Who are you?
Hi I’m Tom, the guy behind Wax Audio. I live in Australia, just outside of Sydney. I work full time as a video producer, am happily married with two beautiful daughters. I do this in my spare time, which is extremely limited. But like all obsessions, you make time as and when you can.
I have a musical background, having played guitar in several bands you’ve never heard of. My interest in audio production goes back to my childhood when I used to re-mix songs from the radio by excessively manipulating the pause button on the family cassette deck. We had to get it repaired on several occasion as a result.
I started Wax Audio in 2003 as part of the anti-war movement, releasing explicitly political work (the Mashed Media trilogy). Since then I’ve branched out into doing more “conventional” pop mashups (the Mashopolos series) as well as an album based entirely of samples I recorded myself on a 15 month trip across Asia (9 Countries).
I plan to keep on doing this for as long as I can.
How do you do it? What software do you use? How do you come up with the ideas?
All the mashups on this site have been produced using either Cubase, Pro Tools or Final Cut (in the case of videos). These are fairly standard industry tools for audio and video production.
There’s no easy way to explain the process of what I do. Like anything, it takes time, effort and commitment to come up with the goods. One thing that sets what I do apart from a lot of the mashups you may come across (especially on Youtube) is the time I spend on each track. I tend to agonise over small details and will happily tinker away on a track for days, weeks or even months.
I come up with ideas by driving myself insane thinking about strange musical combinations. On other occasions, ideas just fall into my lap. There’s no formula, it just happens. Sometimes it’s easy, but mostly it’s hard.
Where do you find all the multi-track files and isolated vocal parts etc?
Many of the mashups on this site are simply the original songs blended together, but yes there a quite a few tracks where I have obtained the isolated vocal or instrument tracks. Where did I find them? On the internet. As they say, Google is your friend.
Do you make any money out of this?
No. I don’t own the copyrights for any of the sound recordings I tamper with. Therefore I am not entitled to any royalties or payments. Nor am I permitted to sell my mashups as downloads or on CD. I don’t get paid and you don’t pay to hear them.
Have you got in any trouble doing this?
No. I’ve received feedback from several of the artists I’ve mashed and all of it has been positive. Despite the legal grey area that mashups reside in, it would appear that artists generally don’t mind their work being mashed up, especially if it’s done well and not for profit. There will always be exceptions of course and there’s been plenty of cease & desist orders sent to mashup producers from record companies. So far, I’ve not received one.
Hey, can you do a mashup of these two songs please?
I’ve received hundreds of requests but only very rarely do I follow them up. I only mash up music that I like or that has some sort of personal significance for me. It doesn’t work when I mash to a brief. Unless you want to pay me of course. That’s another story. Step into my office ;)
May I have your permission to use this track for…
Yes, use my stuff for whatever you want. A credit would be nice, but that’s really up to you. Like I said, I don’t own the copyrights for this stuff so it’s not up to me anyway. The only exception is the 9 Countries album. This is my original work. You may download it for free, post it, play it anywhere you want. just don’t use it for any commercial purpose without consulting me please.
South of the Grapevine is a masterpiece.
Your stuff is pure genius! This is the future of music. As a musician and spin instructor I can appreciate this on many levels. I just came across “Careless Rebel” I was laughing my ass off.The double time tempo with the George Michael vocals is brilliant. I’m going to try and use it in my spin class tomorrow. I also use “Sad but superstitious” .Its a great hillclimbing song.The videos that accompany it are amazing too.The black kid headbanging at the the beginning almost made me shoot coffee out of my nose! Lol. Slayer with Marvin Gaye is brilliant too. The video gives it added depth the church element with Gaye juxtaposed with the Slayers dark vibe brought a whole new thing to it. Keep up the brilliant work.
I’m considering using Thunder Busters for an animation I’m working on. I would be selling the animation on my website. Of course, I am in the early stages of acquiring the licenses for the songs in Thunder Busters so I can LEGALLY sell the animations with the songs in them. As you are offering your mash-ups for free, do you have any problem with me using your mash-up in this way? I would be more than happy to give credit to you for creating the mash-up.
Please let me know your thoughts.
Thanks,
John
I love your work!
Disolved by the water all these years, Enter you and TrickBattery are my absolute favourites!
Thanks Tom. :)
Hi Tom,
I’m one of your Brazilian fans. I’m here in Australia. I’m gonna stay here to study for one year and 2 months. I’m living in Adelaide (SA). I’m planning to go to Sydney and some other cities of Australias east side. I have another Brazilian friend that would love to have your autograph. Do you think it’s possible we meet at this New Years Eve?? I would like to send you’re autograph to my friend in Brazil. If you think it’s ok you can send me your address or any place you’ll be. It would be a pleasure to meet you.
Best Regards.
Flávio Lopes Bretz
PS: Do you have facebook? maybe it’s better to talk by facebook. My facebook is “Flávio Bretz”.
Love your stuff dude!
If I could ask one question, what is the main thing that tells you “you need to mash these two songs together”?
One of the first ones that I heard from you was the Thunderstruck/Ghostbusters mashup. Genius. Another one of my favorites is the “Enter You” mashup. What a PERFECT pairing! Especially the cover art for Enter You. OMG Brian Adams with Kirk’s face.
What brings these songs together in your mind?
Best regards,
Josh
Thanks Josh, both those mash ideas came to me when I was in bed about to fall asleep. Don’t ask me how, they just popped into my head!
There’s no formula or method, ideas either just come to me or are the result of many hours of trial and error, finding a combination of sources that works.
Yo wax, ive been a big fan for quite some time. Once I heard whole lotta sabbath I was naturally hooked and ever since I’ve been following your new works. I play you mashes at parties and when friends visit which is often. Everyone gets a real kick out of thunder busters. That is if your a product of the late 7os and can remember ready parker jr. ha. Looking forward to future works, keep up the genius.
Hey man, love your work.
Love the logo, too. Could you make stickers, buttons, or patches available? Not sure if it’d be useful to you, but consider RedBubble. I’ve ordered from there and they make good stuff.
Hello,
I heard some of your stunning works on YouTube and today I stumbled upon the incredible mash-up of Run To You and Enter Sandman which led me to this website.
One your mash-up is regularly used as soundtrack to a choreographic interval during a famous Italian TV show entitled “Le Iene” ( = “The Reservoir Dogs”):
http://www.iene.mediaset.it/puntate/2014/02/26/wax-audio-stayin-alive-in-the-wall_8360.shtml
UNHOLY SOUL: SLAYER VS, MARVIN GAYE: What are EARGASM, missing MARVIN GAYE and JEFF HANNEMAN (R.I.P.), I think I just had a Thanksgiving ORGASM. As a former DJ on college radio, this is what DJ’s are SUPPOSED to do, in the context of segues. Very Good, deep, dark, sinister, ambient feel to this mash up, I think MARVIN GAYE and JEFF HANNEMAN would like. Awesome, two of my faves forever.
BTW, this is the point of creative commons licenses, to give music a new life, a new perspective. You can get some horrid mash ups and re-mixes and very good ones, for FREE.
Thank you, this mash up evokes a sex riot.
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Loved your (mashed) music man!
Keep on your great work. It´s simply fantastic.
As you, i began my “mixes” a long time ago, with the pause button on the cassette deck :)
A great thanks for sharing it.
From Portugal…congratulations!
9 Countries is THE BEST. Congratulations TOM!
I loved the songs you made. Genius !! Thanks
Dear Tom first of all congrats for ur new born baby….. And am very lucky that i am the part of this mashup family…… U are duing a great job and i hope best for ur future…. Me and my friend are great fan of ur work and u know with every album the expectations are geting higher……… So keep it up……:-)
man i love the bee gees + pink floyd one, would love to play it out, but i suppose you don’t have any plans to put it out on vinyl, even for dj use? a lot of producers who use tricky samples still put their stuff out for club use, not as a commercial thing where all the trouble is.
Your ear for music delights me. You had me at “Sad but Superstitious”, and I regularly check back in hope of further aural pleasures! Your mashups are top notch.
Megadeth vs Metallica pliss i pay :C for that
i wil pay for that *
I am a 51 year old former dj (still in my blood) who has never done any sort of production work but have tons of ideas in my head. My problem is I don’t know where to start as far as software and then how to use it. Not to mention I don’t have any dj friends in that world or into the amount of varied music I enjoy.
I do know that from the first moment I heard proper mashups several years ago, I was hooked. I gravitated to many of your creations since many include heavy metal. When I heard Mashed in Plastic I knew you were a mashup god. Twin Peaks specifically is my favorite of all-time.
I often write down songs that I think would work well together but, as you might guess, have never tried anything. I am very frustrated. Not sure if I have a question because I know you get your share of those and don’t want to add to the pileup. I suppose I just felt like communicating with a like-minded individual who appreciates the same things musically that I do. I am very appreciative of all the works you have given us over the years. Thank you.
Tom, I have not seen any mashups half as good as what you do. I stumbled across your Bee Gees + Pink Floyd mashup on YouTube and send it to a friend, he then send me back to your site. Great stuff.
Rock is not my favorite genre, perhaps some time you can mashup some jazz artists.
Anyway, I think your mashups sound better than the original.
Cheers!
Hi Tom
im from romania, living in finland, heard you on a national romanian radio station – Guerilla radio – your stuff sounds great! all the best!
Solid sounds, really tight, you are a Metallica fan I take it?…you have taken the work mash-up to a different level and I can see the hours you put has really paid off.
I’d love to see some Classic versus Metal mash-ups…..something like a Fade to Black (Metallica) – Brahms mash-up…….
I do miss the tongue-in-check descriptions your songs had on the old site. Man, some of them were hilarious. Bring ‘em back if you can.
Wax… I really need to say thanks for amazing art residing in every song that you produce…. Is a terrific gift you have…. You have a several fans in Brazil… Congratulations!
Hey mate, fantastic to see Mashopolos III doing so well and the top feedback for all the tracks.
I just wanted to drop you a line to say how much I love the website redesign too.. it looks fantastic and shiny so congrats on that.
And yes… you know I would buy a WaxAudio t-shirt.
Keep up the great work always my friend
A.
Couldnt sleep, 3:30am, jumped on YouTube, watched sad but true mash, 2hrs later still watching all your other mashes. Brilliant. Maybe I’m actually asleep and dreaming…..
Well done. Your presence in front of your computer is greatly appreciated!
This whole web site is simply a symptom of insomnia! Glad you’re enjoying it!
Hi Tom! I don’t have anything to ask, I just wanted you to know I love what you’re doing and I hope that I’ll be able to keep working with my music to reach the levels you are at. I don’t have a lot of ways to show my support, and I don’t have to say – keep doing what you’re doing. Cheers from Sweden.
That’s very kind of you. Thanks very much Jake.
I read the request part, but just for the hell of it,
Let It Go by Def Leppard would blend rather well with Metal Health by Quiet Riot,
I realise the amount of requests you must get, so no worries should it never happen, but it’s an idea.I have tons of those multi track stems taken from those /guitar hero games but neither song has popped up in that form sadly.
That being said, you are talented as hell man, I have yet to combine 2 songs that even remotely sound decent, lol I wish I was half as good as you.
But anyways, love your stuff, and the new site looks great!
OK, thanks for the suggestion! And the nice comments. Cheers!
I’m a big fan of Wax Audio and was so from the moment I discovered Stayin’ Alive In The Wall, and I instantly subscribed on YouTube and recommended it to whoever I could.
This is just a suggestion, Tom, but the world will applaud and worship you if you mixed Gangnam Style with £1 Fish!
I also think that Wanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi) will blend with This Corrosion (Sisters of Mercy) like peas in a pod! I also think that Raining Again (Moby) and Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd) would go together brilliantly!
I know you get loads of requests; I can understand that something as brilliant and unique as this will, but they’re good suggestions.
Once more, I’m a massive fan, and I adore your work and believe you have a serious gift for mashups. I cannot go a week without listening to one of your tracks.
Cheers, Wax Audio
PW
Can you please do a mash up of Justin Bieber and One Direction, they are like my favorite artists!
Absolutely, provided you give me your address so I can make sure it’s played outside your house at full volume on repeat for eternity.
You sir have won infinite internets! :D