Mash-Ups

This is really old news for some, and I've been meaning to blog it for quite a while...

I've recently discovered that I really like (a lot, but not all) “mash-ups.” For those unfamiliar with the musical art known as mash, it's when someone takes (usually) very different songs and “mashes” them together to create a new work. Really, it has to be listened to for one to really appreciate what is going on and what goes into making it...read on intrepid reader...read on.

I really didn't think that I would like mash, 'cause I really hate “sampling,” where (usually) rap artists lay their music over riffs/melodies/whole songs of other artists. However, being an organizer--not an artist--myself, I have an appreciation for what mashers do. (I can't draw/paint/etc worth crap, but I have a decent artistic sense that lets me put other folk's stuff together in aesthetically pleasing combinations.)

I first discovered mashups by hearing a cut from DJ Earworm played during a totally unrelated podcast. It piqued my interest enough to find DJE's site and some of his other, more renown work. I also discovered that one of my favorite publishers is working on a book regarding the art. (Unconfirmed, mentioned in the Keyboard Magazine link below)

Some of the mashes are a little too dance-mix for me, but I'd suggest anyone looking for some new music go check 'em out.

(The purists among us, which somewhat includes me, will still consider the copyright theft side of all of this. However, regardless of how you feel about musical rights, you gotta appreciate the mix-talent at work here.)