begun
Wonderwall has been so overused by the mashup community that it’s almost impossible to create a new track with Liam’s vocal that doesn’t feel old and tired. In the hands of the mashup godfather Mark Vidler though, all the overfamiliarity is washed away by the heartwarming Carpenters backing. 

10. Pheugoo - Go For This Love [MP3]
- Moby - Go
- Cheryl Cole - Fight For This Love
If asked to describe Cheryl Cole’s Fight For This Love, I would have to admit I find it insipid middle-of-the-road pop with pretty much nothing to offer in the musical stakes. Worked in with the Moby’s Angelo Badalamenti-sampling Go though, it’s given a depth and dark edge that improves it a thousandfold.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 3rd, 2010 at 11:42 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.