Paul's Boutique did a lot for hip hop when the Beastie Boys released it in the late 80's. Outside of the direct collaborations of rock and rap it really showed that music has taken on many different styles and tempos, but its still made on the same creative (for the most part at least) plane and can be blended together to make something that can be listened to and is enjoyable. Flash forward to 2006, all of the samples from the breakthrough Beastie LP are all listed on this new site called Wikipedia, but don't stop there. Just look a little further, maybe searching under the name "Girl Talk" or "Night Ripper". Whats waiting for you?
The same idea minus the rapping and the lyrics with the perspective of the DJ.
In this new age of two songs being combined to make a simple yet interesting "mash up" (thanks a lot Party Ben!) anyone can be a DJ I guess. All it takes are a few computer programs, an idea, and bam! instant artist. I suppose if that's an accurate description of the Mash Up kingdom and if "Boulevard of Broken Songs" (Green Day/Oasis mix from a few years back) is considered a nice looking oil canvas painting, that about makes
Night Ripper the Mona Lisa in comparison. Greg Gillis takes his role as Michelangelo quite well, being a child gathering influences from both the rap and rock sides of the pop music division. That lifelong experience and oodles of previously heard albums become the paint, with which he turns into his own music, his own piece.[
We've had the numbers run by us every time we begin to really listen to and analyze
Night Ripper. 42 minutes spread over 16 tracks; each track is comprised entirely of samples from just about anyone who has received airplay in the last 30 years. Not saying this got everyone and everything from the recording industry ever and pressed them all together, but where else will you hear
Neutral Milk Hotel lead into
Jefferson Airplane with
Missy Elliott laying down the beat(
Minute by Minute) ? Yeah. Nowhere. Though being just one element of the whole musical puzzle that is
Night Ripper, having such a big cast to choose from and finding the right spot for the clips to sound sewn together, but making it melodic as it is shows Gillis' talent as a DJ. Of course it doesn't hurt when tunes of similar tempos are picked apart and spliced to make something good for dancing or doing whatever to.
An additional highlight of this piece is how well held together it is. For something requiring so many pieces of musical meat to assemble, it doesn't seem like much of a hassle with how every moment is involving. The different tunes play off of each effortlessly to make something that becomes it own song, though you may not notice it as the whole album flows through, not leaving much space for interludes or time between tracks.
Its difficult to pick a favorite song or moment when so much of the ability to enjoy this comes from what the listener has heard and what said listener enjoys being put together. You can hate every artist on here (not likely) and probably still find some combination that clicks for you. Some dismiss this due to the fact that not a second is original music, but not anyone can make a 42 minute medley with so many songs. If you're into music that derives its creativity purely on how is is put together, and if you think the 5 minute mash-ups you occasionally hear on the radio are ambitious projects, this is for you.
