Comparitive Collaboration

With reference to yesterday's class, and to the video speech featuring DJ Spooky
I would like to focus on the popularity of remixes/mash-ups/collaborations and their circulation.
Last year I met and made good friends with someone, and our entire friendships is based on our filters and our separate abilities to discover new artists who offer content fitting the basis of this course. Although we rarely agree on who has found the better bite, looking back I see us (and everyone else who does this) as what DJ Spooky defined as "artists." We research, keep ears open, and regurgitate what we hear, in other words we stream the content of the archives. Once we find something very appealing, we bring it to life, and share share share until the next one comes along. I believe that the artists behind remixing/mash-ups/collaborations are always searching for that muse to make their work better; it is ever-changing, and this is why most remix work can develop mass-appeal and respect from listeners.
I have become a big fan of the project, "Blakroc." For those who are unfamiliar Blakroc is a collaboration between the band The Black Keys, and various rap/hip-hop artists. The interesting remix presents a completely new sound with the base recordings of a blues/rock band, and the words of artists such as Mos Def, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Ludacris, Hoochie Coo, and Jim Jones. Once the recordings were released, other artists have jumped at the opportunity, such as The Brothers of Chico Dusty.
I decided to explore the essence of such sound projects, and came to a rough conclusion that although they are unique, they are still about mass-appeal and target audiences in more than one genre. However, I do think it is relevant to say that although it is essentially remixing, they are still creating something completely new in both genre and musical history.
No matter what the music, I often wonder if people become so keen on finding the next-best-thing because they truly appreciate it, or simply because of the status.

I will include two links, the first is a Blakroc original, featuring Mos Def
AND the second features The Brothers of Chico Dusty (Big Boi vs."Everlasting Light" by The Black Keys)

Enjoy!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKLToXOdv9E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxeBFg1fQtw