Mashup Roundup: Vol. 1

Every few weeks I'm going to post a “Mashup Roundup” - a collection of my favorite mashups from around the internet. If you’re unaware, bad at interneting, or have been in a coma since 2006, a mashup is typically when someone combines multiple songs into a single track. The most famous example of an artist that produces mashups is Girl Talk. However I, and many other internet dwellers, also consider mashups to be not only songs but any instance where two disparate types of media - different by format, tone, context, or any other reason - are combined into a single work. Like when you run into someone carrying an open jar of peanut butter and you “accidentally” jam your chocolate into it (Can we agree that the collision was an elaborate yet obvious ruse by the guy to get a date?? "Oh I'm wearing headphones walkin' down the street with an wrapperless candy bar and - Ooops! Sorry Cindy didn't see you there. Haha! Restraining orders don't count if it's an accident!" Yeah okay - a likely story, PHILLIP). Some other examples of mashups are:

Basketball + Trampolines = Slam Ball

Golden Retriever + Poodle = Golden Doodle

Goat Mating Noises + Divorce = Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 Album “Rumors”

Expired Spray Tan in a Can + The Darkest Timeline = Donald Trump’s Presidency

My actual lists will focus more on deliberate & artistic mashups, but you get the idea. With that, here’s my top five mash ups that I’ve found over the past few weeks. For each of these, I’ve tried to create some custom content for each (or curate a a small collection of examples) as well. Enjoy!

1. Hamilton Showtunes + Mom’s Spaghetti = “My Shot” ft. Eminem and the Beastie Boys

Created by YouTuber Drew Williams In The Afternoon, the song utilizes a mix of sources including 'My Shot' by Hamilton: An American Musical,  'Lose Yourself' by Eminem, 'Sure Shot' by The Beastie Boys, and 'Big Shot' by Billy Joel. It seems like there might be an indescribably small chance an actual collab might happen between Eminem and Lin-Manuel, but let’s not bank on it.

2. The Space Jam Theme Song by Quad City DJs + Every Piece of Media Ever = r/ComeOnAndSlam

It's think there's an argument to be made that this subreddit has created some of the better pieces of music ever. Due to the narrow scope of allowed content, the subreddit has been wildly creative over the years creating remixes that somehow just work. It even has the same theme as the original 1996 website for the film. I love it.
 

3. Beauty & The Beast + Deadpool = This Amazing Musical Parody

Created by Nerdist, the brainchild of Chris Harwick (host of @Midnight), the video has ingenious casting and great production value. It's honestly hard to summarize, so just watch it. One of the better scenes in the video (and there’s certainly a few) has Deadpool eating some popcorn during a brawl - which I’ve giffed here for your memeing pleasure.

4. Netflix' Stranger Things + 80’s NES Games = This Collection of Pixel Art

Moving away from musical mashups a bit, and instead looking towards TV and digital media, I've definitely been digging the stuff I've been seeing online regarding Stranger Things for a while now. Part of the reasoning why the show lends itself to mashups so well is due the work itself being an homage to 80’s filmmaking and tropes. Notable directors such as Spielberg, Carpenter, Lucas, and King are all heavily referenced in the cinematography, dialogue, and wardrobe of the show. It’s essentially a concentrated nostalgia overload for anyone who grew up in the 80’s and 90’s. In my opinion, some of the more impressive derivative works based on the show involve combining it with the dominant gaming system of the time: the NES. While some of these images might be a bit more appropriate for the SNES or PC from a technical perspective, the overall message and intent is still clear.

Going further than a few images, a few creative people created some Stranger Things inspired games that you can actually play. Seeing all of these pieces of pixel art makes me think that a playable side scrolling beat em up featuring the kids in their Dungeons and Dragons campaign to slay the Demogorgon would be a hit. One can dream. Until then, we have this nifty show summary in pixel form.

5. Yellow Fonts & a Familiar Sitcom Theme song + Cringey NBA B-Roll Footage = Where Amazing Mashups Happen

Bringing up the rear is another nostalgia fueled work created by YouTuber and redditor snoopryan.

First of all, I don't understand who thought it was a good idea to do the pan up to each of the players faces from their sneakers - it honestly makes no sense - but I'm glad for it since this video was born from the decision. The video even incorporates the best thing to come from 2017: the fact that Kyrie Irving thinks the Earth is flat. It’s a work of art, honestly.

And that it's for now.

I’ll see you next time and remember, Wu-Tang is for the children.