



The Sixx Mixx was my LIVE 105 radio show which ran from June 27, 2003 to Dec. 30, 2005. In honor of its 10th anniversary, I'm remastering the original shows and posting them here as 320kbps mp3s, along with track listings and some additional commentary and context.



Downloads are direct file links (right-click and select "save as") or links to Mediafire, although many episodes tripped Mediafire's automatic copyright scan and thus only have direct downloads. Please e-mail me at partyben@yahoo.com if you have any trouble.



The mp3 files are tagged with the displayed artwork, date and episode title, as well as a full tracklisting in the "Lyrics" tab.



SIXX MIXX 111 - 12/30/2005







Remaster download: 77MB mp3



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Original broadcast version download: 34MB mp3



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Sixx Mixx 111 - 12/30/2005 - The Final Countdown - Top Ten Sixx Mixx Mashups of 2005

10. Foo Fighters vs. Starsailor "Foo To The Floor" (Dj Zebra)

9. Tegan & Sara vs. Mylo "Walking With A Ghost In Paris" (Party Ben)

8. Bravery vs. Mia "An Honest M.I.A." (A+D)

7. Beastles "I Feel Fine Right Now" (dj BC)

6. Lovemakers vs. 50 Cent "Shake That Ass"

5. Olivia Newton John & John Travolta vs. Dre & Snoop "You're The One That I Want In The Next Episode" (Disfunctional DJ)

4. Bloc Party Vs. Nine Inch Nails "Bloc Of Nails" (TimG)

3. G'n'R vs. Beatles – Sgt. Pepper's Paradise (Jimmi Jammes)

2. Lovemakers Vs. Trans-X "Lovemakers On Video" (Matt Hite)

1. Eagles vs. Green Day "Greenday Massacre" (Team9)



Commentary:

Well, out with a bit of a whimper, here, since we'd already done the "all time" mashups show for Episode 100. But since the show's ending was sorta sprung on me I didn't exactly have a ton of time to come up with a blockbuster finale. Anyway, as shows go, it ain't so bad, and those are some quality tracks, for sure, a well rounded list of some of the finest mashups of the era.



An there you have it, that's it, no more mixxes. I did continue to produce intermittent half-hour shows for 91x for a few months but they were almost entirely rearranged and recycled old Sixx Mixxez; I'll look around the hard drive and if any seem to be worth posting I'll get them up. Coming soon I'll have Sixx Mixx Qualitative Analysis wherein I'll find out the songs, artists, and mashups played the most over the show's run. But for now, happy new year everybody.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 6/10

SIXX MIXX 110 - 12/23/2005







Right-click for remaster download: 73MB mp3



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Sixx Mixx 110 - 12/23/2005 - Christmas Edition

1. DJ John – The Christmas Massacre of Charlie Brown (Party Ben re-edit)

2. DJ Riko featuring Marcy vs. White Stripes – My Chimney

3. Jackson 5 – Here Comes Santa Claus

4. DJ Riko - Boogaloo and Holly (Frank Sinatra vs. Big Boss Man)

5. Soulwax – Last Christmas

6. Derek B – Chillin' with Santa

7. Run-DMC – Christmas in Hollis

8. Paul McCartney vs. J-Lo – Christmas on the Block (GHP mashup)

9. Dandy Warhols vs. Mousse T – Horny Christmas (Loo & Placido mashup)

10. Cheekyboy – Ice Ice Snow

11. Waitresses – Christmas Wrapping (Lionel Vionel remix)

12. Wayne Newton – Jingle Bell Hustle

13. ???

14. Tenchi Muyo vs. The Singing Dogs - Jingle Bells

15. Jet vs. ??? – Stop Christmas

16. Boston vs. a variety of stuff – Christmas in Boston (Too Many JDs mashup)



Commentary:

I should really credit the Christmas episodes to DJ Riko, whose "Mixmas" shows provided much of the raw material. This is actually a more ambitious and dense episode than the 2004 Christmas show, and a little less melancholy (no Low here). So, happy holidays, everybody.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 6/10









SIXX MIXX 109 - 12/16/2005





Artwork: Henri Matisse, "Dancers II" (detail), 1910



Right-click for remaster download: 74MB mp3



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Right-click for download of broadcast version: 30MB mp3



Sixx Mixx 108 - 12/16/2005 - Tarted-Up Rerun Edition

1. Lady Sovereign – Random

2. Sandstorm vs. Nine Inch Nails – Superonly (Fettdog mashup)

3. Led Snooppelin – Drop it Like It's Love (Party Ben mashup)

4. Super Mario Brothers vs. MIA – Supergalangalang (cry.on.my.console mashup)

5. The Beastles – I Feel Fine Right Now (DJ BC mashup)

6. Lynyrd Skynyrd vs. Nelly – Sweet Home Country Grammar (Mei-Lwun mashup)

7. Beck – Ghettochip Malfunction (Hell Yes remix by 8-Bit)

8. Chemical Brothers vs. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Galvanize Around the World (Party Ben mashup)

9. Billie Squire vs. Digital Underground – Humpty Stroke (Party Ben mashup)

10. Siouxsie & the Banshees vs. OutKast – Unknown Title (El Mannion mashup)

11. Happy Mondays – Step On

12. Run DMC – Peter Piper

13. DJ Riko – The Whistle Song

14. Olivia Newton John & John Travolta vs. Dr. Dre & Snoop Dog - You're the One that I Want in the Next Episode (Disfunctional DJ mashup)



Commentary:

Another Metreon/Basic Project Dancers episode, and with the insanity of the holidays and our annual Christmas concert I guess I didn't really have time for a totally from scratch new episode, but this is still a bit of fun, with a surprisingly excellent of the long-forgotten Sandstorm with NIN, my why-didn't-I-release-it Humpty Stroke, and a fun little Happy Mondays section from Episode 76. The show is mostly notable for the first appearance of the legendary Grease/Snoop mashup that was LIVE 105's first "Mashup of the Week" in 2006, and ended up being our most requested song for basically the whole month of January (as well as inciting backlash from hip local weekly newspapers).



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 5/10









SIXX MIXX 108 - 12/02/2005







Right-click for remaster download: 73MB mp3



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Right-click for download of broadcast version: 30MB mp3



Sixx Mixx 108 - 12/02/2005 - Sixx Mixx With a Baseball Bat Edition

1. Eric B & Rakim vs. The White Stripes - Paid for my Doorbell (Party Ben mashup)

2. AC/DC vs. The White Stripes - Black Doorbell (DJ Zebra mashup)

3. Modest Mouse vs. Amerie - One Thing 2 Float On (Tasha mashup)

4. Beck - Shake Shake Tambourine (Black Tambourine Ad Rock remix)

5. Gorillaz - Dare (JRSNCHZ remix)

6. Gorillaz - Dare (Dave Aude remix)

7. Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To (Max Tundra remix)

8. The Lovemakers vs. Trans-X - Lovemakers on Video (Matt Hite mashup)

9. Azzido da Bass vs. Dire Straits - Money for Dooms Night (Lionel Vinyl mashup)

10. Depeche Mode vs. Green Day -

Just Can't Get Enough September (Party Ben mashup, inspired by Team9)

11. The Prodigy vs. The White Stripes - Voodoo Stripes (DJ Zebra mashup)

12. Freestyle - Don't Stop the Rock

13. The White Stripes vs. Gwen Stefani vs. Tony Basil - Mickey's Orchid (Fidelski mashup)

14. The Beatles vs. Batman - To The Taxmobile (Lenlow mashup)

15. Fatboy Slim vs. Beatles vs. U2 - Vertigo Tripper (DJ Reno mashup)

16. Peanut Butter Jelly Time!



Commentary:

As I explained down in the description for Sixx Mixx 67, LIVE 105 broadcast from a special booth at downtown SF mall Metreon for a few weeks leading up to Christmas, and just as in 2004, we invited Bay Area dance troupe Basic Project to do a dance routine for the half hour of the Sixx Mixx, there in the middle of the mall. Despite or perhaps because of the inherent absurdity of it all, large crowds would gather to watch (the dancers were awesome) and I felt a certain responsibility to balance my usual alt-rock-drive-time audience concerns with "can some kids dance to this" concerns. In the case of this episode, these restrictions actually led to what I think is one of the best episodes of the Sixx Mixx, and since the three remaining episodes are sort of a half-rerun, a Christmas edition, and a finale countdown, it's sort of the last real episode.

Perhaps not coincidentally, the White Stripes often talked about artistic restrictions actually serving as stimulus for creativity (their album De Stijl is named after an artistic movement with that as a philosophy), and the debut of one of my favorite mashups opens up the show. Astute listeners will notice slight differences in this version from the one I eventually "released" but most of the important parts are there. Zebra's take on Doorbell is stupendous as well, and the whole section through the Beck remix is really fun, I think. Actually, considering the episode goes from about 80 to like 150 bpm, it's solid all the way. I love the Lionel Vinyl combo of Azzido da Bass and Dire Straits, and my silly Green Day/Depeche Mode thing is pretty funny. And of course, the viral phenom before we knew the word "viral," Peanut Butter Jelly Time, in its terrible-quality glory, ends the show on an ecstatically ridiculous note.



To help intro the mix, I would hop on my motorcycle and weave through traffic downtown to get from the LIVE 105 offices over to the Metreon, and hang out with afternoon superstar Jared, amidst all the holiday insanity, and I actually have really nice memories of all that, so maybe there's a wistfulness compromising my ability to come up with a proper scientific Sixx Mixx score, but I'm proud of this little episode.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 9/10









SIXX MIXX 107b - 11/19/2005







Right-click for download of broadcast version: 32MB mp3



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Sixx Mixx 107b - 11/19/2005 - Nine Inch Nails / Queens of the Stone Age Special

1. Nine Inch Nails – Only (Russell Vargas Remix)

2. Queens of the Stone Age vs. Britney Spears – Toxic Secret (TimG Bootleg)

3. Nine Inch Nails – Head Like a Hole

4. Nine Inch Nails vs. Justin Timberlake – Head Like a Rock (Party Ben mashup)

5. Nine Inch Nails – Down In It (Shred Mix)

6. Queens of the Stone Age vs. Missy Elliot & Tweet – No One Gets Their Freak On (Loo & Placido Mashup)

7. Queens of the Stone Age – No One Knows (UNKLE Remix)

8. Nine Inch Nails – The Perfect Drug (Jack Dangers Remix)

9. Queens of the Stone Age – Little Sister (Tone396 Remix)

10. Nine Inch Nails vs. the Beatles – Come Closer (DJ Zebra Mashup)

11. Nine Inch Nails – The Hand That Feeds (DFA Remix)



Commentary:

So as I said below, Nine Inch Nails and Queens of the Stone Age were scheduled to appear on a Friday a few weeks earlier, so I made a special all NIN/QOTSA Sixx Mixx to play that day. I can't remember why but the show was unexpectedly postponed (after I'd already completed the show so it musta been pretty late in the week). So we aired a repeat and I saved the mixx, and it turned out the rescheduled concert happened to coincide with a Saturday I was hosting Subsonic, the LIVE 105 electronic show, so I kicked off the show with this Sixx Mixx except it was at midnight. There was one alteration -- I'd initially ended the show with my NIN/QOTSA mashup "Insane Medicated Hand," but since it was airing on the electronic show I figured that was a bit "rock," so I switched it out with the DFA remix.



Unfortunately this episode mucks up the whole numbering system since this wasn't really a proper show (and I don't have the original session anywhere so I can't provice a remastered version of the episode anyway). In the absence of any better ideas I'm calling this Episode 107b (which is of course completely inconsisten with "52.5" below, but whatever.) In any event, I actually think that of all the artist specials, this is by far the best, since 1) I get to use two artists, and 2) those two artists happen to have a tone of awesome mashuppy tracks. I especially like the whole Perfect Drug segment, which actually feels more appropriate airing at midnight than it would have at 6pm. And yes technically that would make this 11/20 not 11/19 but come on we're already throwing accuracy out the window.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 6/10









SIXX MIXX 107 - 11/18/2005







Right-click for direct download: 102MB mp3



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Bonus broadcast version: 46MB mp3



Sixx Mixx 107 - 11/18/2005 - Dean Gray Presents American Edit

1. American Jesus

i. American Edit

ii. Jesus' Tears

iii. Summer of the Damned

iv. Suburban Ring

v. It's Like That

2. Dr. Who on Holiday

3. Boulevard of Broken Songs

4. The Bad Homecoming

5. St. Jimmy the Prankster

6. Novocaine Rhapsody

7. Impossible Rebel

8. Ashanti's Letterbomb

9. Greenday Massacre

10. Whatsername (Susanna Hoffs)



Commentary:

So, yeah, the main "remastered" download above is just the entirety of American Edit, and the broadcast version is the recording of the airing (minus the mid-set commercial break). If you listen to that, you can hear me awkwardly talk around ownership of the thing, which is kinda dumb, but I was walking a very thin line there, posting stuff online illegally while legitimizing and publicizing it on LIVE 105 (who wished to continue a good relationship with Green Day). So kudos to them for letting me play the whole thing.



As far as commentary goes, jeez, my opinion of American Edit, 10 years later? Oy vey. Honestly, at the time, I really did like it, and I still do. It's helped for me by the fact that I have basically 3 and maybe 1/8 mashups of my own on it (Dr. Who, Boulevard, Novocaine, and I helped with American Jesus). Team9 did the heavy lifting, producing all the other tracks, and I really think they're stellar, especially the opener which is a rollicking tour de force of sampladelic mayhem. To me, the whole thing was both a joke and not a joke, a weird combo of parody and tribute and rebuke and makeover, and I still hear that now, listening to it. Yeah it's sloppy at points (and we were both so overwhelmed and hurried and busy that we finished everything as mp3s not even as waves so there's no like "clean" classic version to even remaster and share) and it's not like it ever got Grey Album notoriety (nor was it much like that album at all, which to my mind was a sort of DJ Shadow-style re-edit of The Beatles on which Jay-Z was kind of superfluous although awesome-sounding). But I feel proud of this little album, so much of it still makes me laugh (the hand wielding a mouse instead of a grenade on the cover is like, the best idea I've ever had) and even though Team9 and I have yet to meet in person (Australia's so far!) I consider him a brother and a real trooper for sharing duties on this thing.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: n/a











SIXX MIXX 106 - 11/11/2005







Right-click for direct download: 68MB mp3



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Bonus broadcast version with intro comedy: 30MB mp3



Sixx Mixx 106 - 11/11/2005 - Breakdown Edition

1. Survivor vs. Scissor Sisters – Comfortable Tiger (Phil n' Dog mashup)

2. Nine Inch Nails – Only (Russell Vargas remix)

3. Beck – Shake Shake Tambourine (Black Tambourine remix by Ad Rock)

4. Kraftwerk – Musique Non-Stop

5. Rolling Stones vs. Gwen Stefani – Waiting for Satisfaction (Mixomatosis mashup)

6. Bloc Party vs. Killers – Somebody Stole Your Beat (Divide and Kreate mashup)

7. The Strokes vs. Peter Gunn - Peter's Juice Box (Team9 mashup)

8. The Strokes - Juice Box

9. The Strokes vs. The Munsters vs. Peaches - Juicebox Rock (Go Home Productions mashup)

10. The Church vs. Ministry vs. Sublime – Church of the Sublime Ministry (DJ David X mashup)

11. Coldplay vs. Kraftwerk – Computer Talk (Party Ben mashup)

12. Jackson 5 vs. Oasis – I Want Your Wonderwall (BigBadBaz mashup)

13. The Muppets vs. Electric 6 – Gay Muppet Bar (Phil n' Dog mashup)



Commentary:

Riding on the high of last week's solid episode (and playing a little bit of it as well), this episode suffers from repeat-itis, although it's bracketed by two fine productions from the delightful team of Phil n' Dog who (if you listen to the on-air version you will understand) were performing that weekend at our little Bootie club, thus the mega promotion. (I referred to Phil and his "partner" Dog in the post-show wrapup which apparently caused much giggling amongst the Brit crew who were listening.) In between, the show is intermittently intriguing--the inclusion of Ad Rock's funky remix of Beck along with a dose of Kraftwerk over the top for no good reason is, well, something--but mostly kind of yawny. It does contain the show's only appearance of Sublime, in a mashup that is miraculously actually quite enjoyable. Overall it's produced pretty well and stuff, so I'll give it a pass.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 5/10



...



On a side note, back here in 2015, it's the day after horrific terrorist attacks in Paris, which is not really related to the Sixx Mixx in any way, except it sort of is. First, thanks mostly to the patronage of DJ Zebra, I was lucky to have some of my mashups become somewhat known in France and then have the opportunity to DJ there multiple times. (I even did a guest half-hour episode for Zebra's similar Sixx Mixx-inspired Oui FM Friday show). Various gigs took me to off the beaten path areas from tiny medieval hamlet Olargues to the Festival Francofolies in La Rochelle (on Bastille Day, bien sur). I was surprised and humbled to find myself welcomed and treated seriously as an artist by interviewers and fans, and thanks to the kindness of fellow DJ friends and the music community I met along the way, I began to consider France as a sort of second home. I didn't grow up romanticizing Paris or anything, but I feel immensely privileged to have been able to experience the country in this way. I've never been to the Bataclan venue, but the Republique/Canal area has always been my favorite haunt (thanks mostly to the possibility of finding a slightly less stratospherically expensive hotel room there), and while Eagles of Death Metal weren't around in Sixx Mixx times, Queens of the Stone Age are obvious Mixx favorites, and EODM, in their wit and propulsive energy, represent the spirit of musical enjoyment and inclusiveness of the Sixx Mixx at its best. And of course, French artists made an invaluable contribution to the Sixx Mixx, from the aforementioned Zebra to Loo & Placido and Totom. I've enjoyed some amazing live music events in France and have had some of my own favorite gigs there, and I can't help but think that if it had been a few years ago, there's at least a non-zero likelihood I would have been at this EODM show. Of course, beyond all these coincidental threads, an attack on a music venue like this is deeply disturbing, not that concert attendees' lives are somehow more important than others, but that it represents an attack on expression, art, speech, culture, and the glory of shared sound experiences, one of the very few things that make life worth living. I don't have answers, prayers, words of encouragement, or political messages here. I just felt like I couldn't post a show today without expressing how shaken and sad I feel about it, like everyone.







SIXX MIXX 105 - 11/04/2005





Artwork: Paul Klee, "Castle and Sun" (detail), 1926



Right-click for direct download: 70MB mp3



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Bonus broadcast version with intro comedy: 30MB mp3



Sixx Mixx 105 - 11/04/2005 - Rhapsodic Edition

1. Gorillaz vs. No Doubt - Hella Dare (Party Ben mashup)

2. Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water

3. Dsico vs. 50 Cent - In Da Club (Electro mix)

4. Foo Fighters vs. Starsailor - Foo to the Floor (DJ Zebra mashup)

5. The Smiths - Bigmouth Strikes Again (FakeID remix)

6. The White Stripes - Walking With a Ghost

7. Fatboy Slim - Going Out of My Head

8. The Killers - All These Things That I've Done

9. The Cult vs. Marvin Gaye - She Sells Grapevines (Irn Mnky mashup)

10. Fatboy Slim vs. Beatles vs. U2 - Vertigo Tripper (DJ Reno mashup)

11. Fatboy Slim vs. Beatles - Trippin' Up (Jimmy Jammes mashup)

12. The Strokes vs. Peter Gunn - Peter's Juice Box (Team9 mashup)

13. The Strokes - Juice Box

14. The Strokes vs. The Munsters vs. Peaches - Juicebox Rock (Go Home Productions mashup)

15. Hot Hot Heat - Goodnight Goodnight (Boom Bip remix)

16. Green Day vs. Queen - Novocaine Rhapsody (Dean Gray mashup)



Commentary:

Back to operating on all cylinders for the first time since January, really, this episode is solid front to back, as well as "cohesive" as they say on Project Runway. It sticks to a sort of "cavalcade-of-mashups" theme, centered on the rock and roll, without getting too samey or dull; plus it's bracketed by debuts of early versions of two of my own productions that would become fan favorites. Kicking off, I still enjoy the chug of Deep Purple over the stomp of the Gorillaz beat, and while segues in this episode are often quick slams, there are clever little tricks all along the way to keep the flow going. We get the debut of Zebra's pounding Foo Fighters mashup, and a crazy thing I totally forgot about: The White Stripes covering "Walking With a Ghost," which I layer over Fatboy Slim with a few nods to my earlier Tegan & Sara mix. There's an appropriate build to the dramatic intro of the stellar Cult/Marvin Gaye combo, a perhaps unwelcome retread of the Fatboy Slim/Beatles mega-mashup from Sixx Mixx 99, and a Strokes double play as well. The Boom Bip rework of Hot Hot Heat kind of knocks the energy level off a bit (er, a lot), but it's not a bad remix and was worth playing, I think. And we finish with the debut of the obviously still in progress "Novocaine Rhapsody," probably the most difficult to produce mashup I made back in the day. Sure, the episode relies tellingly on Fatboy Slim, whose rockist, cheeky interpretations of dance music more or less provide the sort of sonic template for everything here, and that style was a bit out of date by 2005, admittedly. But overall, this is a sunny and well-produced show that stays faithful to the LIVE 105 playlist while venturing far afield for interesting combinations and surprises. If I was the boss, I would have said, "Good job, let's do more of this," but six (-ish) more episodes later, the exact opposite would be said.



Regarding historical accuracy, I'm not sure of the exact dates this happened, but I had produced an all Nine Inch Nails and Queens of the Stone Age episode to play the night of their planned Bay Area show (which I'm guessing was either 10/21 or 10/28). When that show was cancelled, we played a repeat Sixx Mixx instead, and then when the concert was rescheduled for Saturday 11/19, we opened our Subsonic show with the episode, so it was like an after-show party instead. That will be posted when we get to it.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 8/10









SIXX MIXX 104 - 10/14/2005







Right-click for direct download: 71MB mp3



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Bonus broadcast version: 29MB mp3



Sixx Mixx 104 - 10/14/2005 - Get On Up There and Dance. Dance, I Said! Edition

1. Franz Ferdinand vs. Gorillaz – Do You Dare To (Token Cool Kid mashup)

2. My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult – Sex On Wheels

3. Lovemakers vs. Trans-X – Lovemakers on Video (Matt Hite mashup)

4. Depeche Mode vs. Ludacris – Just Can't Stand Up (DJ Tiim mashup)

5. Depeche Mode vs. Green Day – Just Can't Wake Me Up (Party Ben Inspired By Team 9 mashup)

6. J Geils Band – Centerfold (Lionel Vinyl remix)

7. Blur vs. Michael Jackson – I Want Boys (Dsico mashup, Party Ben Inspired by Earworm remake)

8. Inner City vs. Nine Inch Nails – Big Fun Hand (Party Ben mashup)

9. Mylo vs. Tegan & Sara – Walking with a Ghost in Paris (Party Ben mashup)

10. Depeche Mode – Precious (Misc remix)

11. Coldplay – Speed of Sound (C-64 remix)

12. New Order – Blue Monday

13. Law & Order Theme Song vs. New Order – Law New Order (Brakka mashup)



Commentary:

For some reason, I feel like Sixx Mixx episodes that were entirely at dance tempo (120-ish or above) were less successful than ones that moved around a little or stuck to slower tempos. I dunno. There's nothing wrong with this episode, which stays to the "cheeky" theme, from "Sex on Wheels" to the little Chemical Brothers-backed transition between Depeche Mode and J Geils Band, to the Boys Boys Boys version of Blur I stole from Earworm. The Inner City vs. NIN is terrible, I will say that, and I'm playing more Depeche Mode because we were doing a ticket giveaway but that's doesn't really enhance the show. On the other hand, "Law New Order" is rightfully one of the most popular things I've ever played on the show, and still makes me laugh to hear it today. So, for an episode whose clear intenstion is to, you know, make people happy, I'm going to give this one a pass.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 6/10









SIXX MIXX 103 - 10/07/2005







Right-click for direct download: 71MB mp3



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Sixx Mixx 103 - 10/07/2005 - George Bush Doesn't Care About the Sixx Mixx Edition

1. The Legendary K.O. - George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People

2. ??? vs Green Day - American Idiot

3. Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It

4. U2 - All I Want is You

5. Soul Coughing - Super Bon Bon

6. Nirvana - Heart Shaped Box

7. Naughty By Nature - O.P.P.

8. Fatboy Slim vs. Jackson 5 - ABCWOC (Dunproofin mashup)

9. AC/DC vs. Missy Elliott - Lose Control All Night (CRFTP mashup)

10. The Lovemakers vs. Trans-X - Lovemakers on Video (Matt Hite mash-up)

11. Franz Ferdinand - Do Ya Want To (Max Tundra remix)

12. Van Halen vs. Killers - Mr. Jumpside (Party Ben mashup)

13. RX- White Lines



Commentary:

Katrina! Bush! Kanye! It's instructional to remember the heady days of late 2005, when the anti-Bush drumbeat turned deafening (and the context in which Team9 and myself were working on American Edit) to fully understand how thrilling it was to me to discover that Gold Digger and American Idiot were in the same key. (The Legendary K.O. had released his brilliant take just a few weeks earlier). That idea was pretty much my only contribution, from what I remember, to the first track from our little Dean Gray album, and I still look at Team9's work here in complete awe. His rollicking take on Idiot veers between glitch-hop, electro-metal and acid house, swirling with samples and references, and I just think it's really stupendous. Opening with these two "important" works seems to set a tone of, ahem, gravitas, for the rest of the episode, with the combo of Talk Talk and U2 appropriately somber, and Super Bon Bon with Heart Shaped Box aggressive and outraged. The second half suffers from, well, being the same stuff I always play, but we end with an RX debut, smartly bracketing the show with George W references. This "White Lines" thing is almost incomprehensibly speedy, and I'm still sort of dumbfounded by how he was making this stuff so far ahead of his time.



This episode of course doesn't hold a candle to Episode 62, the Election 2004 edition, which married politically aware tunes from various eras into a half hour show I'm still proud of today (despite its turn from the usual Sixx Mixx insistence on musical connections above conceptual ones). But Episode 103 is still something, reflective of the crazy, angry times, and also, a teaser of the yet-to-be-released American Edit.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 7/10











SIXX MIXX 102 - 9/23/2005





Artwork: Frank Stella, Untitled (Black Paintings), 1967



Right-click for direct download: 72MB mp3



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Bonus download, broadcast edition: 30MB mp3



Sixx Mixx 102 - 9/23/2005 - Dontcha Wish Your Sixx Mixx Was Less Full of Crap From a Couple Weeks Ago Edition

1. Gorillaz – Dare (Soulwax remix)

2. Talk Talk vs. Marvin Gaye – My Grapevine Life (Futuro mashup)

3. Cream vs. Hoxton Whores – Sunshine (white)

4. Beasties Boys – Brass Monkey

5. Pinback – Fortress

6. Information Society – What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)

7. The Snoopers – Drop It Like A Cannonball (Party Ben mashup)

8. The Kingsmen – Louie Louie

9. The Wiseguys – Start the Commotion

10. Franz Ferdinand vs. The Knack – Do You Want My Sharona (DJ Zebra mashup)

11. Franz Ferdinand vs. The Knack vs. Run-DMC – Do You Wanna Cause It's Tricky My Sharona (ThriftshopXL mashup)

12. Spencer Davis Group – Good Lovin'

13. Bloc Party vs. Pussycat Dolls – Untitled (Aggro1 Mashup)

14. Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart

15. Nouvelle Vague – Love Will Tear Us Apart



Commentary:

Much of this show, as the title indicates, comes from episodes 96 and 97, but as the story of the Sixx Mixx is sort of one of self-cannibalization for growth and improvement (and remember, the show aired weekly, so playing the same thing a couple weeks in a row wasn't so bad). (Also I was lazy). (Am lazy). So, the show starts with an edit of the highly enjoyable Soulwax remix of Dare, and then a "controversial" mashup, which is so transcendent in the verses you can almost overlook the key problems in the bridge and chorus. After the rerun sections we get two coincidental mashups (like how Hollywood always makes two of the same movie?) and they're both pretty good. And, occupying the novelty/cover End of the Sixx Mixx position, the esteemed Nouvelle Vague (who, if you listen to the broadcast version, were actually playing a show the next night, so look at me, supporting stuff).



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 5/10











SIXX MIXX 101 - 9/16/2005







Right-click for direct download: 73MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 101 - 9/16/2005 - Remix Frenzy Edition

1. Nine Inch Nails – Only (Richard X remix)

2. Depeche Mode – Blasphemous Rumours

3. She Wants Revenge – Tear You Apart (Party Ben bootleg remix)

4. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit (Slide remix)

5. Dead or Alive – You Spin Me Round

6. Ozzy Osborne – Crazy Train (segue from an idea by Aber N Stein)

7. Missy Elliott – Lose Control

8. Yes vs. Max Graham vs. Arcade Fire – Lonely Rebellion (Lies) (Party Ben mashup)

9. REM – Shiny Happy People (TDPZ bootleg remix)

10. Franz Ferdinand vs. Run-DMC vs. The Knack – Do You Wanna Cause It's Tricky My Sharona (ThriftshopXL mashup)

11. Gwen Stefani vs. Green Day – Gwen Day (Kro mashup)

12. Elastica vs. Black Eyed Peas – Humpy Connection (Party Ben mashup)



Commentary:

Coming off the 100-episode milestone one might expect the show to strike out confidently in new directions, looking forward to unexplored musical terrains. Instead, I put My Humps over Elastica. You know, on paper, one can look at this episode and notice a dark, gothy, electro-y theme with the NIN and Depeche Mode and whatnot, and you'd think the banging 4/4 beat that unite most of the episode would be somehow unifying as well. But no, somehow it just doesn't come together, despite some segues that might have been good ideas before they were beaten into the ground. I don't mean to denigrate any individual remix or mashup -- Richard X is of course a genius, Slide's mix of Nirvana is a classic, and the various mashups are cool. Something about the episode just feels totally forced and awkward to me now though, exemplified by the awkward transition from the syncopated beat of Missy Elliott into Arcade Fire/Yes, a mashup that is itself muddy and awkward. And yes, I'm sure I was trying to be cheeky with the Humpy Connection, but the joke overstays its welcome by about three minutes.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 2/10





SIXX MIXX 100 - 9/09/2005







Right-click for direct download: 76MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 100 - 9/09/2005 - Top Ten Sixx Mixx Mashups of All Time

10. Franz Ferdinand vs. Neimo - Take Me Out Saturday Night (DJ Zebra)

9. Nena vs. Jay-Z - 99 Luft Problems (Jay-Zeezer)

8. Eagles vs. Green Day etc. - Green Day Massacre (Team9)

7. Yes vs. Sir Mix-A-Lot - Owner of a Lovely Butt (Lionel Vinyl)

6. Nirvana vs. Michael Jackson - Smells Like Billie Jean (McSleazy)

5. Blondie vs. The Doors - Rapture Riders (Go Home Productions)

4. Beastie Boys vs. Herbie Hancock vs. INXS vs. AC/DC - Intergalactic (Soulwax)

3. Lynyrd Skynyrd vs. Nelly - Sweet Home Country Grammar (Mei-Lwun)

2. NIN vs. 50 Cent - Closer to da Club (Inhumanz)

1. Green Day vs. Oasis vs. Travis vs. Aerosmith - Boulevard of Broken Songs (PartyBen)



Commentary:

This is one of those radio things, where of course the Sixx Mixx wasn't just about mashups, and these mashups weren't "owned" by the Sixx Mixx, but for your 100th episode, you try and do something self-promotional that sounds official and have people vote on their favorite mashups and then you have a show. Despite the fact that it's just 10 tracks with pretty rote segues between them (along with the included voice-over production) I actually kind of don't mind how it sounds, overall. I'd revisit the concept for the very last episode of the Sixx Mixx in just a few short months.



Anyway, even though this was actually a real vote, with a lot of people voting, I seem to remember, it embarrassed me to be at #1 on a chart on my own show. I talked to a couple people around the station about it and they were unequivocal that it was clearly #1 especially in the LIVE 105 context and that nobody would think it was weird, but I still feel awkward about it. Anyway, it's 10 mashups.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: n/a

SIXX MIXX 099 - 8/26/2005





Artwork: Titian, "Bacchus and Ariadne," 1523



Right-click for direct download: 70MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 99 - 8/26/2005 - Whoops, I Forgot to Play 99 Luft Problems, That Would Have Been Cool Edition

1. Weezer – Beverly Hills (Urbanix remix)

2. Weezer vs. Steve Miller Band – Beverly Hills Joker (Rolo mash-up)

3. Rihanna – Pon De Replay

4. Lyrics Born – I'm Just Raw (a capella)

5. The Clash vs. Michael Jackson – Should I Stay or Should I Boogie (Loo and Placido mash-up)

6. Chambers Brothers – Time

7. Basement Jaxx – Where's Your Head At (a capella)

8. Duoteque – Duoteque

9. REM vs. Basement Jaxx – Where's Your Head At / Losing My Religion (Mr. Tortazo mash-up)

10. Dead 60s vs. Tweet – Oops, a Riot (Party Ben mash-up)

11. Hot Hot Heat – Goodnight Goodnight (El-P remix)

12. Fatboy Slim vs. Beatles vs. U2 – Vertigo Tripper (DJ Reno mash-up)

13. Fatboy Slim vs. Beatles – Trippin' Up (Jimmy Jammes mash-up)

14. T-Rex – 20th Century Boy

15. Kasabian – Reason is Treason

16. Kelly Clarkson – Since U Been Gone (a capella)

17. Eagles vs. Kelly Clarkson – untitled (Aggro 1 mashup / Party Ben version)

18. Eagles – One of These Nights

19. Jay-Z vs. Billy Joel – Big Shot Pimpin' (Da Brat mash-up)

20. White Stripes – Blue Orchid (High Contrast remix) vs. Jack White live at Greek Theater, Saturday August 13, 2005 =

Party Ben's 5 Minute Break Remix



Commentary:

This episode is, basically, bad, but it moves fast enough that it's not so painful. Nothing against the individual elements--the two Weezer boots starting off the show are worth a listen, and Lyrics Born is always delightful but this was thankfully my final attempt at trying to do something with his "Just Raw" pella. Ho boy. I like the dancey little Basement Jaxx section -- kind of wish I had made a full mashup out of the Chamber Brothers combo -- and of course the Tortazo combo with REM is deligthful. Lots of sloppy segues and ill-advised combos from me follow, although the little double-time set with the two Fatboy Slim-utilizing mashups became a favorite mini-set for the remainder of the show. The Kelly Clarkson section pretty much falls flat. And then we end the show with a bit of silliness -- at a White Stripes show that week at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, one or more of the promotional LIVE 105 blow-up beach balls that were in the audience (maybe that was a bad idea) ended up on stage, causing the notoriously irritable Jack White to have a bit of a fit, and take a "five minute break" as punishment. Of course, being a wacky radio station, we ran with this, making a whole on-air announcement apologizing for our balls (hyuk hyuk) and then, somehow, we were able to get a recording of White's angry outburst, which I worked, poorly, into a remix of Blue Orchid. What a country, ay?



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 5/10

SIXX MIXX 098 - 8/19/2005







Right-click for direct download: 73MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 97 - 8/19/2005 - Coldplay Pre-Show Special

1. Coldplay – Speed of Sound (C-64 bootleg remix)

2. Coldplay – Square One (Team 9 vs. Bronski Beat remix)

3. Coldplay vs. Punx – God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (Party Ben'x Ben X Parties On Your Face remix)

4. Coldplay – Clocks (Tom Middleton/Cosmos bootleg remix)

5. Coldplay vs. Simple Minds – Don't You Forget About Clocks (TimG mashup)

6. Coldplay vs. Kraftwerk – Computer Talk (Party Ben mashup)

7. Coldplay – Trouble (Big Beat bootleg remix)

8. Coldplay – Yellow (Alpha remix / Party Ben re-remix)

9. Coldplay vs. Sum 41 – The Scientist in Pieces (Party Ben mashup, as suggested by Joanna, John and Kenny)



Commentary:

Apparently Coldplay was doing a show that night in the Bay Area, so, half-hour of Coldplay remixes and stuff. It's not so bad. Okay it's kind of bad. Team9 did a cool thing with Bronski Beat, that's good!



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 3/10

SIXX MIXX 097 - 8/12/2005





Artwork: Alexander Rodchenko, "War of the Future," 1930



Right-click for direct download: 72MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 97 - 8/12/05 - Sixx Mixx: The Next Generation Edition

1. The Snoopers - Drop It Like A Cannonball (Party Ben mashup)

2. The Kingsmen - Louie Louie

3. The Wiseguys - Start the Commotion

4. L7 - Pretend We're Dead

5. L7 vs. TLC - Pretend We're Scrubs (Team9 mashup)

6. Ram Jam - Black Betty

7. Ram Jam vs. C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make Betty Sweat (Torero mashup)

8. Nine Inch Nails - Only (a capella)

9. Kool & the Gang vs. Nine Inch Nails - Get Down Only (Totom mashup)

10. Kool & the Gang vs. Soundgarden - Fell Down on Black Days (Party Ben mashup)

11. Dsico - 7 Nation Electro

12. Blondie vs. Doors - Rapture Riders (Go Home Productions mashup)

13. Chemical Brothers vs. Flipsyde - Someday Boxer (Party Ben mashup)

14. Pink Floyd vs. Franz Ferdinand – Pink Ferdinand (Alex H mashup)

15. Fischerspooner vs. Pink Floyd (Groovepod Panikk mashup)

16. The Freestylers – B-Boy Stance

17. The White Stripes vs. Jay-Z vs. Queen – Doorbell Encore (Team9 mashup)

18. Eric B and Rakim - Paid In Full (Coldcut Seven Minutes of Madness remix)

19. Bow Wow Wow vs. 50 Cent - I Want a Candy Shop (Pheugoo mashup)

20. RX - My Generation



Commentary:

A scattershot episode with some intriguing ideas, mostly sloppily executed. We kick off with the debut of the kind of random-hip hop-vs-indie-rock-standard mashup I generally avoided, and I'm not sure this one proves I was wrong to do so, but it did end up being a crowd pleaser when I would play it out. Like much in this episode, Louie Louie over the Breeders' woobly bassline is more interesting as an idea than it is enjoyable to listen to. Same goes for the admittedly clever shifting of the bassline of Wiseguys to fit under L7. We get some delightful mashups by other producers (as well as another appearance of Rapture Riders which is a strong contender for most-played Sixx Mixx track ever). The episode retreats for a while to stuff from Sixx Mixx 93, which didn't really need to get played again, but we do get a prototype appearance of what would end up being a Party Ben favorite, my White Stripes/Eric B & Rakim combo. We finish up with a bit of an unfocused effort from the great RX, replete with clever wordplay but without much "songiness," although it really does presage viral efforts from people like The Gregory Brothers. So, clever but not really effective, is the overall theme of this episode, I guess.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 4/10

SIXX MIXX 096 - 8/05/2005





Artwork: Fillippo Thomasso Marinetti, "Words in Liberty," 1913



Right-click for direct download: 70MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 96 - 8/05/05 - Krafty Edition

1. NIN – Only (Russell Vargas Remix - LIVE 105 Remix Contest Winner)

2. Visage vs. NIN – Fade to Only (idea by Eric Masters)

3. Pixies – Bone Machine

4. Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl (a capella)

5. Beastie Boys – Brass Monkey

6. Pinback – Fortress

7. Information Society – What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)

8. New Order – True Faith

9. New Order vs. Belinda Carlisle – True Heaven (idea by Payroll)

10. Kiss – I Was Made for Loving You

11. Clash vs. Gorillaz – Feel Good Casbah (Sam Flanagan mashup)

12. Gorillaz vs. Michael Jackson – Beat It Good (Party Ben mashup)

13. Smokey Robinson – Tears of a Clown

14. The Killers – Smile Like You Mean It (Ruff & Jam Eastside Mix)

15. Missy Elliott – Lose Control

16. LCD Soundsystem – Disco Infiltrator

17. Kraftwerk – Home Computer

18. Eagles vs. Green Day – Green Day Massacre (Team 9 mashup)

19. Coldplay vs. Kraftwerk – Computer Talk (Party Ben mashup)



Commentary:

It's kind of impressive that "remix culture" had become such a part of the music world by this point that the show was put in touch with Nine Inch Nails' people as part of a remix contest, which I actually asked for submissions for on the air and got like 20 or 30, I seem to remember, and then people actually voted, and Russell Vargas won. It's a solid effort and earned him a meet & greet with Mr. Reznor himself. Anyway, the show makes the mistake of playing around with the NIN vocal even after 4 minutes of Russell's mix, and it gets a bit tired even when accompanied by the still blazingly awesome "Bone Machine." It's a weird show, impressive, I guess, for the diversity of sources and sort of "three point shot" mashup attempts, most of which go wide (like, does the Pixies work over "Brass Monkey?" Did the world need to hear Information Society over Pinback?! I have no idea, honestly). I would say I wish I'd had a quality acapella of "Beat It" to put over Gorillaz at the time because man that would have really worked, but unfortunately the extracted pella I'm using here is pretty sloppy and kind of ruins the whole thing. Clever to match up the computer arpeggios from Missy Elliott and LCD Soundsystem with their grandparents Kraftwerk, but I'm not sure it's that much fun to listen to, and then more Kraftwerk, with the first apperance of a mashup that ended up being a favorite with some fans but I always thought was kinda half-hearted. Anyway, like a couple shows around this time, I have to give this an A for Effort, but that doesn't excuse the sloppiness and as Nina Garcia might say, the "taste level."



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 5/10

SIXX MIXX 095 - 7/22/2005







Right-click for direct download: 70MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 95 - 7/22/05 - Rebellious Edition (Lies)

1. Eagles vs. Daft Punk – Victim of Da Funk (DJ John mashup)

2. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Suck My Kiss

3. Tears for Fears – Shout (a capella)

4. The Lovemakers vs. 50 Cent – Shake That Ass (Lovemakers mashup)

5. Stevie Wonder – Superstition

6. Stevie Wonder vs. Franz Ferdinand vs SOS Band – Franzie Wonder (DJ Nite mashup)

7. Black Eyed Peas vs. Beatles vs. Ludacris vs. The Clipse – Black Beatles (Loo & Placido mashup)

8. Gorillaz – Dirty Harry

9. MIA / Diplo vs. The Bangles – Fire Fire (off Piracy Funds Terrorism)

10. Beck – Black Tamborine (South Rakkas Crew remix)

11. Front 242 vs. Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Headhunter (A+D mashup)

12. Yes vs. Sir Mix-A-Lot – Owner of a Lovely Butt (Lionel Vinyl mashup)

13. Arcade Fire vs. Max Graham vs. Yes – Lonely Rebellion (Party Ben mashup)

14. Mint Royale vs. U2 – Waiting for New Year's Day (Phil & Dog mashup)

15. U2 vs. Whitney Houston – Dance with Bono (Go Home Productions mashup)

17. Corey Hart vs. Killers – Somebody's Sunglasses (Team9 mashup)

18. Nine Inch Queens – Insane, Medicated Hand (Party Ben mashup)



Commentary:

This is an episode with a lot of really interesting work from other people, but not really connected that well by me. We kick off with DJ John, a Bay Area guy who didn't make a ton of stuff, but what he made was always a barnstormer, and this track, while based around the Eagles and the "Da Funk" beat, uses a pile of samples to sort of create a chorus out of nothing. Crowd pleasers follow from DJ Nite and L&P, and then I gotta give myself credit for getting a little dancehall-y with the Diplo mix of The Bangles and a groovy remix of Beck (about as white as a dancehall rhythm section could be, but, hey, this was LIVE 105). Gotta love A+D's excavation of Front 242 and Lionel Vinyl's classic Yes mashup. I really wish my attempt to marry Arcade Fire with the Max Graham mix of Yes was as successful but it never quite gels. Some awkward transitions between awesome mashups follow. It's more of a showcase, I guess, which is fine, since this was the heyday of amateur mashuppery, but as an overall show, it's choppy.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 5/10

SIXX MIXX 094 - 7/15/2005







Right-click for direct download: 73MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 94 - 7/15/05 - Everybody Knows I'm Insane Edition

1. QOTSA vs. NIN – Feed My Insane, Medicated Hand (Party Ben mashup)

2. OutKast – Bombs over Baghdad

3. Cyndi Lauper – She-Bop

4. Beck – Girl

5. The Go-Gos – We Got the Beat

6. Soulwax – Any Minute Now (Whitey remix)

7. The White Stripes vs. Tony Basil vs. Gwen Stefani – Mickey's Orchid (Fidelski mashup)

8. The Kinks – You Really Got Me (DJ Zebra remix)

9. M.I.A. – Bucky Done Gun (a capella)

10. Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc (a capella)

11. Gorilla Cake – Never Feel Good (Party Ben mashup)

12. Stevie Wonder vs. Rolling Stones vs. Killers – Uptight Killer (Go Home Productions mashup)

13. The Rolling Stones – Jumpin' Jack Flash

14. New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle (Crystal Method remix)

15. The Lovemakers – Prepare for the Fight (Josh Harris remix)

16. The Eagles vs. Green Day vs Depeche Mode vs. The Beatles – Greenday Massacre (Team9 mashup)



Commentary:

Well, so, apparently something in the air in mid-July (or perhaps finally being sick of producing lackluster shows all summer) inspired me to get back on the horse, so to speak, and Sixx Mixx 94 begins a run of more or less quality shows until the (sigh) end of the Sixx Mixx in December. This episode isn't perfect but it aims high, and starts with a mashup that was always a personal favorite, despite the fact that its source material (on the QOTSA side at least) wasn't exactly well known. "Insane, Medicated Hand" (or whatever the hell name I ended up calling it) marries two Queens songs to the NIN pella, and it was rather difficult to produce, but I manage to pull out some production tricks and even now I think it's pretty fun. Ambitious of me to continue at the hyperspeed tempo for a while, and some of the She-Bop/Beck/Gogos layering doesn't totally work, but considering there are a few moments during the opening section where 4 or 5 songs are playing, I'm gonna give it an A for effort. This episode does the opposite of my usual Sixx Mixx (and DJ set) strategy of continually increasing the tempo, and in fact slows down with each song, but that in and of itself doesn't detract, I don't think. The last 10 minutes falter, sure, with some familiar stuff and a lumbering, awkward remix of "Bizarre Love Triangle" (sorry, Crystal Method, but it doesn't hold up). But it does feature the first appearance of the towering, legendary "Greenday Massacre" which was to eventually inspire the Dean Gray album coproduction with Team9, and the mix out of Lovemakers foreshadows the final episode.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 7/10

SIXX MIXX 093 - 7/08/2005







Right-click for direct download: 70MB mp3 -



Listen:

Download original broadcast recording: 30MB mp3



Sixx Mixx 93 - 7/08/2005 - Old Age Edition

1. Audioslave vs. Lyrics Born – Show Me I'm Just Raw (Party Ben mashup)

2. Flipsyde – Someday (acoustic version)

3. Moby – Natural Blues (Moby's remix)

4. The Chemical Brothers – The Boxer

5. Pink Floyd – Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2

6. Pink Floyd vs. Franz Ferdinand – Pink Ferdinand (Alex H mashup)

7. The Freestylers – B-Boy Stance

8. The White Stripes vs. Jay-Z vs. Queen – Doorbell Encore (Team9 mashup)

9. Joan Jett vs. Queen – We Will Rock & Roll You (Matt Hite mashup)

10. Weezer vs. Harold Faltermeyer vs. Radiohead vs. Beck – Beverly Hills Creep (Arty Fufkin mashup)

11. Beck – Bit Rate Variations in B Flat ("Girl" remix by Paza)

12. Ils – Cherish

13. Gorillaz – Dirty Harry

14. Inner City vs. Nine Inch Nails – Big Fun Hand (Party Ben mashup)

15. Coldplay – Speed of Sound (C-64 remix)

16. U2 – All Because of You (Killahurtz remix)

17. Keane vs. Paul McCartney & Wings – Let Keane In (Faultside mashup)



Commentary:

So, this episode is pretty bad, but a) it's not quite as bad as some of the clunkers earlier in the summer and b) it marks pretty much the final not so great episode of the Sixx Mixx, as next week's show starts a run of adequacy that continues until the end. We kick off with an extraordinarily ill-advised combo, as I'd had such success with my previous Lyrics Born production, but I remember really racking my brain to come up with something to put with his followup "I'm Just Raw," and boy, Audioslave sure wasn't it. However, the brief layering of the forgotten Flipsyde over the intro the Chem's "Boxer" is really quite lovely, and the middle section with all the White Stripes and Joan Jett is fun, at least. Things go off the rails entirely at Dirty Harry, that NIN mix is abysmal, and then I just give up and play a couple of other people's tracks without even really doing much to them. The Keane/Wings is masterful, at least, and as the original recording sort of makes clear, the phones went completely bonkers for that track, and I remember even some of the LIVE 105 staff came in to ask what it was. So, again, despite my best efforts to make a terrible show, there are bright spots.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 3/10







SIXX MIXX 092 - 7/01/2005





Artwork: Lawrence Weiner, "Bits & Pieces Put Together To Present a Semblance of a Whole," 2005



Right-click for direct download: 70MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 92 - 7/01/2005 - [Mostly Sixx Mixx 88]

1. The Lovemakers – Prepare for the Fight (Josh Harris "Prepare for the Club" remix)

2. New Order – Jetstream (Thin White Duke remix)

3. The White Stripes – Blue Orchid

4. The Prodigy vs. The White Stripes – Voodoo Stripes (DJ Zebra mashup)

5. Gwen Stefani – Hella Good (a capella)

6. The Bravery vs. M.I.A. – An Honest M.I.A. (A+D mashup)

7. The Bravery – An Honest Mistake (Superdiscount remix)

8. New Order – Blue Monday

9. Interpol – Evil

10. Interpol vs. Dizzee Rascal – Live Stand Up (McSleazy mashup)

17. The Pixies – Wave of Mutilation

18. Daft Punk – Technologic

19. Devo – Whip It

20. Daft Punk – Technologic (Basement Jaxx remix) vs. Basement Jaxx "Where's Your Head At" (acapella)

21. Guns 'n' Roses vs. Beatles – Sgt. Pepper's Paradise (Jimmy Jammes mashup)



Commentary:

Mostly a repeat of Sixx Mixx 88, which I am giving one Scientific Sixx Mixx Evaluation Point for the inclusion of the blazing Jaxx remix of "Technologic."



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 1/10







SIXX MIXX 091 - 6/24/2005









Right-click for direct download: 73MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 91 - 6/24/2005 - Bloody Edition

1. Weezer vs. Steve Miller Band – Beverly Hills Joker (Rolo mashup)

2. Will Smith – Switch

3. David Bowie – Fame

4. Filter – Hey Man Nice Shot

5. Daft Punk – Robot Rock

6. Daft Punk vs. Edwin Starr vs. Breakwater – Robot Wars (Release the Beast) (Pheugoo mashup)

7. Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again

8. Modest Mouse – Ocean Breathes Salty

9. Beck – Venom Confection (Green Music & Gold E-Pro remix)

10. The Music vs. Kasabian vs. My Bloody Valentine – Breaking My Bloody Process (GHP mashup)

11. Lyrics Born "Callin' Out" (acapella)

12. Jane's Addiction "Been Caught Stealing"

13. Guns 'n' Roses vs. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper's Paradise (Jimmy Jammes mashup)

14. Caesars vs. Duran Duran – Jerk Girls Out (DJ Nite mashup)

15. White Stripes vs. Tony Basil vs. Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Orchid (Fidelski mashup)

16. Tony Basil vs. Electric 6 – Mickey at the Gay Bar (Cropstar mashup)

17. Liam Lynch vs. Star Wars – United States of the Jedi (blo_up mashup)



Commentary:

Overall a sludgy and unfun show, despite some fun individual mashups, not made by me. The less said about including Will Smith's "Switch" here the better, and the turgid layering of "Hey Man Nice Shot" over "Fame" is more or less unlistenable. The overall terribleness is made all the more evident in comparison with Go Home Productions' thrilling "Breaking My Bloody Process," which still gets my blood pumping to this day. And of course, the Star Wars version of Liam Lynch is still laugh out loud funny. The three Scientific Sixx Mixx points being awarded here are despite my own work, not because of it.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 3/10







SIXX MIXX 090 - 6/17/2005









Right-click for direct download: 73MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 90 - 6/17/2005 - Reenactment of Live DJ Set at BFD 2005 - All BFD Artists (Mostly)

1. Green Day – Boulevard of Broken Dreams

2. Lyrics Born – Callin' Out (a capella)

3. U2 vs. Lyrics Born – Callin' on Sunday (Party Ben mashup / BFD 2005 remix)

4. The Lovemakers vs. 50 Cent – Shake that Ass (Lovemakers mashup)

5. KC & the Sunshine Band – Shake That Booty

6. Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out

7. Blursabian – There's No L.S.F. (Party Ben mashup)

8. Tegan & Sara vs. Mylo – Walking with a Ghost in Paris (Party Ben mashup)

9. David Bowie vs. Hot Hot Heat – Let's Dance With Me (Party Ben mashup)

10. Modjo vs. Hot Hot Heat - untitled (Loo & Placido mashup)

11. Sly & the Family Stone – Dance to the Music

12. The Bravery vs. M.I.A. – An Honest M.I.A. (A+D mashup)

13. The Bravery vs. New Order – Honest Monday (Party Ben mashup)

14. Kaiser Chiefs – Every Day I Love You Less & Less (Maccers remix)

15. Green Day vs. Oasis vs. Aerosmith vs. Pryda – Boulevard of Broken Songs (Dance Mix 05)

16. Aerosmith – Dream On (Live)



Commentary:

This isn't really the place to reconsider the decision to theme my DJ set in the Subsonic Tent at BFD 2005 around remixes and mashups of other artists performing on the festival bill, although one could easily say to 2005 Party Ben, "What the hell are you doing? That is a supremely terrible idea. Take like 30 seconds of these wasted hours and go buy some Google stock!" Whatever the effect, or lack of effect, on the crowd there at the Shoreline, this 30 minute distillation of the set, presented as a radio show, ain't no fun. Mixes sound forced and awkward, and it's just kind of confusing. Let's pretend it never happened, and that I'm currently in my pool I bought with Google stock.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 1/10







SIXX MIXX 089 - 6/03/2005





Artwork: Roy Lichtenstein, "Sleeping Girl," 1964



Right-click for direct download: 71MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 89 - 6/03/2005 - Best of Recent Sixx Mixxes (Somehow Making a Mediocre Sixx Mixx) Edition

1. The White Stripes vs. The Prodigy – Voodoo Stripes (DJ Zebra mashup)

2. Queens of the Stone Age – Little Sister (DJ Godzilla bootleg remix)

3. Queens of the Stone Age – Little Sister (Tone 396 bootleg remix / Party Ben edit)

4. The Police – Message in a Bottle

5. Green Day – She

6. Bloc Party vs. Nine Inch Nails – Bloc of Nails (TimG mashup)

7. Foo Fighters vs. Lyrics Born – Just My Raw Life (Party Ben mashup)

8. Hot Hot Heat – Goodnight Goodnight (Boom Bip remix)

9. Z-Trip vs. The Cure vs. The Cure – Walking Dead... on Fascination Street... to a Forest? (Party Ben mashup)

10. Beck – Girl

11. Beck – Bit Rate Variation in B Flat (Girl remix)

12. Postal Service – Such Great Heights

13. The Cure – Close to Me

14. The Lovemakers vs. 50 Cent – Shake That Ass (Lovemakers Mashup)



Commentary:

Despite the cheekiness of the episode title, "mediocre" is pushing it, and "best" is clearly misinformed. This episode pulls together a couple mashups and remixes by others that are pretty good, but my own contributions are some of the worst ones of previous shows (that Postal Service/Cure should put taken out and shot), and the attempts to glue these disparate elements together are half-assed and awkward (e.g., Message in a Bottle). After the small but important successes of the previous two shows, this is a big step back -- why didn't I just play a repeat?? -- and can safely be ignored.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 0/10



SIXX MIXX 088 - 5/27/2005







Right-click for direct download: 74MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 88 - 5/27/2005 - I Need to Work at an 80s Station Edition

1. The Lovemakers vs. 50 Cent – Shake That Ass (Lovemakers mashup)

2. Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out

3. Houston – I Like That

4. Franz Ferdinand vs. Beastie Boys – Franzie Boys (McSleazy mashup)

5. Thomas Dolby vs. Beastie Boys vs. Franz Ferdinand – Blind Franzie Boys (Party Ben mashup)

6. Alice Cooper – School's Out

7. The Timelords – Doctorin' the Tardis

8. Green Day – Holiday

9. The Clash vs. Gwen Stefani – Radio Hollaback (Party Ben mashup)

10. Gus Gus vs. Gwen Stefani – Believe in a Hollaback Girl (Party Ben mashup)

11. Blur vs. Kasabian – There's No LSF (Party Ben mashup)

12. The Cure vs. The Beatles – Lovetax (Team9 mashup)

13. The Bravery vs. M.I.A. – An Honest M.I.A. (A+D mashup)

14. The Bravery vs. New Order – Honest Monday (Party Ben mashup)

15. Interpol - Evil

16. Interpol vs. Dizzee Rascal – Live Stand Up (McSleazy mashup)

17. The Pixies – Wave of Mutilation

18. Daft Punk – Technologic

19. Devo – Whip It



Commentary:

At the time, a few '80s themed radio stations had just popped up, so, yeah. Anyway, while this set does rely heavily on some corny new wave, it's actually a pretty good little half hour, and even its missteps are sort of admirable efforts, and of course, we get the first prototype of what would eventually be a "major" (for me) Party Ben track. The Thomas Dolby section at the top is amusing enough, and then we veer into a pre-name version of "Dr. Who on Holiday." This one, for some reason, matched the pitch of the two tracks by lowering the Green Day song (going against my usual rule of always speed up the lower song to meet the higher one) and it sounds a little warbly for that reason, but the structure is there. There's some fun mashups from Team9 and A+D, a kind of interesting if not totally listenable sections where Interpol is layered over Blue Monday, and then there's Technologic, for no reason. So, it's fine.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 6/10



SIXX MIXX 087 - 5/20/2005







Right-click for direct download: 73MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 87 – 05/20/05 - Revenge of the Sixx Edition

1. Weezer vs. Wheatus vs. The Kingsmen vs. Will Smith vs. Shaggy vs. Fatboy Slim vs. Van Halen - "One of Those Songs" (BigBadBaz mashup)

2. Weezer vs. Joan Jett vs. Queen – We Will Rock Beverly Hills (DJ Tripp mashup)

3. Beck – Ghettochip Malfunction (Hell Yes remix by 8-bit)

4. Beck – Hell Yes (Original)

5. Z-Trip – Death Star Boogie

6. Eric Clapton – I Shot the Sheriff

7. Chemical Brothers – Galvanize (Extended Mix)

8. Primal Scream vs. Kasabian – Loaded Souls Forever (Oli Clifford mashup)

9. Cake – Love You Madly

10. Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl (a capella)

11. The Clash vs. Gwen Stefani – Radio Hollaback (Party Ben mashup)

12. Bee Gees vs. Beastie Boys – Beast Gees (Stayin' Alive vs. Alive) (djbc mashup)

13. Bee Gees vs. Will Smith – Switchin' Alive (Cheekyboy mashup)

14. M.I.A. – Galang

15. Bloc Party vs. Nine Inch Nails – Bloc of Nails (TimG mashup)

16. Pryda vs. Green Day vs. Oasis vs. Aerosmith – Boulevard of Broken Songs Dance Mix '05 (Party Ben mashup)



Commentary:

So, one of my great regrets is that I didn't come up with one of my most popular mashups during the actual reign of the Sixx Mixx, or at a time when it would have likely been a sensation rather than just a fan favorite, and this show proves just how dense I must be to have missed it. I didn't produce my Star Wars/Chemical Brothers "Galvanize the Empire" combo until 2006, but let's just imagine what could have been. This episode aired one day after the release of "Revenge of the Sith," in the midst of a sort of worldwide Star Wars mania. Moreover, I actually play Z-Trip's "Death Star Boogie," the obvious inspiration for "Galvanize the Empire," mere seconds before "Galvanize" itself, and instead of discovering their potential musical partnership, I spend a few minutes doodling around with "I Shot the Sheriff." What was I thinking??? Can you imagine how popular "Galvanize the Empire" would have been if I'd put it out that day? I would have been king of the world. Anyway, I wasn't. But so, the rest of this show is a bit of goofy fun -- the Weezer combos are entertaining, my back-and-forth between the original and remix of "Hell Yes" makes no sense at all, Cake shows up for no reason, my Gwen Stefani/Clash combo makes its first appearance, and my controversial (I wish!) dance mix of Boulevard also debuts, which I don't really like at all in retrospect, even though I sort of see what I was going for.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 6/10



SIXX MIXX 086 - 5/13/2005







Right-click for direct download: 70MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 86 - 5/13/2005 - DJ Create of Inhumanz Guest Mixx

(Tracklist unknown)



Commentary:

One of the central early pioneers of the "American style" of mashuppery was the Las Vegas Inhumanz crew. Often preferring to release their tracks on vinyl or white labels and eschewing the internet, it seems to me they're somewhat unsung nowadays, despite the fact that their work spread far and wide. I was an early purchaser of their "Satanic Mashups Volume 1" which contained the legendary Nine Inch Nails vs. 50 Cent combo that went on to dominate the LIVE 105 airwaves and proved to be a precursor to an entire movement of aggro-rock-meets-hip-hop bootleggery that was so dominant by the mid 2000s many people assumed that's just what mashups were. As DJ Create's guest mixx proves, their tracks found their way even into the hands of Howard Stern, whose radio show I worship to this day but whose musical taste could never really be described as "adventurous." (My own "Keep Stern Alive" from Sixx Mixx 32 made it onto the Stern show and their main question was "who's making money off this?") So, Create's mix kicks off with the aforementioned NIN/50 Cent, then barrels ahead with one rock jam vs. hip hop mainstay after another, all of them stupendously effective. This is the sound of 2005.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: n/a





SIXX MIXX 085 - 5/06/2005







Right-click for direct download: 70MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 84 – 5/06/2005 - Shake Your Moneymaker Edition

1. Nine Inch Nails – The Hand that Feeds (Straight Mix) (Interscope)

2. The Faint – The Conductor (Thin White Duke mix) (Astralwerks)

3. Human League – Don't You Want Me

4. Human League vs. Ms. Jade – Don't You Want My Big Head (Lance Lockarm mashup)

5. Queens of the Stone Age vs. The Beatles – Eleanor's in my Head (Team9 mashup)

6. Gorillaz vs. Cake – Never Feel Good (Party Ben mashup)

7. The White Stripes vs. The Prodigy – Voodoo Stripes (DJ Zebra mashup)

8. Journey – Any Way You Want It

9. The Beatles vs. Batman – To The Taxmobile (Lenlow mashup)

10. The Cure vs The Beatles – Lovetax (Team9 mashup)

11. Caesars – Jerk it Out

12. Caesars vs. New Order – Crystal Jerk (McSleazy mashup)

13. M.I.A. – 10 Dollar (XL/Beggars)

14. R. Kelly – Dollar Bill

15. Flying Lizards – Money (That's What I Want)

16. Steve Miller Band – Take the Money and Run

17. Abba – Money, Money Money

18. Pet Shop Boys – Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)

19. Pink Floyd – Money

20. Notorious B.I.G. – Mo Money Mo Problems

21. Gwen Stefani – Rich Girl

22. Hall & Oates – Rich Girl

23. O.D.B. – Gimme My Money

24. Dire Straits – Money for Nothing

25. Cyndi Lauper – Money Changes Everything



Commentary:

This is a show that, judging by the playlist, should be good, but it just isn't, with the segues awkward and forced and the various mashups feeling a bit random. I suppose it's cool I noticed the awesome Thin White Duke mix of The Faint was in the same key as "The Hand That Feeds," but did I really need to play them on top of each other for nearly 7 minutes?!! It just gets worse from there, with a far too sudden and weird mix into the Human League, and then I speed up Human League even more to make it "flow" into QOTSA but it just sounds terrible. I hate my layering of Journey over the Prodigy after Zebra's White Stripes mix, and while it's admirable I made an attempt to play some MIA in prime time, it's also pretty random. Then somehow the humor and delight of the previous subject matter mixes ("Fire," specifically, in Sixx Mixx 72, still makes me chuckle) is completely lost here in the Money mix. Maybe it's that I had to speed everything up to fit over the MIA beat, but something just feels off and not funny or fun, even though there's something possibly proto-Earwormy about the arrangement of various songs at the end. Overall this is just not good at all. Plus I listened ahead and things really don't pick up again (save Create's at Episode 86) until June or July, so feel free to come back then.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 2/10





SIXX MIXX 084 - 4/25/2005





Artwork: Dennis Hopper, "Hippie Girl Dancing," 1967

Right-click for direct download: 70MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 84 – 4/22/2005 – Lowering the Barriers of Individuality and Personality to Liberate You From the Burden of Consciousness Edition

1. Gorillaz vs. Cake – Never Feel Good (Party Ben mashup)

2. Stevie Wonder vs. Stones vs. Killers vs. Bowie – Uptight Killer (Go Home Productions mashup)

3. Clash vs. Killers – Somebody Rock Me (Party Ben mashup)

4. Queens of the Stone Age – Little Sister (DJ Godzilla bootleg remix)

5. Queens of the Stone Age – Little Sister (Tone396 bootleg remix)

6. The Police – Message in a Bottle

7. Franz Ferdinand – Michael

8. Franz Ferdinand vs. Electric 6 – Michael Goes to San Francisco (DJ Jay-R mashup)

9. B-52s vs. Snoop – Rock It Like It's Lobster (DJ Tripp mashup)

10. The Yardbirds – For Your Love

11. Nine Inch Nails – The Hand That Feeds (a capella)

12. Nine Inch Nails – The Hand That Feeds (Ruff remix)

13. George Michael – Freedom

14. George Michael vs. Scissor Sisters vs. Beatles vs. Aretha Franklin – No One Takes Your Freedom (DJ Earworm mashup)

15. Queen vs. some reggae and kids – Kids Rock (Loo and Placido mashup)

16. Rage Against the Machine vs. Shaggy – Killing Boombastic (DJ Zebra mashup)

17. Gwen Stefani – Rich Girl (a capella)

18. M.I.A. vs. Gwen Stefani – Galang Girl (Party Ben mashup)



Commentary:

While the preceeding months had seeming been spent defending my show from attackers on all fronts, I was seemingly unable to translate that passion into episodes that were actually good, and while there are a few moments of interest this week, it's mostly a bust, and at times unlistenable. It's the first appearance of another listener-suggested mashup, Cake vs. Gorillaz, which is OK, and the GHP combo that follows proves that even when he was making a "throwaway" he was operating at the peak of his powers. The smidgen of QOTSA over The Police is kind of nice, as is the quick shot of Yardbirds, and there are some fun tracks by a slew of local Bay Area talent, but somehow it all adds up to less than the sum of its parts, with awkward, forced segues. And then that silly MIA/Stefani thing at the end is just nothing at all. The best thing about this episode is its title, a direct quote from then-just-ascendant Pope Benedict XVI, who as Cardinal Ratzinger in 1986 described rock and roll as "the complete antithesis of the Christian faith in the Redemption," saying that music culture was a "secularized variation of an age-old type of religion in which man uses music — and drugs and alcohol — to lower the barriers of individuality and personality, to liberate himself from the burden of consciousness. Music becomes ecstasy ... amalgamation with the universe." Freaky, Mr. Pope!



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 3/10





SIXX MIXX 083 - 4/15/2005





Artwork: Jean-Antoine Watteau, "Qu'ay je fait, assassins maudits," 1718



Right-click for direct download: 72MB mp3



Listen:





Sixx Mixx 083 – 4/15/05 - Bit From a DJ Edition

1. Queens of the Stone Age – Little Sister (DJ Godzilla bootleg remix)

2. Queens of the Stone Age – Little Sister (Tone 396 bootleg remix / Party Ben edit)

3. Bloc Party – Banquet (Phones Disco remix)

4. Iggy Pop – The Passenger

5. Green Day – Longview

6. Stray Cats – Stray Cat Strut

7. Green Day – Holiday

8. Green Day vs. Opus III – It's a Fine Holiday (Divide & Create mashup)

9. Green Day – Boulevard of Broken Dreams

10. Green Day vs. Sybil – Sybil's on the Boulevard (DJ Jay-R mashup)

11. Aerosmith – Dream On

12. Weezer vs. Queen vs. Joan Jett – We Will Rock Beverly Hills (DJ Tripp mashup)

13. Beck vs. Beastie Boys vs. Butthole Surfers – Doin' it in Tejas (DJ Merritt mashup)

14. Beck vs. AC/DC vs. Michael Jackson – Screaming Pro in Hell (Team9 mashup)

15. Jay-Z vs. Billy Joel – Big Shot Pimpin (The Brat mashup)

16. Survivor vs. The Chemical Brothers – Galvanize the Eye of the Tiger (Mixomatosis mashup / DJ Prince remix)

17. Missy Elliott vs. Blondie – Heart of E (Dsico mashup)

18. Z-Trip vs. The Cure vs. The Cure vs. Z-Trip – "Mashups are Dead" (Party Ben, er, mashup)



Commentary:

So, roundabout now, we were in an era of Sixx Mixx Backlash. The local alt rag SF Weekly had taken a stance against my show (and portrayed me dead and naked, floating in the Bay), and in an interview with Z-Trip, one of their writers had egged him on to the point he made a series of insulting (if nonsensical) comments about mashups, his point being that producers were "fake" DJs, and every mashup idea was "bit from a DJ." Later, one of our LIVE 105 DJs was interviewing Mr. Trip live on the air and asked me to come in and talk to him about this stuff. It was all very strange for me as I had long worshipped Z-Trip's mix albums and live shows and considered him a great inspiration for the Sixx Mixx, and his comments made no sense to me. While I tried to be respectful in our conversation, the effort more or less backfired, and I found myself the target of even more attacks from furious Z-Trip fans. At the time, all this negativity was really upsetting to me--I was just trying to make a fun show for commuters driving home and suddenly people were acting like I was a monster and a fraud. What I wish I understood then was the concept of "trolling"; it was the early days of the internet (pre-YouTube even!) and so the idea of attacks-for-the-sake-of-attacks hadn't really entered mainstream consciousness in that way, but of course much of what I was dealing with was akin to commenters on the aforementioned YouTube making racist slurs, just for the fun of it. And of course, Z-Trip's own overreaction was similar to secretly gay politicians railing against gay rights, as it turned out that of course he had been using software to make edits he was playing live. In any event, that's what the last track of the mixx is all about, and it includes some of that conversation with Z-Trip.



As far as the first 27 minutes of the show goes, it's okay, with wayyyy too much Queens of the Stone Age to start with and some extremely awkward mixing with various Green Day songs, as well as major segments of previous shows. So, um, not exactly the best show to prove the haters wrong...



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 3/10





SIXX MIXX 082 - 4/08/2005







Right-click for direct download: 74MB mp3



Listen:





Sixx mixx 082 – 4/08/05 - DJ Zebra Guest Mixx

1. Franz Ferdinand vs. DJ Zebra feat. Neimo – "Take Me Out (Saturday Night)"

2. House of Pain – Jump Around

3. Kasabian vs. De La Soul – Processed Ring (DJ Zebra mashup)

4. Prince vs. Jet – Are You Gonna Be My Girl (US Version) (DJ Zebra mashup)

5. Fatboy Slim vs. Stooges – Slash '69 (DJ Zebra mashup)

6. Michael Jackson vs. The Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Boogie (Loo and Placido mashup)

7. Cypress Hill vs. JB's – More Insane (DJ Zebra mashup)

8. Fatboy Slim vs Sloy – Gangsta Pop (DJ Zebra mashup)

9. Depeche Mode vs. Radio 4 – Master of the Underground (DJ Zebra mashup)

10. Grand National vs. Bee Gees – National Dancing (DJ Zebra mashup)

11. The Kinks – You Really Got Me (DJ Zebra remix)

12. LCD Soundsystem vs. Rick James – Superfreak is Playing at My House (DJ Zebra vs. DJ Godzilla mashup)

13. Shaggy vs. Rage Against the Machine – Killing Boombastic (DJ Zebra mashup)



Commentary:

There were countless DJs and producers who contributed amazing work to the Sixx Mixx, from one-off novelties to entire guest shows, and all of them are awesome in their own ways. But out of all of them, I think it was French producer Antoine Minne a.k.a. DJ Zebra who most "got" the show. Of course, that's partially because we were sort of living parallel lives: he had a half-hour Friday night mix show on the Paris alternative station, Oui FM, and while he appreciated dance and electronic music, he focused on interesting (and often wryly funny) juxtapositions of rock and soul music in a way that was perfect for the LIVE 105 audience. Of course, Monsieur Zebra has gone on to become a veritable superstar in France, whereas I'm sitting here typing this on a Saturday night. But partially thank to his championing of my work, I had a brief spurt of notoriety in France and was lucky enough to DJ there multiple times, and always felt a connection to the place. And of course over the years we've become good friends as well.



On the subject of this episode specifically, it's a corker. He kicks off with a radically reworked version of the popular Franz Ferdinand mix, and the set just knocks it out of the park over and over, touching on LIVE 105 faves like Kasabian and Radio 4 and tossing in more Sixx Mixx favorites like his Prince vs. Jet combo and his Kinks remix. We also get the debut of his Shaggy vs. Rage track, which would go on to be a bit of a thing. Overall it's a superb set even considering it skips his Nine Inch Nails/Beatles mix that was already one of our most requested tracks. High-five, Zebs.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: n/a





SIXX MIXX 081 - 4/01/2005







Right-click for direct download: 69MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 081 - 4/01/2005 - Untitled Cause I Lost the Title Edition

1. Beck vs. Beastie Boys vs. Butthole Surfers – Doin' It in Tejas (DJ Merritt mashup)

2. Queen – We Will Rock You (acapella)

2. Queen – We Will Rock You (acapella)

3. Joan Jett – I Love Rock 'n' Roll

4. Jay-Z vs. Billy Joel – Big Shot Pimpin' (Brat mashup)

5. Kasabian – Reason is Treason

6. Lynyrd Skynyrd vs. Nelly – Sweet Home Country Grammar (Mei-Lwun mashup)

7. The Chemical Brothers – Galvanize

8. The Chemical Brothers – Galvanize (unknown remix)

9. Mylo vs. Tegan & Sara – Walking with a Ghost in Paris (Party Ben mashup version 2.0)

10. Daft Punk vs. Eurythmics – Da Sweet Funk (IDC mashup)

11. Eurythmics vs. Killers – Somebody Dream Me (Party Ben mashup)

12. Coldplay vs. Sum 41 – The Scientist in Pieces (Party Ben mashup as suggested by Joanna, John and Kenny)





Commentary:

You'd think, with Dr. Demento-style musical prankery at the core of what the Sixx Mixx was about, I would have treated an April Fool's Day Mixx with just a little more care. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, this set is a sad amalgamation of recent hit tracks and segues, except for the very good Merritt mashup of Beck/Butthole Surfers/Beasties at the beginning (and, I guess, the first play of V2 of the Mylo/Tegan & Sara). As I said in the tracklisting for episode 79 below, the Coldplay/Sum 41 is amusing once, but not really a second time. Anyway, emimently skippable.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 1/10







SIXX MIXX 080 - 3/25/2005





Artwork: Still from "TV Funhouse" Pat O'Brien "Fun with Real Audio" episode



Right-click for direct download: 71MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 080 - 3/25/2005 - Sick Edition

1. Tegan & Sara vs. Mylo – Walking with a Ghost in Paris (Party Ben mashup - version 1)

2. Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water

3. 50 Cent – In Da Club (dsico remix)

4. The Smiths – Bigmouth Strikes Again (FakeID remix)

5. The Smithereens – A Girl Like You

6. Coldplay vs. Punx – Ben X Parties On Your Face (Party Ben mashup)

7. Coldplay - God Put A Smile Upon My Face (Fakeid Remix)

8. Outkast - The Way You Move

9. Tone Loc - Wild Thing

10. L.A. Dream Team - The Dream Team Is In The House

11. Newcleus - Space Is The Place

12. The Bravery – Honest Mistake (Superdiscount remix)

13. New Order – Blue Monday

14. LCD Soundsystem – Daft Punk is Playing at My House

(Soulwax / 2 Many DJs Essential Mix version vs. more Daft Punk)

15. Dwarf Punk – Da Phunk

16. Beck – Venom Connection (E-Pro Green Music & Gold remix)

17. Colour Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up

18. Colour Me Badd vs. Pat O'Brien - I Really Wanna Just Get F***ing Crazy With You and Maybe Get a Hooker (Betsy's Not That Into It mix by Party Ben)



Commentary:

I'm guessing the title refers to a cold or flu or something I had, and with that in mind, this episode isn't so bad. It features the first appearance of one of my favorite things I ever made, the Mylo/Tegan & Sara combo that would go on to become a big hit on a couple radio stations and even inspire some infighting between Tegan and Sara themselves. This is an early draft which I ended up calling Version 1.0, there are a couple bits that are different if you listen closely but it's not really a big deal. Most of the episode rips from previous shows, the 80s hip hop segment from Episode 24, for instance. I do like that weird remix of E-Pro at the end, and then we get a totally silly but still chuckle-worthy (to my immature ear at least) medley of Colour Me Badd with the Pat O'Brien phone messages that had just come to light. Overall though, the episode feels awkward and forced together, and a little flu-y.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 4/10







SIXX MIXX 079 - 3/18/2005





Artwork: Chris Wood "Spira"



Right-click for direct download: 73MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 079 - 3/18/2005 - Party Mom & Party Dad in da Hizzouse Edition

1. Daft Punk – Robot Rock

2. Twisted Sister – I Wanna Rock

3. The Cure – Hot Hot Hot!!!

4. The Cure vs. Missy Elliott – I'm Really Really Hot Hot Hot (A+D mashup)

5. The Cure vs. Snoop – Drop It Like It's Hot Hot Hot (immuzikation mashup)

6. Kidz Bop Kids – Float On

7. Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 (from As Heard on Radio Soulwax Part 2)

8. Royksopp – Eple (from As Heard on Radio Soulwax Part 2)

9. Beastie Boys – Triple Trouble (a capella)

10. Beastie Boys – Triple Trouble (Graham Coxon remix)

11. Stone Roses – Fools Gold

12. Stone Roses vs. Outkast - “Stone Cold Roses” (Instamatic mashup)

13. Depeche Mode – “People Are People”

14. The White Stripes – “Hardest Button To Button” (Tk1000 white label remix)

15. The Killers vs. Europe – Somebody's Countdown (Lionel Vinyl mashup)

16. Smashing Pumpkins – 1979 (New Originals 1799 mix)

17. Coldplay vs. Sum 41 – The Scientist in Pieces (Party Ben mashup, as suggested by Joanna, John and Kenny)



Commentary:

My parents were actually visiting and in the studio during the broadcast, thus the name. Anyway, so even then, the week of its release, I was really trying to force myself to like "Robot Rock," which in its original form is super boring and irritating, something that's hard to remember post-Daft Punk Alive which put the track to such perfect use. But even trying to liven it up with "I Wanna Rock," it's a tough sell to start the whole show with it. Thankfully things get better fast, with two delightful Cure mashups and then the classic Dolly Parton into Royksopp segment from Radio Soulwax which always seemed to kick the Sixx Mixx into high gear when I played it. We'd heard some Stone Roses stuff before but the inclusion of "People Are People" really works I think. Then we get a couple upbeat remixes and a finale that was actually an audience suggestion -- people would write me all the time in the Sixx Mixx heyday with ideas but they were usually like "hey Party Ben you dumb fatso, mix together Green Day and Green Acres." Once in a while they were on point however, and while I wouldn't necessarily feel like playing this little Coldplay/Sum 41 novelty much again, it's pretty funny once.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 6/10











SIXX MIXX 078 - 3/11/2005







Artwork: Pieter Muller, "A Ship Wrecked in a Storm off a Rocky Coast," 17th century Artwork: Pieter Muller, "A Ship Wrecked in a Storm off a Rocky Coast," 17th century







Right-click for direct download: Right-click for direct download: 74MB mp3





Listen:





Sixx Mixx 78 - 3/11/2005 - Foaming at the Mouth Edition

1. New Order – Krafty (Phones Reality remix)

2. Franz Ferdinand – This Fire (Playgroup remix)

3. LCD Soundsystem – Daft Punk is Playing at My House

4. Rick James vs. LCD Soundsystem – Superfreak is Playing at My House (DJ Godzilla mashup)

5. Daft Punk vs. Eurythmics – Da Sweet Funk (IDC mashup)

6. Eurythmics vs. Killers – Somebody Dream Me (Party Ben mashup)

7. Kansas – Carry On My Wayward Son

8. Elastica – Connection

9. Veruca Salt – Seether

10. Beck vs. Butthole Surfers vs. Beastie Boys – Doin' it in Tejas (DJ Merritt mashup)

11. Queen – We Will Rock You (a capella)

12. Joan Jett – I Love Rock 'n' Roll

13. Jay-Z vs. Billy Joel – Big Show Pimpin' (Brat mashup)

14. Kasabian – Reason is Treason

15. Elvis Costello vs. The Police vs. Lionel Richie vs. Peggy Lee vs. Bob Marley vs. The Hollies vs. Led Zeppelin – Wrapped Detective (Go Home Procuctions mashup)





Commentary:

While I often tried to start the show with something fresh and new, either a new remix or new release, and let it play for most of its length as a sort of "top of the show feature," 10 years later that can often seem a bit dull, as the songs are no longer, uh, new, and it's like, "why are you playing 4 minutes of 'Galvanize'??" However I would say in this case, I like this Phones mix of Krafty a lot, and it's not like it ever got "overplayed" or anything, and its strutting beat really sets the tone for the whole show, so i'm giving its nearly 3 minutes of unadulterated play a bit of a pass. Plus the mix into the equally thrilling Playgroup remix of Franz Ferdinand is really awesome; this opening trio of songs (including LCD Soundsystem) makes me nostalgic for that sort of late-dance-punk era where the new wave and electro sounds were such a thing. It was fun. Anyway, things rapidly get silly, with DJ Godzilla's (??) Rick James mashup and IDC's goofy Daft Punk/Eurythmics. Some of the ideas don't really work--the whole Kansas/Elastical thing is a bit off, and the Elastica/Veruca Salt is an admirable attempt that isn't really listenable--but it's all just weird and random enough to be amusing, at least. Then a hard tempo break and we get the debut of Merritt's super great Beck mix and some amusing fiddling around with Joan Jett and Queen (should have maybe fleshed that out into a standalone). Then, another stupendous debut, Brat's towering Jay-Z/Billy Joel combo that still makes me jump for joy. My layering of Kasabian over the top is... I dunno, totally wrong, but kind of cool sounding? Then we finish with GHP in full on collage mode with the wistful "Wrapped Detective." The show definitely doesn't have the smoothness or craftsmanship of some of the better episodes but it's got its heart in the right place.





Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 6/10

SIXX MIXX 077 - 2/25/2005











Listen:





Sixx Mixx 77 – 2/25/05 - Heretical Boob Edition

1. Fugazi vs. Destiy's Child – Independent Room (Party Ben mashup)

2. Jay-Z vs. Linkin Park – Numb/Encore

3. Moby – Bodyrock

4. AC/DC vs. Urban Takeover – Back in Black / Rock the Funky Beats (DJ Z-Trip mix)

5. The Cure vs. Postal Service – Close to Heights (Party Ben steals Omar's idea mashup)

6. Eddie Cochran vs. Snoop – C'mon Everybody Let's Drop It Like It's Hot (DJ Prince mashup)

7. English Beat – Mirror in the Bathroom

8. Beastie Boys – Intergalactic (Prisoners of Technology remix)

9. Beck – Ghettochip Malfunction (Hell Yes 8-Bit remix)

10. Alphaville – Big in Japan

11. Audioslave – Like a Stone

12. Chemical Brothers – Galvanize

13. Blink 182 vs. Chemical Brothers – Violence/Galvanize (DJ TiiM mashup)

14. The Chemical Brothers – Galvanize (half.arsed.beats bootleg remix)

15. The Bravery – Honest Mistake (Super Discount remix)

16. The Clash vs. The Killers – Somebody Rock Me (Party Ben mashup)





Commentary:

So while the previous episode, #76, was an example of how the Sixx Mixx had advanced, both in technical skill and the ability to create a half hour that flowed well and felt "unified," #77 is an example of how sometimes everything can fail, even with the best of intentions and hard work. While the episode starts with one of my stronger individual mashups, things go wrong quickly, with an attempt to marry Moby with the Jay-Z/Linkin Park mashup and Z-Trip's AC/DC mix, which is a muddy disaster. Then it gets worse. I think I can blame the idea at least on genius San Francisco DJ Omar who I seem to remember did a seamless and thrilling segue between the Postal Service and the Cure out at some club, but my attempt to turn that into a mashup is one of the worst things that may have ever graced FM airwaves. Every 2nd chord is out of key so I attempt to fix it by pitching up the Cure, but it just sounds horrible and I can't believe I let it go on for what seems like hours. Things pick up significantly with DJ Prince's awesome Snoop mix, and I get in on the fun a little with the English Beat, but then because I'm apparently intent on making the show suck, I go right back to plodding, overworked crap, finally giving up and just playing a few tracks (Bravery, Clash/Killers) I'd played before a bunch. Even today, an episode like this reminds me why my "career" never really went anywhere, because I am terrible.





Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 1/10

SIXX MIXX 076 - 2/18/2005















Listen:





Sixx Mixx 76 – 2/18/05 - Supermegamixx Edition

1. Beck vs. Michael & Janet Jackson vs. AC/DC – Screaming Pro in Hell (Team9 mashup)

2. Led Snooppelin – Drop It Like It's Hot / Whole Lotta Love (Party Ben mashup)

3. Super Mario Brothers Theme vs. M.I.A. "Supergalangalang" (cry.on.my.console mashup)

4. The Beatles vs. Beastie Boys (Beastles) – "I Feel Fine Right Now" (dj bc mashup)

5. Lynyrd Skynyrd vs. Nelly – "Sweet Home Country Grammar" (Mei-Lwun mashup)

6. The Chemical Brothers – "Galvanize"

7. Red Hot Chili Peppers – "All Around the World"

8. Billy Squier – "The Stroke"

9. Digital Underground – "The Humpty Dance"

10. Siouxsie & the Banshees – "Peek-a-boo"

11. Siouxsie & the Banshees vs. Outkast – "Peek-a-boo / Ms. Jackson" (El Mannion mashup)

12. Happy Mondays – "Step On"

13. Run-DMC – "Peter Piper"

14. Green Day vs. Thirteen Senses vs. Smashmouth – "Mystery Boulevard" (Alex C mashup) (Party Ben rework)

15. Tegan & Sara "Walking With a Ghost"

16. Adamski vs. Killers vs. Basement Jaxx – "Somebody Kill Me" (Party Ben mashup)





Commentary:

Now here we go. This is an episode where I open up the old Audition session and look at all the intricate and subtle arrangements and trickery, all in service of the overall easygoing flow, and I think, "how did I know how to do all this stuff?" Most segues between individual tracks and mashups are clever and teasing, often including all sorts of tiny little audio bits like a single word dropped to another track for a triple-time echo or a playful lowpass filter. And it's, like, fun. We kick off with one of my favorite blends from Aussie Team9, and then there's a tricky transition into the debut of my Led Zeppelin/Snoop mashup, which didn't even have a name yet, and went on to be one of my most famous tracks. While we get some more familiar tracks for the next 10 minutes or so, their arrangement is still new and enjoyable, I think. The Billy Squier/Digital Underground combo is fun for a one-off, and all the subtle changes of the Squier beat and guitar stabs throughout were all done manually -- there was no "instrumental" to just layer over the top, so I'm just changing it up every 8 bars for fun. It's also a hoot to see the Happy Mondays here, and the Alex C mashup of Boulevard is lovely. Wish it would have ended there, however, since despite the fact that it's maybe cool to bring out Adamski, I guess, my mashup of it with the Killers is one of those that feels like it should be working but somehow feels tiring, and it lasts for like 5 minutes. So, points deducted for that, but the first 25 minutes really represents the best of what the show was all about, and shows I'd sort of developed a sense of musical structure as well as some experience with the software, and it only took me 76 shows to get there (guess

Now here we go. This is an episode where I open up the old Audition session and look at all the intricate and subtle arrangements and trickery, all in service of the overall easygoing flow, and I think, "how did I know how to do all this stuff?" Most segues between individual tracks and mashups are clever and teasing, often including all sorts of tiny little audio bits like a single word dropped to another track for a triple-time echo or a playful lowpass filter. And it's, like, fun. We kick off with one of my favorite blends from Aussie Team9, and then there's a tricky transition into the debut of my Led Zeppelin/Snoop mashup, which didn't even have a name yet, and went on to be one of my most famous tracks. While we get some more familiar tracks for the next 10 minutes or so, their arrangement is still new and enjoyable, I think. The Billy Squier/Digital Underground combo is fun for a one-off, and all the subtle changes of the Squier beat and guitar stabs throughout were all done manually -- there was no "instrumental" to just layer over the top, so I'm just changing it up every 8 bars for fun. It's also a hoot to see the Happy Mondays here, and the Alex C mashup of Boulevard is lovely. Wish it would have ended there, however, since despite the fact that it's maybe cool to bring out Adamski, I guess, my mashup of it with the Killers is one of those that feels like it should be working but somehow feels tiring, and it lasts for like 5 minutes. So, points deducted for that, but the first 25 minutes really represents the best of what the show was all about, and shows I'd sort of developed a sense of musical structure as well as some experience with the software, and it only took me 76 shows to get there (guess Malcolm Gladwell was right ).



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 7/10

SIXX MIXX 075 - 2/04/2005







Right-click for direct download: 71MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 75 – 2/04/05 - Untitled

1. Electric 6 vs. Muppets – Gay Muppet Bar (Phil and Dog mashup)

2. Linkin Park vs. Jay-Z – "Points of Authority / 99 Problems"

3. Nena vs. Jay-Z – "99 Luft Problems"

4. Red Hot Chili Peppers – "Can't Stop"

5. Beck – "Where it's At"

6. Pharaoh Monch – "Simon Says"

7. Franz Ferdinand – 'Take Me Out"

8. Chic vs. Franz Ferdinand vs. Beastie Boys – "Chic Franzie Boys" (Party Ben mashup)

10. Daft Punk vs. Queen – "Another One Bites da Funk" (Party Ben mashup)

11. Queen vs. ODB – "Bite" (Kleptones Mashup)

12. Green Day vs. Oasis etc. – "Boulevard of Broken Songs"

13. Nine Inch Nails vs. Beatles – "Come Closer" (DJ Zebra Mashup)

14. The Smiths vs. Blackstreet – "Blacksmiths" (StvD mashup)

15. The Music – "Breakin'"

16. Jane's Addiction – "Been Caught Stealing"

17. Blur vs. Kasabian – "There's No LSF" (Party Ben mashup)



Commentary:

This episode is just the majority of episode 66 with different first and last tracks. Only posting it for completists, I guess. Are there Sixx Mixx completists?



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 0/10







SIXX MIXX 074 - 1/28/2005





Photo: Arne Hückelheim



Right-click for direct download: 70MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 74 – 1/28/05 - Hott Traxxx Edition

1. The Killers – Somebody Told Me (Mylo remix)

2. The Clash – Rock the Casbah vs. The Killers – Somebody Told Me (acapella) (Party Ben mix)

3. New Order – Subculture

4. Duran Duran – Girls On Film

5. The Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up

6. The Prodigy vs. The Hives – Hate to Smack My Bitch Up (Party Ben mashup)

7. Nirvana – Lithium (Dirty Funker mix)

8. Bachman Turner Overdrive – Takin' Care of Business

9. Soulwax – Teachers

10. The Chemical Brothers – Galvanize (Abe Duque remix)

11. The Chemical Brothers – Galvanize (Switch remix)

12. Tone Loc – Funky Cold Medina

13. Foreigner – Hot Blooded

14. Beastie Boys – Ch-Check It Out (white label breaks remix)

15. Franz Ferdinand – This Fire (Playgroup mix)

16. LCD Soundsystem – Daft Punk is Playing at My House (Soulwax remix)

17. U2 – Vertigo (Jacknife Lee 10" mix)

18. Negativland – I Still Haven't Found What I"m Looking For (Special Edit Radio Mix)



Commentary:

From start to (almost) finish, this episode kind of epitomizes the strutting electro-rock sound that was such a thing in the mid-2000s. While Mylo's angular take on "Somebody Told Me" is, I would argue, one of his less successful efforts, it sets the jaunty tone for this episode. Immediately following we get the first prototype appearance of a mashup that would go on to be one of my most well-known tracks, mixing the Killers with the Clash, the best by far of the three quick tryouts we get right in a row (boy I sure had to speed up New Order to make it work there didn't I). You can hear a couple fumbles in the Clash/Killers segment that I would fix when I fleshed it out in Episode 76. Up next, points deducted for repeating the sequence of Prodge/Hives/Nirvana/BTO from Sixx Mixx 58, although I do quite enjoy the loop of "Takin' Care of Business" as it segues into Soulwax, whose "Teachers" I feel some pride at playing at 6:12pm on a Friday on a major market radio station. The remix of "Galvanize" marks the first Sixx Mixx appearance of Switch, a guy who would go on to become one of my favorite producers of the 2000s--his original "This is Sick" and work on MIA's Arular would both come out later in 2005. Anyway, back to the Mixx: the Tone Loc/Foreigner/Beasties segment is fun and pretty well constructed, and that Playgroup remix of Franz Ferdinand is really superb. We get a little more Soulwax in their mix of LCD Soundsystem, and if I'm honest, this whole episode is (more than most, even) a kind of 2manydjs tribute, with its non-stop driving tempo and back-and-forth between rock and electro. And finally, we finish up with a clip of Negativland's genius 1991 Casey Kasem/U2 collage, which I just adore. As is well known, Negativeland and SST were sued and force to withdraw the release of their "U2" EP, on the grounds that the cover, featuring "U2" in large type, might confuse actual U2 fans. What's ironic is this actually happened to me in 1992--I was flipping through the stacks at my local record emporium in Minneapolis, and came across the EP, not knowing what it was, I was like, "why have I never heard of this U2 album called 'Negativland'?" So I didn't buy it. Boy, did I feel stupid later. But I think playing it on drive time radio in the band's hometown of San Francisco, 13 years later, makes up for that a little bit.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 7/10

SIXX MIXX 073 - 1/21/2005







Right-click for direct download: 71MB mp3



Listen:



Sixx Mixx 73 – 1/21/05 - Welcome Home Edition

1. The Beastles (Beastie Boys vs. Beatles) – I Feel Fine Right Now (djbc mashup)

2. Lynyrd Skynyrd vs. Nelly – Sweet Home Country Grammar (DJ Mei-Lwun mashup)

3. Beck – Hell Yes

4. The Chemical Brothers – Galvanize

5. Blink 182 vs. Chemical Brothers – Violence/Galvanize (DJ TiiM mashup)

6. The Chemical Brothers – Galvanize (half.arsed.beats remix)

7. The Music vs. Gwen Stefani – Music Worth Waiting For (Payroll mashup)

8. Real Life vs. Gwen Stefani – Waiting for You to Send Me an Angel (agentlovelette mashup)

9. The Bravery – Honest Mistake

10. Duran Duran – Planet Earth

11. Fatboy Slim vs. Devo vs. Louis XIV vs. The Knack – "Finding Out Sharona is Blind" (Party Ben mashup)

12. Bloc Party – Banquet (Phones Disco edit)

13. The Cure – A Forest

14. Peter Schilling – Major Tom (Coming Home)

15. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama (reprise)

15. Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama



Commentary:

I think what was both a positive and maybe a negative about the Sixx Mixx was that I had very strict "rules" about what I would play, and how I would mix things together. As a prime-time show on a mainstream alternative radio station, I wanted to be very conscientious about keeping the music both familiar and friendly to that audience as well as just fucked up enough that there was, you know, a reason to tune in and people would go "whoa." Also, I wanted mashups and remixes with structure and progression, not just random combos. With the mixing, I was very strict with myself as well, really trying to mix in key and not just throw hip hop vocals over the latest indie favorite, and trying to be as true to the tracks' original pitch and tempo as possible. On the positive side, this hard work made the show popular with a wide group of people and individual shows are, at their best, cohesive and focused. On the negative side, it meant that I repeated a lot of tracks, since there were so few that qualified (like say Slide's remix of "Seven Nation Army, a hugely popular song turned into an awesomely new but still recognizable remix). It also meant I wasn't ever able to make the sort of conceptual leap to the next "big thing" in mashuppery: Girl Talk-style hyperspeed mayhem, jumping from track to track without worrying so much about every combo being perfect. A little bit of freedom to just "muck about" might have made the show more fun (and my Thursday nights might have ended earlier).



But what's good about this era of the show is that while there's still some repetition from one week to the next, I feel like it's more about taking the most successful segments of previous episodes and improving on them, building on them. The show really feels like it's "evolving" around this time, mutating in fun and exciting ways even while maintaining themes we might have heard a week or two ago. Thus, we get the pretty-good Bravery/Duran Duran segment from Episode 71, as well as an improved version of "Finding Out Sharona is Blind" from last week, but I don't think the show suffers for repeating those segments. Anyway, starting at the beginning, we get the first play of another of bc's fine Beastles tracks, and the first play of Mei-Lwun's towering "Sweet Home Country Grammar." It's the debut of Beck's "Hell Yes," one of my faves, and the interplay with "Galvanize" is fun, plus this whole front section is all in the same key which is kind of mind-boggling. The Gwen Stefani section in the middle isn't my favorite, to be honest I wasn't a fan of "What You Waiting For," but the mashups are fun and quality efforts. We get the debut of Bloc Party's "Banquet" -- some big first plays on this episode! -- and I really enjoy that whole super-fast section. (I should probably have fleshed out a full fledged mashup from the Cure thing.) Now, I really wanted to come back around to "Sweet Home Alabama" at the end, as a kind of "reprise," but I couldn't quite make it work -- I even sang the chorus myself to add a little oomph to the vocals in the absence of an acapella. I guess the idea is good enough that I can give it a pass, but I cringe a bit hearing it. Anyway, overall I feel like this episode is still pretty much a home run despite a few stumbles here and there and perhaps a bit of a slow front section, and if you take all my arcane rules into consideration, it's hard to imagine an episode fulfilling those goals better.



Party Ben Scientific Sixx Mixx Score: 8/10

SIXX MIXX 072 - 1/14/2005





Photo: still from "Howl's Moving Castle," Hayao Miy