…by way of GYBO and a lot of other mashup/bootleg peeps including interview with a lot of the US bootleggers!

Liam McGranahan’s dissertation “Mashnography: Creativity, Consumption, and Copyright in the Mashup Community” as part of his doctorate from Brown University is available here, a ‘mashnography’ study into the ethnography of the bootleg scene. BTW timbearland = me, before my ‘fingertrouble’ namechange (I’ve also been on GYBO as ‘beardie weirdie’, ‘timbearcub, ‘instamatic’, ‘DJNoNo’ and about a million aliases, just to confuse the historians and dissertation writers out there ).

Slightly surprised since it is a ethnographic study that focuses on GYBO as much as Bootie that there aren’t more interviews with some of us original 2002 GYBO crowd, or indeed McSleazy (we are all quoted from GYBO threads interestingly). Also could cause a few stirs re: quoted comments about some people’s love/hate of GYBO (4 comments? really Partyben? Although I suspect that said Eminem mix is the one DJNoNo purloined the ‘Lose Control’ acapella via LOL…) but a pretty interesting read – includes a lot of the mashup politics, internal schisms, aims and ideas – not really news totally to me, but then I live it don’t I?

Although I disagree with the analysis of one of my writings:

“timbearland: ‘I don’t think you’d find many people here having a problem
with what you’ve said. I mean I’ve even worked for Universal Music and I
agree with you. They seem to usually be one of the better ones, so unusual
if they are doing a Warners. Sony BMG seems best and most flexible,
EMI and Warners historically the worst. UMG are usually in the middle.’

It is possible that certain record companies are more permissive of mashups than others,
but there is no discernable pattern. Rather, major labels appear to issue C&D orders based
simply on what catches the notice of the legal department. This may be the result of
media attention, Internet buzz, the objections of a sampled artist, or just random luck.”

I KNOW this to be the case – but it’s the problem of quoting me during a conversation with my peers without past knowledge – I wouldn’t have re-stated the backstory to this info for the 50th time as a long-term GYBO person most people there have heard it before. I’ve spoken to someone within Sony BMG who confirmed that they send out white labels and promos with acapellas and promote DJ remixes as a sort of focus group – at least within the RnB division they did. I know other labels who’ve paid for white label mashups to be pressed. There is a double standard there – some of the labels DO court unofficial remixes and mashups, others don’t, or in the case of EMI put out a Mashed compilation whilst CD’ing most of the mashup community, without understanding the irony. Universal according to one of their staff are ‘pretty clueless’ about the technology and not really aware enough of the internet to start throwing C&Ds around (until NirGaGa that is).

Coupled with the fact that of all the official and unofficial C&Ds out there, they are all mostly EMI, then Warners close by, then Universal – the NirGaGa one being a rare one – and then Sony. In fact only issue I ever had with Sony was ContentID restricting countries that could see a video on YouTube…compared to a C&D I got from EMI for using Kylie (where I had to do what Pilchard did and ‘duck and dive’ for a while) – this is positively benign! Sony being big in the interactive world, owners of ACID and also having a lot of hiphop/RnB/disco remix culture via BMG seem to in small part get it -as much as evil mega corps ever really get it.

That said, next week I’ll probably get a C&D from Sony, LOL.

Really digging this mix by GYBO and 72 regular Tizwarz, an audio history of Suburban  Base records from 1991-1997 – a journey from rave and ‘ardcore to darkcore, ragga jungle and what eventually became what is now known as drum and bass.

Suburban Base were right in the centre of that maelstrom from the ravey piano of Danny Breakz aka Sonz of a Loop Da Loop Era, jungle from DJ Hype and Krome and Time, pirate dark rave of Run Tings, ragga jungle of Phuture Assassins, rolling drum and bass/jungle of Remarc, even the wonderfully chart-bothering pop breakbeat of Rachel Wallace and toytown rave of Smart E’s!

If it rumbled and rattled, it was probably Suburban.

I love it ‘cos it reminds me of those wonderful pirate radio stations I listened to in the early 90′s in London on my visits there – I used to scan the dials for interesting shit, and heard music like this. So a nostalgic flashback – but also a history lesson; this was the come down of the ecstasy generation into Criminal Justice Bills and gang warfare. Also it does seem only the UK (maybe Jamaica too?) loves that syncopated subbass sound so much – it’s become so synonymous that it has just been called UK Bass in the past.

As Sonz of a Loop da Loop Era said, this kid’s gonna be far out Full tracklist over at The All New Singing And Dancing Hotblack Desiato Flavoured GYBO.

So Cold The Freak (Communards vs LFO) by Fudge Tools (10000 Spoons) from Tim Baker on Vimeo.

OK so I was bored…and part of what happens when I’m bored I create mashup videos for lonely or new mashups that really need them cos they are the best mashups EVAH (it’s an ongoing project). I’d just gotten the video for ‘Freak’ by L.F.O. so *ding* lightbulb moment decided to create a quick video for one of my favourite mashups OF ALL TIME – So Cold The Freak (The Communards ‘So Cold the Night’ vs L.F.O. ‘Freak’) by Fudge Tools, which we all now know is 10000 Spoons (well you do now – but he ‘fessed up officially when GYBO went all swanky).

The video for ‘Freak’ is very odd, same territory as Cunningham and the Come on My Selector video – scary Japanese school children getting their freak on, originally to Leed’s finest but now with added Glaswegian camp as well. It works spookily well with The Communards in fact. Will also be on MutantPop TV shortly.

Also available on YouTube, dunno for how long for, seems like a roulette wheel nowadays:

The final part of this journey down bootleg history lane is probably the biggest project, covering all tracks from Blur’s legendary Parklife album, A-sides and B-sides in 2 CD set to honour it’s 10 year anniversary of release.

Conceived by McSleazy and helped out by RadioQuita then from Strangely Familiar and created as with London Booted from the people on Get Your Bootleg On messageboard, it came out a few months after the aforesaid Clash album and again was popular with many blogs.

This one didn’t get an physical release so probably in some ways is rarer, but there are some real gems on there. The star-studded international assortment of bootleg & mashup DJ names you’ll probably recognise (or should seeing what they went onto) that contribute tracks are Loo & Placido, Lenlow (Bootie Boston), Go Home Productions, McSleazy, Pojmasta and JoolsMF (both also the people behind DJ Hero creating most of those mixes), DJ Payroll, Gameover, Dunproofin, Mixomatosis, FakeID aka Lionel Vinyl/Geek Chic Soundsystem, DJ Tripp and Josh Console aka cry on my console (Pirate Soundsystem/again DJ Hero) and many more.

My tracks? Well I still stand by my b-side ‘Golden Beard‘ by my alter-ego ‘timbearcub’ – later just ‘tbc’ the world’s worst DJ name – as one of my best ever, Slowdive meets Nina Simone and only 3.4 seconds of Blur’s frankly terrible jazz-wankathon ‘Beard’. ‘Godlife‘ – well I love the intro, but really the Acapella of Doom although being in key (I checked, both are Eminor Dm or something) claimed another victim. It’s those evil Beach Boys harmonies…goes in to the ‘not bad, could do better folder’ really.

I’ve included both artworks (the ones shown here are by myself, the bumper cars/whippet) and an interview done by theconfidential with all the people involved and RadioQuita.

Girls who are boys who like boys to be girls who do boys like they’re girls who do girls like they’re boys can download the zip file via Mediafire here (164Mb) or failing that (and only if it doesn’t work) then try the direct link here which should never change (warning: any hammering of my server or sharing of the direct link and I will take it down again!).

Disc 1 – Parkspliced album

1. Blur – Grrls & Bots (JoolsMF and Duff Fader)
2. Blur – Tracy Jacks (McSleazy)
3. Blur – End Of The Century (Gameover)
4. Blur – Godlife (Instamatic)
5. Blur – Bank Holiday (Payroll)
6. Blur – Goodhead (Jet Set Alex)
7. Blur – The Cassette Dissector (10000 Spoons)
8. Blur – Even Further Out (Pop Razors featuring m3)
9. Blur – No Blur No Cry (Loo and Placido)
10. Blur – Londinium Loves (Go Home Productions)
11. Blur – System Error in the Msg Centre (FakeID)
12. Blur – Naughty Dover Girl (DJ Tripp)
13. Blur – Magic America (Fujikato)
14. Blur – Jubilee (Fujikato)
15. Blur – Is This A Bootleg? (Dunproofin and m3)
16. Blur – Lot 1110101111001101010105 (cry.on.my.console)

Disc 2 – Parkspliced B-sides

1. Blur – Hey Magpie (Ilunga)
2. Blur – People In Europe Spread Love (Miss Frenchie)
3. Blur – Pojjy Waltz (Pojmasta)
4. Blur – Peter Panic and the Wolf (Lenlow)
5. Blur – Miracle on Threadneedle Street (Faultside)
6. Blur – You Can’t Go To The End (Mixomatosis)
7. Blur – Goldenbeard (timbearcub)
8. Blur – Shop Like A Britpop Millionaire (DJ Nite)
9. Blur – Theme From An Imaginary Chameleon Affair (CompactRisk)
10. Blur – Red Neck (Bad Tattoo)
11. Blur – Alex’s Hidden Place (Softbot)
12. Blur – Got Yer Album Dun (DJ Porky)

Back back back in the mists of time, when men were men, women were women, and Dsico still made bootlegs, there was a messageboard called GYBO. Still is in fact. Now the girls and boys in mid 2003 on said messageboard had an idea – what about getting together and doing a charity mashup album inspired by and for War Child and their recently released Hope album.

That compilation begat London Booted, which begat Parkspliced, which begat the whole mashup compilation phenomenon, I’m willing to bet. It included a few tracks that went on to have a life after the album – Loo & Placido’s groundbreaking ‘Safari Love’ was for the album, as was GHP’s ‘Let the music gimme shelter’, Fondue Meltdown doing their classic Daft Punk vs Beats International bootleg and indeed the aforementioned Dsico contributed an excellent Jennifer Lopez vs Ladytron bootleg ‘ghetto pr0n queen’ which I suspect was one of his last A vs B bootlegs before going all glitch, then ditching bootlegs altogether and declaring them dead. Repeatedly.

The rest of the list is veritably star studded with early-mashup names – Frenchbloke (with and without Son), Ultra396, Poj, Boomselection’s DJ Spec, DJ Crook Air, Cropstar, Miss Frenchie, Bitter Sound Foundation, and some you might not remember such as Steve JH Christ who is dead (yet was resurrected probably 3 days later as Steve SPR aka Steve Supercollider – for fun ask him to show you the video ), Seej, Hepcat and Counter Corporation, amongst others.

Here is said album via Mediafire (162Mb) for the first time in probably 6 years in it’s full 2 CD set with original artwork(s) or failing that (and only if it doesn’t work) then try the direct link here which should never change (warning: any hammering of my server or mass sharing of the direct link and I will take it down again!). The original download asked you to donate to Warchild, I leave that to your conscience!

Disc 1:

1. douglas does electronics – run mary feelgood
2. dj spec – peak a boot (specshul fx edit)
3. dj just in time – you ran over me
4. dsico – keep it real bitch
5. tld productions – try an ugly fiesta
6. tom tom – pink vs the who – there goes my generation
7. ultra396 – beastie blitz
8. fondue meltdown – around the bassline
9. frenchbloke & son – walkable balloon
10. miss frenchie – the lion sleeps
11. voodoo bong – manu chao vs. prodigy).
12. ghp – ultrathin
13. seej – together again

Disc 2:

1. idc – safe from us
2. frenchbloke – seeing pigs
3. bomfunk mc’s – freestyler [poj mix]
4. dj crook air – love will sing it back
5. ghp – let the music gimme shelter
6. bitter sound foundation – check the sensi
7. hepcat – baby got aerodynamic back
8. counter corporation – i hate you tupac
9. dsico – ghetto pr0n queen
10. ultra396 – i’m your love machine
11. cropstar – take my woojet
12. steve jh christ – smacked up dragula
13. loo & placido – safari love