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We Like the Music.
24th September, 2004

Been getting into the whole mashup thing big-time of late. Allow me to recommend three fine purveyors of musical cross-pollination for your consideration.

Sydney-based Dscio (I think it's pronounced to rhyme with "the sicko") has come up with some amazing fusions. My favourites include "Compton Magic", putting Olivia Newton-John and Public Enemy together in a surprisingly effective way; "Groove's a Bitch", which uses Dee-Lite's anthemic "Groove Is in the Heart" as a platfom on which to balance Missy Elliott and Basement Jaxx; "Superbadass Can't Hide", which lays down a James Brown groove and drapes Kosheen over the top; and "Block Rockin' Woman", the frighteningly catchy bastard child of Destiny's Child and Fat Boy Slim. Not everything Dsico touches is gold - sometimes he gets stuck on the one song and uses it over and over again, and sometimes he messes with the tempos to match the beats, which makes the end result feel clumsy and forced. But when he hits the beat, he hits that beat good.

KE4 is a German masher with a fine sense of how things can fit together. His mashup of Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" and the Scissor Sisters' cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" is a celebration of trash par excellence. "Unusual Wanksta", which teams up Tom Jones and 50 Cent, is a nice departure from the straight-ahead four/four of a lot of mashes. And "Disco Razzia" - Falco versus Usher - is as cool as cool can be. KE4 also mixes up DJ-sets for download that let him do the driving. And he's a pretty good driver.

The Kleptones's A Night at the Hip-Hopera is a giant album-length download that uses the best of Queen as a backing track for a who's-who of rap and hip-hop. Eminem's "Slim Shady" over the top of "Bicycle" and Electric Six's "Gay Bar" matched with "I Want to Break Free" are highlights. They've also done something similar with the Flaming Lips's Yoshimi Versus the Pink Robots. These guys are big ol' collagers, using hip-hop vocals and movie and TV samples to build their own scenarios and conversations, a lot like what Kid Koala does. More playful and silly than the above two mashers, but still worth a listen.

And of course, as with all copyright-infinging music, you gotta be quick. No telling how long this stuff will be around for. If anyone else has got some mashers to recommend, don't hold back. New music is what keeps us going, some days.

Related links:

Dsico: that no-talent hack
KE4.de
The Kleptones

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