The latest series in my blog is entitled "Anatomy of a Mix". As most of you know, my brother and I have been into making Blends for the better part of the last 14 years. For those not specifically familiar with the term Blends, it is what others may commonly refer to as a Mashup or a Mix. For a more-detailed explanation of mashups/blends, feel free to peruse this wikipedia link. Essentially, all you need to know is that a Blend is generally defined by combining the vocal portion of one song with the musical portion of another song, making a remix of sorts. Growing up in Providence, where the local music scene for Blends was blossoming in the early 90's, we were fortunate enough to hear some of the best in the business - Curty Cut (R.I.P.), DJ Lefty, Mike Nice (a.k.a. Big Lig), DJ Buck, and DJ Rukiz - hone their craft.
When Wes and I got our first sets of turntables, it was officially on and our lives would never be the same. We stumbled thru our first few tapes but kept at it. Over time, we graduated from cassettes to CDs to MP3s. With each piece of technology we acquired, the possibilities of what we were able to do creatively expanded. As we collaborated on projects and exchanged mixes, we'd teach each other tricks and techniques that we had figured out. Admittedly, I was true benefactor in this process, as Wes was constantly taking the game to the next level and bringing me up to speed.
One day, I remember him playing a mix for me that he recently assembled. He had mixed TLC's "Unpretty" over Bubba Sparxxx's "Ugly". So in addition to creating something that sounded good, the mix had deeper connotations when you stopped to think about the lyrics and titles of the two songs. To my knowledge, this genre of Blends does not have an official name and perhaps I'll discover it or even create one someday. But in the meantime, I plan to devote some of my blogspace to breaking down some of the subtly-hidden meanings beaneath the surface of some of our Blends.
With the recent passing of the King of Pop, I thought about pulling an all-nighter in the studio making some new Michael Jackson Blends as a tribute to one of the greatest entertainers of all time. However, suffering from the exhaustion of an already too hectic schedule, my only option was to listen to some of the previous MJ Blends I'd done and go to bed early. Clearly though, Wes and I were on the same wavelength, as he sent me some new MJ Blends this morning. This first was a blend of MJ's "Billie Jean" with Kanye West & The Dream's "Walking on the Moon". (I'm guessing I don't need to point out the subtle connection between the two songs.)
Click Here to listen to Billie Jean (Moonwalkin) mixed by WES
And in case you're not familiar with the Walking on the Moon song, here's a link to the video on YouTube: Walking on the Moon
And as I alluded to previously, this will be the first in a series of blog entries entitled "Anatomy of a Mix". Stay Tuned...we'll see if we can't put together a Tribute to MJ collaboration in the near future. We'll always love you Mike!!!
Holla if ya Hear me. Shamon!!
3 months ago
