According to the BBC, killjoys at EMI Publishing have removed from YouTube the spoof Newport State Of Mind, which parodies Jay-Z , “due to a "copyright claim".
I never understand the urge to ban as it often has the opposite effect, for example, the 
Sex Pistols’ God Save the Queen is “the most heavily censored record in British history” – but it has achieved near immortality for it. Banning ‘Relax’ didn’t do Frankie Goes to Hollywood any harm either. Maybe this is what EMI want – notoriety and more exposure for an okay song bludgeoned to death by Jay-Z (the solo Alica Keys version is far superior). More frightening would be the possibility that EMI, like most major record companies, are re-enacting the mass panic of peak oil (in their case peak sales) and are going to grab everything they can on the plummet downwards as they deluge us with an ever increasing array of shite music allowing creativity to go down the pan.
I don’t agree with bans but as I have said before this only relates to banning Tweenies from buying records without supervision…but that was merely to sate my aesthetic tastes. Newport State of Mind, a clear parody and tribute, only enhances the original giving it continued exposure, which tends to mean more records sold. If you aren’t being parodied, then let’s face it you or your song really have made it, as a thousand Lady Gaga spoofs and mixes can testify to. Some would contend that banning it draws attention away from the desperate plight of the people of Wales, which my mate Smiffy once described as a third world country (and on that day I found it difficult to argue).
However on the flip-side EMI’s statement (of repression?) said "when a song is created based wholly on any of our writers' works, those writers need to grant their permission.”
Now this may just be me, but mash-ups are not “based wholly” on a writers work, being made up of two or more parts (especially if you are Earworm or Norwegian Recycling). Earworm has even done official mash-ups which get a fair amount of airplay on BBC Radio One (and cheer up my mornings no end).
I had hoped to release one of my own mashes but, as ever, they are in progress, so I leave you with DJ lobsterdust’s very silly but fun ‘I Will Survivor’ from AudioPornCentral's 2nd Birthday album. Enjoy.
You may have noticed a lack of posts on here of late this is for two reasons.
The first is I am now a member of the AudioPornCentral family and have been featuring my posts there. I wish to express my gratitude to Simon Iddol for the opportunity. APC recently came #26 in the BT Digital Music Awards 08 as well as being a TypePad featured blog. This is what they had to say:
"WIth a troublemaking title and bursting with talent, music blog AudioPorn Central takes DJ's, designers, and mashup geniuses and throws them all in a blender. Featuring all sorts of mashups, remixes, and delightful tunes and images, it's incredibly popular among those-in-the-know."
Even before I joined the APC family I checked the site daily because there was always something to listen to/look at. The only problem with the site is the word 'porn' may prevent you from looking at work (unless you know someone in the IT department) otherwise you have NO excuse!
The other reason is I am busy in the studio making mashups (6 at the last count) which will appear here. I have a pile of old instrumentals and sounds I'm working my way through, but in the meantime, I've uploaded some older material at Sound Cloud which can listen to/comment on.
Another feature due is an exclusive interview with Dlay who Laurent Garnier said of a recent soapsudcity compilation "I like Dlay tracks 1 and 2, I will present this on my radio show."
In the meantime AC/DC have released a new album which I shall part cash for as soon as I let myself out of the studio. Until then here's a preview:
I have fallen in love again with music! Thanks to some creative mash up artists, I have rediscovered why I love rock/metal - all by mixing with lectro or any other thing that comes to hand for that matter. And it works! You see that is the beauty of mash ups, from the cheesy and smirk inducing AC/DC go mashing with Ray Parker Junior (Ghostbusters), to The Chemical Brothers meet the Empire (Star Wars not Bush & Co.) and Bloc Party can take on the Pussy Cat Dolls (I loathe PCD but this mix is sublime!) With most of the mixes at first I was incredulous but then I had a huge smile creep across my face. It has introduced me to artists like CSS and reintroduced me to Depeche Mode and Frankie Goes to Hollywood (who go rather well with Iron Maiden!!!!!!)
Unfortunately many of the labels try and suppress this innate creativity and to be honest I see no reason. These tunes are free, there is no profit involved and they are if anything doing a far better service than the stale radio stations we are subjected to these days (Kerrang! being a fine example where a metal/rock magazine play mainstream indie all fucking day long and the hardest thing you will feel is the off button after you have heard the Kaisers for the umpteenth time). Mash Ups make me more likely to buy/download the work of an artist than being force fed some bland, soulless piffle or the dirge of hip hop artists with nothing to say beyond their obvious penile deficiencies, misogynistic overtones and the now passé fixation with violence. Mash Up artists have reaffirmed my faith in music and introduced me to a mixture of new artists and classic tracks that had passed me by! Go spread the word!
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There are so many 'outlets' I could recommend but I will restrict it to the following:
The Bootie series compiles the best mash ups of the year and is a great place to start from (scroll down the page top the best of bootie section).
Mash Up Town provide a selection news and the finest mash ups on the web. The extensive archives are a very rewarding place to search through to find some mash-up nuggets.
Plus there is:
Aggro1 mixes hardcore electro/d&b beats and other insanity with the likes of AC/DC, Judas Priest & Oasis. The Led Zeppelin vs. Kelly Clarkson 'Behind these Immigrant Eyes' is truly masterful.
'AudioPorn Central is a music blog, dedicated to hot, sweaty, juicy sounds and tools. The site is updated daily, we have about 12 new posts at weekdays, 6 new posts at Saturdays and Sundays....What is supposed to be free (mashups, free legal downloads, promo mixes etc) we give away free to download.' Nuff Said!
Divide & Kreate - cruel and unusual punishment from this Swedish mash up artist and his ego- I particularly like the Jamelia vs The Killers mash 'Killing Jamelia'. If you have a favourite tune he will most likely already have ruined it.
LeeDM101 a.k.a Audio Lego, demolishes and then reassembles offering up an eclectic mix of mash ups, remixes and original material. His mash up of Reign in my Awakening Eye (Depeche Mode vs Unkle vs Dead Can Dance) is total aural pleasure.
San Francisco based Party Ben provides fun times and is also the "The Dumbest Name in Showbiz". He spotted the similarity between Oasis's 'Wonderwall' and Green Day's 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' even before Noel Galagher did. The resulting mash up "Boulevard of Broken Songs" (2004) received a fair bit of airplay and he's appeared in both the music and tabloid press for his efforts. Is it silly or is it just parody? Who cares it's fun!
Wax Audio not only mashes but includes some rather concise political commentary too. The cut and paste versions of speeches by Bush & Howard are enlightening, however it's the cutting up of what the rabid media that just shows what the people in charge are like [see Imagine This post for more info]. Overall WA provides a good broad mix that will make you laugh, cry and hurl - especially when Metallica go to the Punjab!
These are excellent places to start and you will find all the links you need for more mash up mayhem from there.
I've been waiting all day for this to be available on Audio Porn Central after hearing a few of the tracks beforehand. The essence of the idea is to mash-up different songs to Katy Perry's smash hit I Kissed a Girl
It did not disappoint, even though I was worried that some of the artists featured (Flo Rida, Aqua [yes that f***king Aqua], Spice Girls, Fergie) would cause a great ball of bile to collect in my throat, (since they are purveyors of bland soulless piffle). But it didn't happen. The tracks I feared most, I loved (even if it was with a wry smile)! This is soooo good!
What mash-up artists do is make you look at tracks in a new way. After everything I recently posted about the Plague of Euro-Pop, I should be forced to eat my sweat ridden hat because I was even bloody singing along to Barbie Girl (this version deserves to be a kitsch class of its own). But since it was a mash-up I'm excused.
Guilty Pleasures indeed.
Guilty Pleasures - Volume One, We All Kissed A Girl, The Ultimate Katy Perry Mashup Compilation
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