The web was to remix culture what the wheel was to transport.
An enabling factor.
The web, is a distribution technology. The idea that technological advances in music distribution brings about shifts between genres is that of Dr Andrew Whelan.
His argument makes a lot of sense, and in regards to the web, has spawned the growth of an entire genre come industry dependent upon the progression of remix culture.
DJing.
DJing has come a long way over the past decade. Certainly, it is a more complex art than it ever was, and now encompasses the idea not only of “mashup”, but of musical production. To be an exceptional DJ in 1999 was to be brilliant at finding tracks with a similar chord progression, with the ability to weave them together to create a patchwork of musical harmony – or chaos, depending on your preference! Here’s one of my favourites of all time, Love Don’t Let Me Go (Walking Away) – David Guetta vs. The Egg. A mashup of Love Don’t Let Me Go by David Guetta and The Egg’s Walking Away.
DJing in 2014? It’s so much more. DJ’s are now producers. The mashup? A mere tool in the belt of the new dance floor virtuoso. A good mate I went to High School exemplifies this. His name is Trey-V and he started out using a mashup app on his iPod Touch, remixing songs in his room after matches for a state hockey tournament in Bathurst. Now? He’s an up and coming producer/DJ in Sydney, with residency at Hostage X in the ‘Gong, Candy’s Apartment and 169 Oxford Street in the City, The Roxy in Parramatta as well as Hype Fridays at Macarthur Tav in Campbelltown and a once a month residency at Moose Heads Nightclub in Canberra.
But how did all of this happen? What enabled the change from mashup master to production pro?
Trey-V says, “Without the internet I wouldn’t really be able to succeed.”.
He distributes his music through SoundCloud because it is “The most accessible and practical way to access and find and download music”, while using production programs like FL Studio and Ableton, to complete his work. All accessible through the internet.
doyouevenbcm 