M Is FOR MASHUP - Jan 23rd, 2009
DJ Fac-Master Of Mashups
By DJ Useo
When it coms to the world of mashups, after the challenge of learning
the technique remains the considerable obstacle of devising
successful pairings. Once one has layered some Beastie Boys vocals
over the latest Killers track you still have to assess the
likeability of the cut. Even if a mashup works technically, it must
have likeability, even elevate the source material or it's a
pointless exercise. DJ Fac is undoubtedly a master of making tracks
that demand replays through their catchiness. Fac maintains a pace
of release & level of craftmanship that places him squarely among
the peak mixers.
As proof of DJ Fac's vast talent comes his newest yearly collection
called 'A COLLECTION OF BASTARDS IV'. Totalling two discs & 36
tracks,the release gives a thorough & satisfying overview of the
most memorable DJ Fac mashups of 2008. The record follows the
pattern of the first three 'bastard collections' from the master
that've been issued in previous years. Assembled into two easy-to obtain zip files that contain the bastard tracks that DJ Fac & his
audience found the most likeable. Just imagine how fine these are
since I liked many of the tracks that didn't manage inclusion.
"I'm Not Jesus, I'm A Punkrocker' (Iggy Pop vs Apocalytica) is only one gem among many. Still, it stands out to me as I not only played it
myself lots, but heard it many, many times on various net radio
stations. 'I Kissed A Girl When Things Explode' (Katy Perry vs
Unkle) not only was enjoyed by many, but was even included on the
AudioPornCentral album 'We Kissed A Girl: Guilty
Pleasures,vol.one'. I still remember when I saw his track 'Seven
Nation Army's Going On' (White Stripes vs Backstreet Boys) posted
at MashupTown. I was curious immediately because I am into Fac's
tracks, but don't care for the Backstreet Boys. Needless to say, Fac
had performed his typical magic & elevated the source material so
as to render it perfect for even non-backstreet fans.
DJ Petrushka offered up this comment on DJ Fac-
"DJ Fac is one of my all-time favourite DJ's. He has a wonderful sense
of rhythm & melody. Not only is he an excellent masher but he's also
an awesome live DJ as well. Not everyone can master both sets of
skills & make it look like he's not even doing anything. DJ Fac does
both seemingly without effort. He breathes & the tracks just
manifest."
Too right, I say. Certainly, the attendees of his BOOTIE MUNICH shows
agree vehemently. I haven't managed to be in the area doing one of
his shows, but have savored the recorded set of one such show. Be
sure & drop in at the next BOOTIE MUNICH show & tell DJ Fac I said 'hey!'.
'A COLLECTION OF BASTARDS IV' (plus a printable DVD cover) is available for the price of some 'right-clicks'
here - djfac.com/
Mix Of The Week - Select your own mix of the week
here - 'An Unexpected Groovy Treat' (
leespoons.proboards99.com/index.cgi).
Then send me the title of the one you picked & I'll post your
selections here next week. A bit of audience participation will be
good fun for us all, except for Grumpy McFrown, who prefers a whack
upside the head to a good DJ mix.
Mashup Tip - Use a nail file to hone down the sharp edges of out-of-tune pellas.
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Just Hours Away ...a note from Michael Moore (michaelmoore.com)
We have made it through the Dark Ages and here we are, in one of the most redemptive moments history has ever witnessed. Barack Obama is our best hope to get it right, to heal our national soul, to reach out to the rest of the world with an olive branch instead of shocking brutality.
Smugglers of truth (guardian.co.uk)
Naomi Wolf used to think the pen was the best weapon against injustice. Not any more.
Beryl Bainbridge: How playing with toy guns saved my life (guardian.co.uk)
When I had children of my own I bought a lot of cheap Woolworths guns, made of metal and objects worthy of display.
Allie Firestone: Inspirational Activists You Won't Learn About in School (divinecaroline.com)
The recent popularity of the movie "Milk," starring Sean Penn, made me wonder why I never learned Harvey Milk's story in classroom discussions of civil rights, especially considering I grew up in San Francisco, where Milk carried out his work. As a result, I started searching for other activists who have changed our world, but have been left out of the usual history lesson. These people have made great strides toward gender equality, women's liberation, and civil rights. Without them, the world wouldn't be what it is today.
Peter Dreier: Pete Seeger Deserves the Nobel Peace Prize (huffingtonpost.com)
A Nobel Peace Prize for Seeger would be a fitting and much-deserved final tribute for the world's preeminent troubadour for peace and justice.
TIMBERLY ROSS: "Warren Buffett: US In "Economic Pearl Harbor" (huffingtonpost.com)
"You couldn't have anybody better in charge," the Omaha resident said of Obama, who'll be sworn into office on Tuesday.
CHRISTIAN JOHN WIKANE: "20 QUESTIONS: Michael Franti" (popmatters.com)
I remember going to visit [my grandmother] when she was on her deathbed in the hospital. She had tubes in her nose, she was on a heart meter. I walk into the room, and I'm all scared, and I go, "Grandma, what happened? How come you're in the hospital?" She said, "Because I'm pregnant!" "Who got you pregnant?" "Reverend Mitchell!" She always had this way of turning any situation into a positive thing with humor.
Vickie Karp: "Third Screen: An Interview with Wynton Marsalis" (huffingtonpost.com)
[Sandra Day O'Connor and I] were sitting at a dinner for the Rockefeller Foundation and we began talking about jazz and the similarities of jazz and the Constitution, and how the different branches of government function like the different functions of jazz. I was shocked that she knew so much about the music. I had brushed up on my Constitution the night before so I wouldn't make any gaffs. It was a fascinating conversation.
Bryan Appleyard: Ice queen Catherine Deneuve remembers (timesonline.co.uk)
The "Christmas Tale" actress on Roman Polanski, Luis Bunuel, gardening, being French and why she can take or leave Hollywood.
Neal Justin: Oscar-winning 'Juno' screenwriter turns to TV with new Showtime series (Star Tribune)
Starline Tours, a noble institution that crams out-of-towners into minibuses for the chance to see Matthew Perry's gardener pruning the hedges, recently dropped by the home of Diablo Cody.
Composition Project: Writing A Manual (lulu.com)
This free pdf download describes a composition assignment that I have used successfully during my years of teaching at Ohio University. Other teachers are welcome to download and read this pdf file and decide whether this assignment will work in their classes.
Goodbye, Mr. Bush (huffingtonpost.com)
Play the game.
Hubert's Poetry Corner
Of, By and For: Listen to America
Reflecting on the last eight years and hopes for the next four years!
The Weekly Poll
New Question
The 'All Things To All People' Edition...
Barack Obama is inheriting a myriad of complex problems. Some affect us all. Some are more important than others to particular interest groups and individuals. While I would like to see him become the greatest president ever, he is human and therefore not omnipotent. That said, the question is...
Is there a particular problem that you think President Obama may not be able to solve to the nation's and/or your satisfaction?
BadToTheBoneBob ( BCEpoll 'at' aol.com )
Charlie wrote:
responded:
Reader Comment
He's Gone
Reader Comment
Celebrate!
I send my thoughts along to all, even those who disagree with my politics..
I couldn't be more thrilled with our new President!! Our first scholar since the days of the Founders, a professor in the vein of Jefferson. We now have a truly curious man who has walked the talk of parity and justice for all citizens of not only America, but offers a vision of cooperation between cultures; not just a chance to capture and commit to dialog the elusive black/white schisms that have bedeviled our own society, but a slim yet huge chance to alter the direction for our shared planet.
While the guy can't solve all the ills besetting us, he has become a beacon whose dreams I'm more than willing to share. How many stereotypes has the man shattered? The "scary BLACK BOOGIE-MAN"?, incapable of anything past the three-point play or scoping for the next WHITE family to rob for his next drug fix?
I may be an old White grandma of six, but I'm overly proud to see that my vote against hate and fear has borne fruit, and freely embraces the President's vision; a world bereft of " enemies ", just engaged thinkers on a common path for the better of all.
Enjoy!! Celebrate!! Hate no more!! Hail Jeffersonian intellectualism!!!!! Geeks Rule!!!
-michelle-
Thanks, Michelle!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
A beautiful day.
Razzies are announced today, Oscar's are tomorrow.
Scientists Hail President Obama
Antarctica
U.S. geologists working at an Antarctic base hailed President Barack Obama's inauguration on Tuesday and expressed hopes for a stronger focus on science.
"It's a very exciting time," David Barbeau, assistant professor of geology at the University of South Carolina, told Reuters after watching the inauguration at the British Rothera research station on the Antarctic Peninsula.
"There certainly is a feeling that this administration will have science pretty close to the forefront," he said in the base, by a bay strewn with icebergs with several seals sunning themselves on the ice.
"It's certainly very hopeful to have someone coming into office ... who is excited about science and supportive of it," said Amanda Savrda, a graduate student in geology at the University of South Carolina working with Barbeau.
Antarctica
All You Need Is Net
Donovan
The Internet is the new '60s, folk rocker Donovan told reporters as the MIDEM international music conference got under way here Monday.
"The dream of the '60s, of me and John Lennon and the others, was: How do we speak to everybody on the planet at the same time?" said Donovan, whose career has been revived in TV commercials using his hits. "The first answer was via satellite, but that didn't connect to everyone. Then John would say, 'How about telepathy?'
"Then we forgot about it until now we realize that the Internet fulfills that dream of communicating with everyone. I'm not afraid of the Internet because it's that the dream we had. The Internet is the new '60s as far as I'm concerned."
Donovan, who had received the medal of Officier dans L'Ordre des Arts et des Letttres from the French government Sunday, was on hand for a showcase and to promote a biographical documentary, "Sunshine Superman: The Journey of Donovan."
Donovan
It's Called Capitalism
Domain Name
Web developer George Huger says he turned $5 into $35,000 when he bought the expired Internet domain name for former President George W. Bush's presidential library and then sold it back.
The News & Observer of Raleigh reports Tuesday that Huger was searching through a list of expiring domain names two years ago when he noticed the Web address http://www.GeorgeWBushLibrary.com was about to expire.
He bought the rights for $5, then sat on them for two years.
Huger says he recently sold them for $35,000 to Florida-based Yuma Solutions, which the Bush Library Foundation says is in charge of Web site care. Company owner Mark Mills didn't return the newspaper's calls.
Domain Name
Controversial Art
'Entropa'
The Czech EU presidency covered with a black sheet overnight part of a controversial official artwork portraying Bulgaria as a nation of squat toilets, according to an AFP correspondent early Tuesday.
The section of the massive "Entropa" exhibit, which is suspended above the foyer entry to the main EU Council building in Brussels, sparked ire in Bulgaria and the government there pressed for it to be removed or covered up.
The artwork is in the form of an unconventional map of Europe with three-dimensional depictions attached of the EU member states, each one offering a crude national stereotype.
France is portrayed as "on strike", while Italy is transformed into a giant football pitch with players holding strategically-placed footballs. Britain is totally absent from the artist's view of Europe.
'Entropa'
Filled With Hope
Inauguration Quartet
It was written by an iconic American movie composer and performed by a quartet direct from central casting - in front of a worldwide audience of millions.
John Williams, the Oscar-winning composer of "Star Wars," "Jaws" and "Schindler's List" pulled together this five-minute piece to commemorate the inauguration of Barack Obama as the nation's 44th president.
The composition arranged by Williams begins with a soft introduction, played by Venezuelan-American pianist Gabriela Montero and Chinese-American cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Moments later, the violin, played by the Israeli-American Itzhak Perlman, enters with a sweet, pensive theme gliding over the lower voices. The cello then takes off and engages the violin in a lovely duet.
Then, the clarinet, played by the African-American musician Anthony McGill of the Metropolitan Opera orchestra, interjects with a familiar tune. It's "Simple Gifts," written in the mid-1800s by a Shaker composer and popularized by Aaron Copland in his 1944 ballet "Appalachian Spring."
Inauguration Quartet
Norway Festival
Ice Music
Never has the phrase "sends shivers down your spine" more aptly described a musical concert. Inside a large snow arena tucked away in Norway's mountains, spectators marvelled as musicians performed for two days using instruments made almost entirely of ice.
Organised to coincide with the first full moon of the year, Geilo ski resort in the central mountain region separating Oslo from Norway's second largest city, Bergen, is home to the world's only ice music festival.
As short-lived as sandcastles, the ice-sculpted wind, string and percussion instruments give off surprising new sounds that vary according to the quality of the ice and the surrounding temperatures.
"Ice is extremely beautiful on a visual and musical level. It has additional qualities to other materials. It is abstract. Although it is cold it gives out a warm sound," said Terje Isungset, the festival organiser and a pioneer in ice music.
Ice Music
Lawyer Wins Stay
Roman Polanski
A California appeals court on Tuesday halted a Los Angeles court hearing on fugitive director Roman Polanski's bid to have his 1977 rape case dismissed.
The highly anticipated hearing had been set for Wednesday.
The 2nd District Court of Appeal issued the stay of the hearing in response to an 11th-hour motion by Polanski attorney Chad Hummel who argued that the Los Angeles Superior Court is biased against the filmmaker.
Hummel argues that a neutral judge from outside Los Angeles County should be appointed to the case. The Superior Court's presiding judge, who was scheduled to conduct the hearing, turned down the original claim of bias last week.
Roman Polanski
Invoked For Unruly Behavior
Anti-Terror Law
Many of the more than 200 people convicted under airline anti-terrorism provisions of the 2001 USA Patriot Act engaged only in profanity or drunken behavior, not attempts to hijack a plane or commit violence, according to a report published Tuesday.
Those convicted include a Lakewood man accused of arguing with a flight attendant who believed he was indulging in sexual activity, and a woman who spanked her two children and angrily threw a can at the ground when confronted by a flight attendant, the Los Angeles Times said.
"We have gone completely berserk on this issue," said Charles Slepian, a New York security consultant. "These are not threats to national security or threats to aircraft, but we use that as an excuse."
Anti-Terror Law
Video Battle Over
Heath Ledger
The legal battle over a video that purportedly shows Heath Ledger doing drugs two years before his death has ended, an attorney said Tuesday.
Neville Johnson, an attorney for the former People magazine freelancer who briefly appears on the tape and later sued to get it destroyed, did not disclose terms of the arrangement. He would only say, "The matter has been resolved."
Johnson filed the lawsuit in April on behalf of the reporter, identified only as Jane Doe.
An attorney for Splash News & Picture Agency, the paparazzi firm that surreptitiously shot Ledger in the freelancer's hotel room in 2006, said Tuesday he could not comment.
Heath Ledger
Cutting 800 Jobs
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment plans to cut 800 jobs, or 10 percent of its worldwide staff, as Hollywood outsources and downsizes under the weight of the current recession.
The job cuts at Warner follow staff reductions at other major media companies. General Electric Co's NBC Universal and Viacom, owner of Paramount, have already cut jobs.
Studio chiefs of Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros, the producer of the smash hit "The Dark Knight," sent an email to employees worldwide saying they will have to cut jobs in coming weeks due to the current economic downturn.
Industry insiders expect more belt-tightening at Walt Disney Co and Sony Corp's Sony Pictures.
Warner Bros.
Charged For Royal Insult
Giles Ji Ungpakorn
Thai police Tuesday charged an outspoken academic with insulting the royal family in a book, the accused professor said, a day after an Australian author was jailed on similar charges.
Giles Ji Ungpakorn, a political science professor, said he was formally charged under the kingdom's harsh lese majeste laws protecting the monarchy from defamation.
The book is about the bloodless military putsch in 2006 which toppled then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who now lives in exile to avoid a jail sentence for corruption.
Giles has frequently commented on and written about the royal family's role in politics -- a highly sensitive matter in Thailand, where opposing political factions frequently claim the support of the crown.
Giles Ji Ungpakorn
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