...just who is (still) one of the best at the 'mash-up' art-form out there? In my opinion, (apart from an obvious bias to Audio Shrapnel of course!!), it's Mark Vidler aka 'Go Home Productions'. The combined quality & quantity of his 'bastard pop' productions rank very highly.

Back in May 2002 when Eddy & I first discovered Go Home Productions (GHP) by airing 'Genie's Revenge', his response to another CLASSIC boot, Freelance Hellraiser's 'A Stroke Of Geneius', I knew Vidler/GHP had class, cheekyness and talent to go a long way, just like Freelance has with Sir Paul McCartney etc. In just under 2 years, GHP went on to work with Bowie for 'Rebel Never Gets Old'; I rest my case.

Like Shrapnel's surreal fusions (cutting Marillion & Rakim's lyrics together for 'I Know You Got Fish'!!), GHP's Productions can be so effective that whenever I hear one of the tracks somewhere else in isolation, a reflex kicks in and I can't stop hearing the ante-upped by my brain playing me back the blend as compared to one of the tracks on its own; that really is the bullseye of a 'mash-up' doing its job very well, as compared to average or shite! (aka a 'plopper'!)

Specifically, take 'Rock With Addiction (Awww)', that blended the dirty guitar off 'Just Because' by Jane's Addiction with Ashanti's 'Aww Baby'. If I hear either of those on their won as you'd normally expect to hear them, 'bastard pop' mode kicks in, over-riding any conventional aural association. Duran Duran's 'Notorious' is now ruined beautifully via 'Notorious Trick' with added Kelis. Similarly David Bowie's seminal Nile Rogers-produced 'Let's Dance' (as a single) is no longer what I used to imagine it ever since Liberty X took over in 'David X'. Bowie again with THE legend, Freddie Mercury for 'Under Pressure'; do I hear 'Ice Ice Baby'? Not any more, it's the bomb, 'Jacko Under Pressure'. I could go on and on. Just rummage around and download the bastard back-catelogue from GHP's site and you'll get it if you're new to all this.

November 14th sees GHP follow the legitimate 'bastard pop' path of Richard X when 'Rapture Riders', a mix of Blondie's 'Rapture' & The Doors 'Riders On The Storm' gets an official single release and inclusion on yet another (!) 'Greatest Hits' through EMI. Sharp-eared 'Rinse' listeners will remember 'Rapture Riders' getting its world premiere play on 'The Rinse' back in 2004 (January 23rd to be precise) under the 'AllenDean' guise. Furthermore, it was track 16 on 'James Hyman/DJ Mix Vol.2' which I think came out Summer 2003.

Anyway, I've often said in interview that it's 'Survival Of The Fittest' when it comes to leaders in this musical niche (i.e. the mash-up/bastard pop/bootleg scene); GHP's certainly evolved in those last 3 years and looks like staying firmly on top of the game.

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