There is something hugely endearing about mashup records, perhaps it’s the unique blend of familiarity and the intrigue of the unknown involved. They became an art form in their own right (for me) after discovering 2 Many Dj’s, Girl Talk and brilliant bootlegs like The Clash: London Booted and Blur: Parkspliced. So what of the here and now?
UK-based The Reborn Identity has put together a clever and slick mashup record in ‘Britpop Rebooted’, which rework some old Britpop classics from the likes of Blur, Supergrass and Oasis with a multitude of other tracks and genres. This is far from a simple excercise in ‘Britpop nostalgia’, bolstered by the use of other artists both past and present adding greatly to the value of the record, most notably ‘Rebel Stereo’ and ‘Blurring the Sheets’, mash-ups of Supergrass/Bowie and Blur/Ellie Goulding respectively.
It’s obvious that a huge amount of time, effort and dedication has gone into this work, especially when you take into account that many other bootlegs are collaborative ventures involving numerous different Dj’s. It’s great to see that there is still a vibrant and burgeoning mashup scene which is very much alive and well. Equally refreshing is the continuing tradition of the online bootleg which demonstrates the dedication and love for this unique form. The good news is you can download the full album for free here, but if you still need convincing there are two very good reasons after the jump.
Thanks for the great write up, Barry, I really appreciate it. A lot of love went into making the album, so I hope listeners enjoy it.
Cheers
Gav (The Reborn Identity)