These are the mashes that are worth hearing, so stop your searching and instead settle down at your computer… turn up your speakers… and get ready for that sweet nectar that only EARMILK can give ya. Let's GO!
Last week, we had B.I.M.A, a 11-track mashup album that focused on Bon Iver samples. This week, the major mashup album we're featuring is from the talented duo known as The White Panda. Releasing a new album just this past week, titled Bearly Legal, they've recreated their identifiable style of pairing 2-3 samples from section to section resulting in a catchy, summer-vibing, 5th full length album. Consisting of 33 tracks totaling just under 55 minutes of non-stop music, The White Panda continue to solidify their mainstay presence among college-age students. While the transitions from track to track aren't the smoothest I've heard, there are still some bona-fide hits littered within the album including personal favorites "Sexual Rollin'", "Firefly", "A Night Out Flying", and "Cooler Than Latch". As an added bonus, The White Panda has given us their glory-filled rendition of Rihanna paired over Game of Thrones' epic theme song as the first full-length single from Bearly Legal.
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Next up, come the individual tracks. We got some fresh names in this list as I tried to expand my database of artists…leading me to come across Johnny Mashit, Flashard, DJ Rick Lee and others. Johnny Mashit integrates Alt-J's impressive "Breezeblocks" with Coldplay's easily recognizable "Fix You" resulting in a lovely re-interpretation of Coldplay's sleepy original. Alt-J's drumwork really seems to carry Chris Martin's vocals at just the right pace before it settles down into a measured tempo. Definitely grab this track for your collection.
DJ Rick Lee, on the other hand, takes us back in time with a variety of samples that seem to have no cohesive nature just looking at the sample list. However, once the Bee Gees "Stayin' Alive" instrumental starts to reverberate while Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust" is playing, one knows that the track is going to be interesting. And not to disappoint, Lee greets us with the likes of Will Smith, 2 In A Room, and Mike G & Sven…an eclectic selection but they flow well. So if you're looking for a multi-mash that will (pleasantly) surprise you, look no further. If you're looking for a more modern multi-mash, then take a listen to AG128ET's "Let The Good Times Roll" as it is filled with more radio-friendly artists. Structured right, and with a keen detail to making the vocals flow better from verse to verse/artist to artist, AG128ET created a successful mash.
Finally, the last 2 tracks that I want to highlight is from the aforementioned Flashard, and Rhythm Scholar's "Don't Stop The Party". Flashard takes Iyaz's "Replay", you know that 2010 infectious summer track, and lays its vocals over Ed Sheeran's "The A-Team". The result is a far cry from the more personal and intimate feel of Sheeran's original, but Iyaz surprisingly doesn't detract from this sound too much. There is an uptick in the emotion as Iyaz's vocals are more simplistic and more poppy, but "The Replay Team" was enjoyable. Likewise, Rhythm Scholar takes radio-friendly (and music killer?) Pitbull and puts him on top of a plethora of funky sounding tracks. Thankfully, Rhythm Scholar is educated enough to know to keep Pitbull in a more supporting role (he even put out a remix with no Pitbull) as the focal point of the mashup seems to be the fluidity of the instrumental samples.
Hit up the comments below with your feedback and with any additional artists that you think I may have missed/are worth listening to. And let me know what you think EARMILK should do for Mashup Monday's upcoming 100th edition!
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