Kleptomania

I love mashups. Ever since a producer called Danger Mouse took (in his own words) “a very white thing and a very black thing” to create the Grey Album, I’m amazed how combining two or more songs, samples or snippets can create a new experience that sheds a new light on the original material.

My current favorite mashup artists are The Kleptones, a.k.a. Eric Kleptone & friends, from Brighton, England. They’ve just released Uptime/Downtime (download page), a double album containing some of the finest and most original mashups around. Mixing together music and great soundbits, it provides something old, something new, most of it borrowed, and sometimes something blue. ;)

Follow these guys around on TwitterFacebook, Myspace or Last.fm. And book ’em in your club! Now. Some of my favorite tracks from the last album behind the cut.

Highlights of the album for me, click for individual download (although you should really experience this in one mix!):

  • Voodoo Sabotage: Two classics mixed together creates yet another instant classic.
  • Deeper Sand: Aretha Franklin and Metallica – You don’t often see those on one line, do you?
  • Come Again: The Beatles, Daft Punk, Rare Earth, The Beastie Boys, Queen, David Bowie – and yet it all fits. Great track.
  • Mad Groove: Driven by the Peter Finch speech from Network: play this in a club and it will go wild, guaranteed.
  • Black Medicine: Great after-hours track.

Make sure to check out the other Kleptones releases too. 24 Hours is another double album and an awesome listening experience, Liver Than You’ll Ever Be is a registration of the live madness these guys can bring (book em! book em now, you crazy club promoter!) Another interesting album is A Night At The Hip Hopera, which blends Queen with hiphop.