Some Old Mamie

Something a little different from me this weekend. The other day I stumbled across a downtempo mix from ace electronica star Eskmo, and the opening track was a jaw-dropping group acapella prison song from around 1947-'48, called "Old Dollar Mamie".

Having to know more, after a bit of research, I dug out a couple of albums from the marvellous Alan Lomax Collection including the album I was after for this track, "Prison Songs vol.1 - A Murderous Home". There really are some stunning songs on there, so be sure to check it out if you can.

In the meantime, me being me....I couldn't leave well alone...

Some Old Mamie

Alan Lomax presents "22" & Group - Old Dollar Mamie
Goldfrapp - Some People

Preview/Download



And if you're wondering, yes - the artwork is 50s sex bomb Mamie Von Doren, grafted on to Alison Goldfrapp's body....as you do...

Dressed To Fight

Taken from last year's biographical mix album, here's the cautionary tale of walking home late through Birmingham City Centre drunk after a Soni Quella gig, and being approached by 3 lads with ill intentions....

Dressed To Fight

Boy Crisis - Dressed To Digress (Nero remix)
Elton John - Saturday Night
Fight Club (movie dialogue) [1999]



Now with fight-tastic video from my good friend The Reborn Identity



At least this night, I got my spare keys back through one means or another...

In Munich We Will Live Forever

Editors hold a very special place in my musical heart - back in 2005, the band were based in my very own home, Birmingham, and were relentlessly gigging around the area. I was fortunate to get to see them (the first of many times) at Birmingham's legendary flea pit of a venue - the Flapper, down on the canal. The stage itself is in the basement, and was probably never designed to hold more than 150 people.

Well, this was a free gig (!) and I'd say there were closer 500 people there, crammed in (and out) of the main room, trying to catch a glimpse of the next big thing. Wedged right in at the back, being irritated in debate with a so called comics expert, and charmed by a lovely young couple (the boyfriend a DJ no less), Editors instantly blew me away with their uptempo Joy Division meanderings. And Munich was the standout track.

Fast forward 6 years - now I'm the DJ (!!), and Munich remains one of my favourite songs from the '00s. So I leapt at the chance to mash this track when the mighty Dunproofin posted the stems on mashers' fave GYBO.

With more than a passing nod to my beloved Phil Retrospector, I present:

In Munich We Will Live Forever

Doris Days - To Ulrike M (sample)
Clint Mansell - Together We Will Live Forever
Editors - Munich

Mashnetic Man - EP

Following on from A Year in the Life, and back on the mashstep, here's my little tribute EP to my favourite act of 2010, the incredible Magnetic Man

Mashnetic Man EP

If You're Not In Tokyo

Magnetic Man - Flying Into Tokyo
Daniel Beddingfield - If You're Not The One
Tokyo! (movie dialogue) [2008]
Magnetic Man - Anthemic (sample)



I Need People

Magnetic Man - I Need Air
Soylent Green (movie dialogue) [1973]
Empire of the Sun - We Are The People



Don't Fear the Anthem

Magnetic Man - Anthemic
Blue Öyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reaper
The Zombies - She's Not There




Boiling Elton

Magnetic Man - Boiling Water
Elton John - Your Song



Trouble Sleeping

Faithless - Insomnia
Magnetic Man - Box of Ghosts
Magnetic Man - MAD
Morcheeba - Sleep



Getting Somewhere

Magnetic Man (feat. John Legend) - Getting Nowhere
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird
Allen Collins (interview) [1980]



All tracks within the following RAR file

Right-click save:
Mashnetic Man

Busy start to the year, but much more to follow. Keep 'em peeled folks!

Just The Prayer You Are

Because every mash-up producer should have at least one slab of cheese in their portfolio....

2 pop mashes in 1 week. I apologise. Please remain calm. Normal service will be resumed shortly ;)

Just The Prayer You Are

Duran Duran - Save A Prayer
Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are

Preview/download

Missing On The Dock Of The Bay

Just testing if I can still make pop mashes. T'would appear not :/

Missing On The Dock Of The Bay

The Saturdays - Missing You
Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay

Preview/download



Bigger and better to follow....promise...

A Year In The Life

Here's something for you to dance over whilst enjoying the left over turkey.

2010 - my Annus Horribilus. Few highs and unbelieveable lows. So me being me, what better way than to tell the story of my year, than via a good old fashioned full-length mix/album.

The sequel to this year's Physics Disco mix, this is my beloved mash-step, covering my breakup, muggings, burglaries, a day at the seaside, my first (amazing) dubstep event, wrong thoughts that could get me in trouble, and general boozing.

This is the only place where you'll find Daniel Beddingfield sitting alongside my beloved Magnetic Man, Charlie Chaplin talking (!) over my beloved Skream, Sir Cliff Richard becoming cool and relevant again, and yes - Celine Dion over a booming dubstep sawtooth bass line. This is the sound of me moving on.

Happy New Year everyone, let's see what 2011 brings the world of Colatron....



A Year In the Life

1 - Left By The Tracks

BBC Radio 4 (sample)
Library Tapes - Pieces of Us Were Left On The Tracks
Bob Moog - Synthesizer Theory (Intro to the Studio)
Mulholland Drive (movie dialogue) [2001]
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (sample)
Jeff Pearce - Angels of the Ocean Calm
Burial - Untitled (sample)
The Voice of Vrilon (sample)
Lifeforce (movie dialogue) [1985]
Walter from carknocker.com - The Lonely Caboose
Zeitgeist (movie dialogue) [2007]
War Games (movie dialogue) [1983]

2 - If You're Not In Tokyo

Magnetic Man - Flying Into Tokyo
Daniel Beddingfield - If You're Not the One
Tokyo! (movie dialogue) [2008]
Magnetic Man - Anthemic (sample)

3 - Meanwhile In London

Caspa - Lon-Don City
Ganja White Night - Purple Star
Zero 7 - Destiny
Orbital - One Perfect Sunrise
Caspa - David Rodigan Intro

4 - Dressed To Fight

Boy Crisis - Dressed to Digress (Nero Remix)
Elton John - Saturday Night
Fight Club (movie dialogue) [1999]

5 - Stand Up Foes

Borgore - Foes (16bit Fuck Hoes Remix)
Dizzee Rascal - Stand Up Tall
Gwen Stefani - What You Waiting For

6 - Scary

Caspa - The Terminator
Lily Allen - The Fear (The Count Saves Lily Allen From The FearRemix)
The Terminator (movie dialogue) [1984]
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (movie dialogue) [1985]
Lily Allen - The Fear
Ganja White Knight - Peace By Fear (sample)
Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around

7 - Two Sides To Every Story

Easy Star All*Stars - Any Colour You Like (Kalbata Remix)
Christina Aguilera - What A Girl Wants
Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around
Skream - Meta-Lick
Bob Moog - Syntehsizer Theory (Keyboard Control)
Easy Star All*Stars - Step It Pon the Rastaman Scene

8 - Burnham On Sea

Mark Sheridan - I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside
Barletta - Panther (Zed's Dead Remix)
Billie Holiday - Summertime
Cliff Richard - Summer Holiday

9 - Run Rabbit Run

Caspa - Riot Powder Intro
Skream - Arola
UNKLE - Rabbit In Your Headlights
The Great Dictator (movie dialogue) [1940]

10 - Trouble Sleeping

Faithless - Insomnia
Magnetic Man - Box of Ghosts
Magnetic Man - MAD
Morcheeba - Sleep

11 - Deadmu5e

Deadmau5 - I Remember (Caspa Remix)
Muse - Plug In Baby
There Will Be Blood (movie dialogue) [2007]
Blade Runner (movie dialogue) [1982]

12 - As Life Goes On

Motorcycle - As the Rush Comes (High Rankin remix)
Chew Lip - Slick

13 - The Sympathetic Tale of Andy Smart

Skream - Rollin
The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For the Devil
High Rankin - The Tale of Clarence Baskerville

14 - Act Like You Care

Bill Withers (sample)
Synkro - Lost Love
Nero - Act Like You Know
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cheated Heart
Bob Moog - Synthesizer Theory (Subaudio Oscillator Control)

15 - My Steppin Will Go On

Trolley Snatcha - Scattah
Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On

16 - I Need People

Harry Chapin (sample)
Magnetic Man - I Need Air
Empire of the Sun - We Are The People

17 - End of Year

Library Tapes - Distans
The Wild Angels (movie dialogue) [1966]
Harold Budd and Brian Eno - Still Return
Burial - Untitled (sample)
Walter from carknocker.com - The Lonely Caboose
Alan Black (sample)
All About Eve (movie dialogue) [1950]
Bob Moog - Synthesizer Theory (Conclusion)
Englebert Humperdinck - The Last Waltz


Available for download as

Single MP3 with artwork and tracklistings
Right-click save:
A Year In The Life

Mix split in to tracks with artwork and tracklistings
Right-click save:
A Year In The Life

Big thanks as always to The Reborn Identity for supplying approx 40% of the material used in this, to DJ UMB and FLeCK for the inspiration, to Alan for leaving me odd voicemails (it's difficult) and everyone else who inspires and helps me. And to you know who for a great musical year.

See you in 2011
Andy

You Could Bleed Happy

So, almost a year ago to the day I made an instrumental mash which featured on my Tenebrism concept album mix thingy, "We Could Be Happy (But Something Happened That Day)". It was made as a plea to someone, and as an apology for me not understanding for once - it was my first mash I ever really made that reflected my inner thoughts, frustrations and feelings. As such, it's always been quite hard to listen to without being reminded of that day and kicking myself for that one mistake made, ever since.

So in an anniversal attempt to reclaim the mash and make it listenable to me again (though no less poignant), whip out the DJ Shadow backing, whip in Leona Lewis, and it becomes so much less painful (assuming of course, you like your soaring vocal pop and heart-melting music boxes, with overtones of jazz).

You Could Bleed Happy

Snow Patrol - You Could Be Happy
Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
Miles Davis - Flamenco Sketches

Someone's Missing

A more uptempo (!) number from me this time, and one inspired by my good friend The Reborn Identity, here's a tale we can all identify with

Someone's Missing
Trentemøller - Miss You
Imogen Heap - Headlock
Vangelis - Rachael's Song

On Cloud Eight

Having had a break from making mashes, I'm back with this little slab of piano melancholia - didn't quite work out as I'd expected, but I like it all the same

On Cloud Eight

Ludovico Einaudi - Nuvole Bianche
Nuyorican Soul feat. La India - Runaway
Colatron - additional synth