I don't know what the hell is wrong with today's labels... When I see a band like this still unsigned, I get mad angry and wonder what's wrong with the picture... I even think about starting my own label to make things right, but you know what they say, been there, done that, not worth the hassel in today's industry (of course I can see how clearing and licensing of an album like this might be the hellish reason why Moldover wasn't picked up yet)... Then again, maybe this Brooklyn-artist actually is indiependent by choice and has the balls to prefer remaining un-affiliated, so that he can do whatever he wants. Wherever the truth lies, Moldover's CD has been following me around the world for the last 30 days and I've listened to it more than any other CDs. It's been in my car, in Europe, in my home CD player in my head... It's too soon in the year to make bold "best CD of the year" type of statements, but this is definitely the best CD I've heard so far and I am wholeheartedly giving out my first 5 stars in 2006 (which I do rarely...). But let's cut the chit chat right to the chase and get down to business. What is so special about this guy?
Mash-ups, or the art of mixing together two differnt songs, usually the instrumental version of one song and the vocals of another one, by matching tempo and pitch (like you might have heard DJ Dangermouse doing in "The Gray Album", where he mashes up Jay Z's "The Black Album" with The Beatles' "White Album") have become a pretty popular phenomenon lately, but Moldover takes it to a whole new level because he actually does the shit live, on the fly, real-time!
It's relatively easy if you do it on your home Pro Tools system and you spend hours tweaking, pitch-correcting and time-stretching until it sounds just right, but to do it with a laptop equipped with Abelton Live and Native Instrument's Reaktor software, requires a whole other new set of skills that obviosuly very very few people master. That is exactly the area of expertise where Moldover excells and exceeds your every expectation.
His "Live Remashing" features 27 mash-ups featuring Tom Petty & the Hearthbreakers, Billie Holiday, Beastie Boys, AC DC, Janis Jopin, Edgar Winter, Dr. Dre (Snoop Dog), Steve Miller, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Prince, Michael Jackson, James Brown, Kool & the Gang, Steppen Wold, Jane's Addiction, Nirvana, System of a Down, Dick Dale & his Del Tones, A-Ha, Johann Pachelbel, NIN, Violent Femmes, Black Sheep, Metallica, Chirstina Aguilera, Kermit the Frog as well as samples from countless movies including Pulp Fiction, Pi, some Kevin Spacey flick I don't remember the name of, and god (or Moldover) only knows how many other bits and pieces that I haven't recognized (besides the ones I just haven't mentioned to keep this review acceptably short).
NYC's Moldover has been playing guitar in various bands, spinning records in clubs and even built his own mobile dance club, hauled it to Nevada's Burning Man festival just to burn it afterwards. That's what I call an inspired dude who gets things done!
As far as I am concerned, I'll try to go see him perform as soon as I can... As far as you are concerned, stop messing around and get this CD from his website right away! There are no excuses that will hold up here... "Live Remashing" is an encyclopedia of modern pop culture in sound format, it is the milestone of ultimate digitally-assisted live performance, it is the best example of how to use modern technologies to enhance and extend musicianship and artistic vision, it is the new form of DJ-ing, it is two thumbs up, straight up!
PS The MC Esher-inspired and reworked (or should I say remashed?) front cover is very cool as well!