Top Ten Remixes/Mash-Ups of 2010

Mash-ups and remixes have been a big part of the blogosphere this past year. Everyone thinks they have the ability to be the next Girl Talk or Diplo and they try. In general, these remixes and mash-ups supersaturate the internet to the point where there was a bit of a revolt against the genres this year. I take this time to remember the best mash-ups and remixes that could just not be hated on.
10. Mochi Beats “Time After Romance (Lady Gaga // Cyndi Lauper // Three 6 Mafia)”
Mochi Beats has been one of my favorite mash-up artists of the year. By far his most advanced mash-up is “Time After Romance” which adeptly mixes the instrumental to Cyndi Lauper‘s “Time After Time” with the acapella for Lady Gaga‘s “Bad Romance.” The head turning part is when the track feels like it has run its course in kicks in a well-timed verse from Three 6 Mafia.
09. Brand-x “Intergalactic Focker (Beastie Boys vs Boys Noize)”
I always feel like the Beastie Boys get overlooked on the mash-up tip so when UK DJ Brand-x sent me this mash-up, I was pretty excited. The mash-up combined Beastie Boys’s “Intergalactic” acapella with a great house instrumental from Boys Noize. The combination takes the track into new stratospheres.
08. McDastardly “Forever Fun Lovin’ (Drake // Kanye West // Lil Wayne // Eminem // Fun Lovin Criminals)”
While many remixes and mash-ups on this list are dance based, McDastardly‘s “Forever Fun Lovin'” mixes rock and hip hop and it is a welcome change. The sped up Drake acapella has never sounded better than over the lost Fun Lovin’ Criminals‘ 90s single “Fun Lovin’ Criminal.”
07. Talking Heads “Psyco Killer (Mutantek Remix)”
Talking Heads made so much amazing music that one would think they would get remixed at least occasionally. Instead, Mexican DJ Munantek‘s reworking of “Psycho Killer” is the only remix I was sent all year. The track utilizes the original vocal line and not a lot else. The track ranges from house to trance while keeping the integrity of the original alive.
06. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins “I Put A Spell On You (TRRBO Remix)”
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins is a sadly often over looked piece of rock ‘n’ roll history; TRRBO did his part to keep Hawkins alive. His innovative remix of Hawkins’ best known song “I Put a Spell On You” created a completely new song out of subtle elements of the original. The new track is dancable while hearkening back to the original.
05. Dosvec “Stuntin Like 1901 (Lil Wayne & Birdman // Phoenix)”
Dosvec released a song-a-day leading up to Christmas so perhaps it is no wonder one of his songs would have the countdown. The fact is there were probably a couple of Dosvec tracks that were worthy of a spot on the countdown but none quite as great as “Stuntin Like 1901.” Using the instrumental from one of the best songs of last year, Phoenix‘s “1901” and putting over it the Lil Wayne acapella, Dosvec creates an instantly embraceable classic.
04. Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit (Thoko Remix)”
It is always difficult to take on immortal songs like Nirvana‘s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” but somehow Thoko manages to do it with tact. Sure, some Nirvana purists might be pissed that Kurt Cobain’s rock anthem has been perverted into a house track but those people must be miserable 30-somethings that don’t know how to party.
03. DJ D.veloped “TyrannosauruSex”
From the first time I heard D.Veloped‘s “TyrannosauruSex”, I said this is what the new Girl Talk album should have sounded like. The track is a rich tapestry of samples that embraces the current shift in mash-ups to mix dance and hip hop rather than rock and hip hop. The track is something beyond a mash-up, it is a dance party of modern pop culture.
02. Clockwork “Office Musik (Dwight K. Schrute vs Weezy F. Baby)”
I believe Clockwork‘s “Office Musik” has the distinction of being the second most liked song on Hypemachine that I have ever posted. The track’s unorthodox choice to sample the Office theme song is only enhanced by Clockwork’s unorthodox choice of how to cut up the track’s piano line to lay under Lil Wayne’s vocal line.
01. The White Panda “Tipsy In The Sun (Weezer // J-Kwon)”
No single track was bigger for StGA than “Tipsy in the Sun”. After being banished from our 5 year home on blogger, StGA’s read count was DOA and was not looking good. After a dismal month numbers wise, The White Panda sent me this track. The track almost single-handedly resurrected my blog from death. The likes it received on Hypemachine were off the chart and my blog was back with vengeance. For that, I can never repay The White Panda. Oh yeah, and the mash-up kicks ass too.