Mashing is a phenomenon associated with underground record shops, multiple turntables, mixer desks, clubbers and white labels. And if it’s still as unclear as mud, it’s the art of mixing two songs together to come with something, well, totally different.

The majority of the 14 mash-ups on this album have been lovingly put together by Mark Vidler aka Go Home Productions who’s been carving and splicing illegally for several years before being enticed to go legit by EMI for this collection. It also includes contributions by Erol Alkan, French remixers/djs Lou and Placido and Mylo.

While everything on offer has - as you might expect - a club feel, the interest for those of a rock persuasion is the incorporation of rock with what you may think were totally incompatible disco sounds. So you get the fascinating combinations of Malcolm Mclaren/Franz Ferdinand, Spiller/Everything But The Girl, Mousse T/The Dandy Warhols, Bowie/Liberty X, Peggy Lee/Iggy Pop, Deep Dish/Dire Straits, Eric Prydz/Pink Floyd, Blondie/The Doors and Duran Duran / Kelis. To name but a few.

What’s it like? Well the first thing to say is that most of the tracks sound remarkably like they belong together. But for a rock audience, a curiosity rather than an essential purchase. For those of a club orientation, an introduction to some damn good sounds.

***½

Review by Pete Whalley

***** Out of this world | **** Pretty damn fine |
*** OK, approach with caution unless you are a fan |
** Instant bargain bin fodder | * Ugly. Just ugly