"THE MASHUP IS AN ART
THAT WE PERPETUATE
SINCE THE MIDDLE AGE"
THIS IS MIXCALIBUR'S QUEST
WHAT IS A MASHUP?
In its simplest version, a mashup is a type of remix that combines an instrumental from one song with the vocal from another...
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This method is also called "Bootleg" although I find that the artist who seeks to renew music sometimes forgotten is much more honorable than someone who secretly records a concert to sell it to the highest bidder!
The "bootlegger", as it is so called, is often a music enthusiast who discovers a talent for tweaking songs with dedicated software. No need to be a recognized DJ or a professional computer scientist to start designing mashups: a good musical ear, a bit of technique and you're done!
WHAT IS MIXCALIBUR?
MixCalibur is a community of artists who share the same desire to show their works and help beginners progress in this art.
The main objective of MixCalibur is to inform you, to give you news from the mashup world and to offer you the opportunity to embark on the adventure also thanks to the tutorials.
A Discord server also exists to provide members with a place to exchange and socialise.
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THE BIRTH OF MIXCALIBUR
At the origin of the Arthurian myth, tales and oral stories that monks and writers have associated and adapted to build a unique legend.
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No other legend mixes so skillfully sources as different as the Celtic tales from which Merlin, Uther Pendragon and the Christian legends carried by the fairies (the Lady of the Lake, Morgana). The quest for the Grail is derived from a medieval poem, the Round Table of an ancient Celtic tradition where warriors gather around a stone circle before going into battle.
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So it seems natural to me to take up this legend to associate it with this desire to give letters of nobility to this art that is the mashup.
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Like Arthur and his knights, I wish to gather around a virtual round table the artists, these "knights of the modern times" who have for quest to make perdure the mashup that it is audio or video form and to propagate it on all the lands.
DJ DANOË: Who am I?
I am the founder of this humble community and a fan of mashups for 20 years.
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At the dawn of my 50th birthday, I went through the golden age of computers as well as that of electronic music.
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At 16, I discovered the art of mixing samples on soundtrackers, MAO software often created by amateur musicians. Thanks to my Amiga 500, I then composed small pieces of electronic music which were then found on demos.
Initially, these were graphic and musical performances that could be found as an introduction to a game that had been hacked by a group of hackers. With the emergence of real artists, demos are no longer illegal but have become an art form in their own right. Scenes bringing together demomakers are organised all over the world.
A little later, a neighbor lent me an electronic keyboard and introduced me to music theory. I then joined a rock band. Our songs are inspired by Telephone, The Cure but above all by guitarists such as Yngwie Malmsteen because our "scratcher" has a passion for riffs that twist the ears!
In high school, a friend introduced me to the pioneers of electronic music such as Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, OMD...
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If Jean-Michel Jarre is a reference in terms of the grandiose shows he gives around the world, these musicians give an impulse to electronic music that will inspire the pop of the 90s. He invites me to host his show with him on the local radio.
The 80s are also the period when I became passionate about the "extended" versions of the flagship hits. I then record these remixed pieces on my double-cassette player to listen to them endlessly. On the local radio, I meet a host who is also a DJ in his spare time. He gives me some scratch lessons and teaches me how to handle a mixing board.
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It's a funny way that I turn my passion into a real job: in 1994; I joined the French Navy to become an acoustic analyst. The mixer is now used to filter underwater noise to better identify buildings.
In 2002, return to civilian life ... And discovery of the world of mashups thanks to a musician who used to be the bassist of a subversive group "Billy Ze Kick" : DJ Zebra. I don't miss a single show of his Zebramix that he hosted in 2004.
His show reveals other talented bootleggers such as Dj Moule, Dj Y...
Dj Zebra continues his ascent and revolutionizes the scene by bringing together the two worlds that are also mine: mashups and Breton music! His performance at Les Vieilles Charrues marks me forever.
With the rise of the Internet, bootleggers share their passions on social networks: Twitter, Facebook, blogs... However, it's complicated to follow them because everyone uses a favorite channel and you have to spend your time browsing the Web to discover new nuggets.
It is with the idea of bringing together the French-speaking scene in a common place and user-friendly that I am therefore creating MixCalibur in 2020. Both a website to offer news and a place of exchange on a server Discord.