As you have seen, I've posted some mashup tracks, but, for those who do not know, what exactly is a Mashup?
A mashup or bootleg (also mesh, mash up, mash-up, blend and bastard pop/rock)
is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded
songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over
the instrumental track of another.
When did it started?
The practice of assembling new songs from purloined elements of other
tracks stretches back to the beginnings of recorded music. If one
extends the definition beyond the realm of pop, precursors can be found
in musique concrète, as well as the classical practice of (re-)arranging traditional folk material and the jazz tradition of reinterpreting standards. In addition, many elements of mashup culture have antecedents in hip hop and the DIY ethic of punk as well as overlap with the free culture movement.
Are there subgenres within the Mashup scene?
In fact yes. Let me list them for you:
- A vs B: Putting an a cappella against a completely different backing track in order to make a "third song" is the original "mission" of mashups, and it is in the wake of "A Stroke of Genie-us", the genre has continued to focus on this basic premise.
- Version vs Version: Mixing two or more versions of a song to create a duet or alternate version of a song is what a version vs version is set to accomplish. It can mix 2 different versions of a song, such as a Ballad and Original version, or a cover version of the song. Some of the more popular version to version mixes are language mixes. Mixing multiple languages into one song. Version vs Version mashups usually have the same original instrumental but sometimes it is changed to benefit the song.
- Abstract Mash Ups: Music collages which refer to avant-garde music practice and Musique Concrète. These are not intended for the dance floor and are made using all types of music and sound as valid sound sources to be played simultaneously and often manipulated. Beat matching and stylistic or aesthetic similarities are not an important factor in these mash ups. Chaos, dissonance and harmony are all possible results.
- Glitch pop: Glitch pop is a subgenre of the mashup scene which marries the Digital Signal Processing (DSP) wizardry associated with Kid 606 and Tigerbeat6 records to the ostensibly familiar contours of pop. Sometimes this is done in a spirit of homage; sometimes it serves merely as a form of ridicule and even vilification; often it is both at the same time.
- Remixes: Technically, all mashups are remixes. But while most are made up entirely of plundered material, some bootleggers have fused old acappellas with completely new compositions of their own devising. All mashups are remixes yes, but not vice-versa. Mashups are a category of remixes but only on the most basic level. Remixes can combine songs but it in addition they add other original layering to make the song more of a transformative work.
