Modern Life Is Rubbish

A mash-up is a mix of two songs. Not where one song is mixed into another like a DJ does, but where both songs are fused together to make one song. This is usually where the singing from one song is dubbed over the instrumental of another, although there are more sophisticated versions.

Hella Lola is a mix of Hella Good by No Doubt and Lola's Theme by The Shapeshifters. The Mashed album features other really good mash-ups by Mark Vidler, such as Rapture Riders (Blondie vs The Doors), Can't Get Blue Monday Out Of Me Head (New Order vs Kylie) and Proper Education (Pink Floyd vs Eric Prydz). There are some less good ones on their in my humble opinion. But Mark's website is a treasure trove for Mash-up lovers (sign up for MP3s etc).

My favourite mash-up album (of all time) is one by PopChop. I randomly found it in HMV once. It features interludes from famous movies and rap lyrics over (mostly) movie themes. For example, Eminem's Without Me is fused with Eye Of The Tiger by Survivor (Rocky) and I Wish by Skee-Lo (great song) is fused with Axel F (Beverly Hills Cop) by Harold Faltermeyer (not Crazy Frog). There is a second volume but I have yet to listen to it properly.

Another great one which fuses seamlessly between all songs (a kind of DJ mix of mash-ups) is As Heard On Radio Soulwax part 2 by 2 Many Dj's. This is a commercial release but arises from a series of radio shows that the Soulwax boys did. There are bootlegs of other mixes of theirs which are worth checking out if you like the official release. Think Funky Cold Medina mixed with Flat Eric mixed with What Have You Done For Me Lately? Or my fave, Independent Women mixed with From 9 to 5 mixed with Eple.

There are some quite thorough websites out there logging all of the activities of 2 Many DJ's and I have lost count of the bootleg compilations that there are. Too many to listen to them all.

Another treasure trove can be found at JIROB which I think stands for J In Red On Blue! (not sure why). Not the best quality in my opinion but some of interest (I think they did Parkspliced, a mash-up of the Blur album).

Finally, some choice one-off mashes that you can find on the internet. The classic Billie Jean by Micael Jackson (ever present on mash-ups an mixes including the 2 Many DJ's one above) has been fused with S Club 7's Don't Stop Movin'. It works really really well. Look for Don't Stop Billie Jean.

Finally finally, one of the best rap songs ever - Lose Yourself - has been mixed with Punjabi MC song with the Knight Rider back drop. A classic, my only complaint is that it is too short.

Enjoy!