SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED highlighted episodes for July

Our 2006 interview with legendary Bastard Pop artist The Freelance Hellraiser is one of the standouts this month, along with an unplanned tribute to the late, great King of Pop... Check out this month's offerings for the usual cross-section of what's been creatively re-used in the name of audio art...

When Episode 235 was in production, Michael Jackson was preparing for his latest comeback tour. As it aired across the country, he was resting in peace. Among the many things the artist will be remembered for is his ability to turn heads and to keep them entertained. Both Negativland and Fatboy Slim were aware of that fame when they sampled the same fire and brimstone preacher, ranting about the evils of the devil's music. Among the many artists included in that individual's condemnation was the King of Pop himself. It's as amusing to hear such an innocuous list of musicians being singled out as "evil," as it is to comprehend the fact that Fatboy Slim actually sought legal permission to sample Negativland! Check out both tracks in Episode 235 HERE.

The Freelance Hellraiser remains as one of the more well-known Mashup artists in the world today. His 2001 Bastard Pop track, "Genie In A Bottle," is credited by many as being what started the UK's obsession with mashing one pop song's instrumental with the acapella vocals from another. The ECC may have started it, but it was The Freelance Hellraiser, and many more like him, who popularized it at the turn of the century. Check out the SAR Blog for a list of other Mashup artists we've done Q&A's with, and download our feature length interview with The Freelance Hellraiser HERE.

Stay tuned this month for our Q&A's with Information Society side-project Think Tank and Australian duo Wake Up And Listen, along with the international Mashup collective Colatron...

Thanks for listening!
Jon Nelson


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About the show: hosted by Minnesota artist Jon Nelson, Some Assembly Required features sample-based music and audio art by a variety of artists and groups working with bits and pieces of their media environments, giving something back to the cultural landscape from which they so enthusiastically appropriate.

Since its inception in 1999, Nelson has produced over 100 artist features, and interviewed everyone from John Oswald, Steinski and The Evolution Control Committee, to Christian Marclay, Negativland and DJ Spooky, providing a variety of unique perspectives on the nature of this daring and creative style of expression. Visit Some Assembly Required online for more information, including a complete list of interviews, artist features and the weekly podcast. You can also listen to an extensive archive of back episodes here, on mnartists.org.

Digital Art, Mixed Media, Music, Performance, Unclassified