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.

You might like these previous posts:

• Warners Protest – January 18, 2009
• Pay to Play – your digital rights? – January 21, 2006
• CC mixter – legally mashup people’s tracks! – April 28, 2005
• Warners Takedown – EFF want to hear – February 8, 2009
• Legal mashups? Gowers review & Warners – December 6, 2006

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.

You might like these previous posts:

• Saarbruecken – LV15 and Pilchard sets – May 22, 2009
• RC 133 1/3rd: Vinyl Frontier – September 30, 2007
• RC 149: Where Were You in ’92? (Rave – Hardcore pt 2) – February 11, 2008
• On they pound the Noise that never sleeps, in the heart of the city – April 29, 2010
• New for 2009? – December 8, 2008

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:

You might like these previous posts:

• fudge tools in the place! – May 2, 2009
• DRM Bombscare – new DJNoNo mashup & Germany – May 18, 2009
• You’ve been GrungeRolled – Astley Gone To Heaven video – June 15, 2009
• Mashup videos of 2009 – December 7, 2009
• Instant YouTube Mashups – September 1, 2009

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)

You might like these previous posts:

• Know Your History part 2: London Booted – October 26, 2009
• Know Your History part 1 – GYBO’s I Created A Monster – October 23, 2009
• Radio Clash 48: enRAGEd Pirate edition inc. All Hands on Deck interview – October 3, 2005
• Beach Blanket Bootlegs – June 26, 2007
• Like the best Bootleg Party. Ever. – August 10, 2007

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

You might like these previous posts:

• Know Your History part 3: Parkspliced Blur remix project – October 31, 2009
• Radio Clash 82: Boot 2 The Old Skool Pt. 2 (1996-2003) – July 28, 2006
• Know Your History part 2: London Booted – October 26, 2009
• Ground Shelter (Hope & Fear) – two topical mashups – November 7, 2008
• Warning to proto-mashup historians – ignore Wikipedia – July 7, 2010

(via GYBO)

You might like these previous posts:

• RavEvil (2009 Prodigify Me Remix) – an original tune! – March 12, 2009
• Santastic 4 and DJNoNo get the Boston Props – December 29, 2008
• Almost there…but just time for a video – November 3, 2008
• Probably the last Bastard (at the Asylum at least) – January 21, 2006
• The last ever Bastard & GYBO boots gone? – February 4, 2006

Yes it’s finally here – 72, the pass-the-parcel mashup project, inspired by our very own Boot in 60 Seconds has reached 72 minutes and is thus finished!

This is basically what Girl Talk SHOULD sound like, done by people who actually understand mashups rather than spending more time on their haircut. Cue Girl Talk lovin’ haterz Bring it on! Anyway 72 has the same sort of 30 seconds-and-it’s-gone hyper-ritalin ADD and ‘remember this?’ nostalgia silliness and madness, but most of it by and large works far better than 99.999% of mixes in this genre.

Includes remixage from:

Lee Spoons, Instamatic (tis me!), World Famous Audio Hacker, Celebrity Murder Party, Eddie Pedalo, pomDeter, Irn Mnky, RadioFace, JamieCG74, GaraGara and MadMixMustang.

Each mashup artist had 72 hours to complete their section, and it features contributions by yours truly. Go give it love over at GYBO or download it here. Thanks to 10000 Spoons for hosting, Pomdeter for the idea and great artwork and Pom and Eddie Peddlecar for mix-wrangling and organising a great project!

You might like these previous posts:

• 72: The event – September 29, 2009
• Boot in 60, now 72 – March 30, 2009
• Fleetwood Mix – Fleetwood Mac mashup LP – October 19, 2009
• This One’s For Joe: Punk Rock War Lord compilation – December 17, 2007
• RC 164: Are you ready? (Oddz and Sods 9) – June 2, 2008

I’ve been really busy and rather well, Saarbroken since the International Mash Bash in Saarbruecken gig – staying up to 6am both nights reminded me I’m getting old – but I had a great time, and some brilliant sets.

My favourite of the whole Mash Bash was the drum and bass / early jungle set of GYBO regular LV15 – it made me dance like a loon at 6am in the morning and still does, so job well done. And some great mime DJing from the man that even fooled some long-time DJs

He’s now posted it onto Soundcloud, first track is seriously NSFW, and you might hear someone you recognise in there

Sadly I think it was LV15′s last gig (as was Who Boys on Saturday it was a retirement gig) – I hope not, even if there is another 5 years to wait it’d be worth it – and he didn’t get to play this last track which is my favourite mashup of the moment – mixing Marvin Gaye with drum and bass and Pink Floyd by the way of Aphrodite. Pure old skool jungle class.

You can find some of the seperate mashups on his Soundcloud page (I must get me one of those). I must dig out his Drum dnb mix from 2003/4 if I still have it…

Also Pilchard posted a mix with loads of tracks from his set, which has some great ones, nice to hear Mixamatosis’s version of Atmosphere again, and a totally bonkers intro by Eddie Pedalo.

You might like these previous posts:

• 72: The event – September 29, 2009
• Bride of Monster Mash album inc new DJNoNo track! – October 9, 2006
• New mashup – Instamatic – Stalker Fever (Fever Ray vs Aphrodite) – March 1, 2010
• Saarbroken – May 25, 2009
• RC 149: Where Were You in ’92? (Rave – Hardcore pt 2) – February 11, 2008

Nearly 5 years ago I thought Boot in 60 (well more Boot in 30) would never get finished, let alone help inspire another project, but both has happened. Eddie Pedalo aka mastertronic had a similar idea to Boot in 60, hence myself releasing it to foolishly show him the whole utter futility of the whole idea. Well weirdly it had the opposite effect, and so thought sod it, if you can’t beat ‘em then join ‘em and got involved.

Now it’s called 72, referring to the 72 hours ie. 3 days to create your piece…it’s already on part 7 – check out the great part by Lee Spoons.

It’s interesting watching the whole (much faster and most likely better organised!) procedure now, the new(er) media and file sharing make something like this much easier. Back in the day (grandad!) the whole FTP thing just added days or weeks to the whole thing, as people struggled with my FTP server and their clients, whereas online sharing, email without tiny file limits and Mediafire/Divshare I bet just make it far easier.

Well that’s what I’m telling myself as they roar over the 10 minute mark

Still looking for people to ‘play’ and get involved, so contact Eddie via this thread on GYBO I guess is the best.

You might like these previous posts:

• Where were you on 72? What Girl Talk SHOULD sound like. – June 15, 2009
• Boot in 60 seconds…only 5 years late? – March 13, 2009
• Classic Boot of the Week #1 – February 18, 2005
• Loneliness of the Long Distance Podcaster: Podfading a year on – February 8, 2006
• 72: The event – September 29, 2009

Rave music was my first love…and it will be my last. Music for the future….music made to last

I started making music in 1990 so this challenge is a return to my roots – literally. Inspired and for the GYBO Prodigify Me Remix Challenge, Here’s a very Prodigy ‘inspired’ (ie. you might recognise the siren LOL) original tune I did in 1991, remixed for 2009.

I even had to run an Amiga emulator to fetch it out, Workbench and all – yes Amiga MED (pre OctaMED!) 1991, Renoise 2009 shizzle 8 bit samples in effect! WOOH! Err…

It’s very silly, and you can play spot the vocal sample – and yes I was doing darkcore in 1991, purely by accident LOL. Blame a certain kids film. Most of the tunes I did in 90/91/92 embarass me, but I was writing them with Kirk and James so we had a lot of fun…but this is a rare time to hear one. And it was released on an not-so-great Amiga demo so many years ago.

RavEvil (2009 Prodigify Me Remix) is here. Enjoy!

You might like these previous posts:

• Grandad, what was it like making music back in the day? – March 14, 2009
• The Future is indeed unwritten… – June 22, 2007
• Pre history part 1 – July 24, 2008
• Genlock You Don’t Stop: A Journey Through Video – October 25, 2008
• Radio Clash : Hectic Eclectic party report – October 26, 2006