Mixing 2009’s Best Indie Rock Songs, Metermaids, DJ Rob Swift Add Hip-Hop Flair With New Genre-Bending Mixtape
“Nicknamed rap’s Bad News Bears, Metermaids, the New York-based duo comprised of Swell and Sentence, are releasing their mixtape, HELLO, mixed entirely by DJ Rob Swift, today on 27 Sound Entertainment. Having already released two singles to praise, including the Grizzly Bear-sampling “Yellow Tape” that peaked at #4 on The Hype Machine charts, the concept of the highly anticipated mixtape differs from the common fare of the mixtape world; taking a host of popular indie rock songs of 2009 and remixing each, Metermaids pull loops and chops from the indie tracks to create new canvases for the duo’s original concepts and songs. Fans will still recognize the melodies of the original, but they’ll nevertheless love the new lyrics, title and twist with each new track.
Perhaps, one of the most notable songs to be remixed is Metric‘s “Help, I’m Alive“, into their own, “A Star Is Born.” Taking Metric’s recognizable opening line and applying it as their own opening line, they were able to mesh it seamlessly into their song’s lyrics. Although no lyrics were used, they also remixed The White Stripes‘, “Icky Thump“. Using only the guitar melody, Metermaids, proven over the years as one of the more genre-crossing hip-hop acts around, turn the riff, again, into something new and exciting. Mixes that work so effortlessly together are difficult to achieve, but Metermaids and DJ Rob Swift have managed not only to make it work but have made it so they all feel like originals. “We called it HELLO because we felt like we were re-introducing ourselves to the world, and to ourselves at the same time,” says Swell. “Hello, we are Metermaids, and we like to have fun and make music together.”
Moving into the fall, fans can also look forward to Metermaids EP, Rooftop Shake, produced entirely by Grammy Award-winning producer, 9th Wonder.”
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