Longtime readers of AM, Then FM know that even though we are mostly about older tunes, we enjoy a good mashup now and then.
What a pleasant surprise, then, to see in the e-mail last week that UK mashup legend Mark Vidler has whipped up some new selections. One of the most prolific and influential mashup artists, Vidler last year posted of several years’ worth of his work, then took a well-deserved break.
Here’s what he says about his return:
“After several months of predominently ‘laying off’ the bootlegs/mash-ups, I just felt the urge to dabble again and see what turned up. Must admit it’s the most fun I’ve had for ages putting this lot together and I hope you share the enthusiasm, too. … I’d like to think of ‘Spliced Krispies’ as flight ‘back to the old school’ days and a future soundtrack for summer 2008.”
“Spliced Krispies” was put together last month. I grabbed five of its 11 tracks. Here are my favorites:
“Rolling Confusion” mashes the Rolling Stones’ “Street Fighting Man” and “Gimme Shelter” and the Temptations’ “Ball of Confusion.” Vidler says:
“This was quite literally the first track I created for this project. I think the Stones were getting a fair bit of airplay last month with their film coming out and I heard ‘Street Fighting Man’ somewhere and it sounded sooo good. Absolutely love ‘Beggars Banquet’ and that whole era of the Stones. Had to slow the tempo of the Temps vocal to fit but I think I got away with it. Quite like the way that the track slips between half and double time … you can’t dance to it. The drum break is pilfered from ‘Slave’ off the ‘Tattoo You’ album. … Amazing how relevant the lyrics of ‘Ball of Confusion’ are today. Frighteningly relevant.”
“Finally, Did You No Wrong” mashes the Sex Pistols’ “Did You No Wrong” and Ce Ce Peniston’s “Finally.” Vidler says:
“Well, if this doesn’t raise your roof when played at full volume, then nothing will. … Coming on like Status Quo fronted by a diva (said my mrs) and she’s not far wrong. As much as I tried to pump the eq on the bass frequencies of the Pistols track, I still couldn’t get my speakers to shake like they normally do, so I whipped out my trusty electric bass guitar and ‘played along.’ I doubt you’ll notice my playing but the bottom end is pretty phat now. I also added a ‘Stooges’ feel to the choruses via one-finger piano.”
Follow the “Spliced Krispies” link to Vidler’s Go Home Productions web site and get what you want right from the man himself. He’s created videos for each of the 11 cuts, and you can download those as well.
This guy’s brilliant. Wish I could do that.