The Kleptones
Encyclopedia
The Kleptones, aka Eric Kleptone, is a DJ from Brighton
in the United Kingdom
who produces internet-only mashup
albums. Typically, he mixes rock/R&B instrumentals with rap and hip-hop vocals in a style that is "fun...and often surprising." His name is a parody of the famous guitarist, Eric Clapton
, and a play on the fact that he is a "klepto
of tones" (that is, he "steals" others' music).
by The Flaming Lips
with hip-hop/rap vocals and various soundbites from television programs and movies entitled Yoshimi Battles the Hip-Hop Robots
.
A Night at the Hip-Hopera was his breakthrough and most highly acclaimed album, fusing Queen
's rock music with rap vocals and many soundbites from movies and other sources. On November 8, 2004, Waxy, the main site that was mirroring
A Night at the Hip-Hopera, received a cease and desist notice from the Walt Disney Company for illegal sampling of songs by Queen, similar to the banning of DJ Danger Mouse's The Grey Album
.
From Detroit to J.A.
was created originally for the radio program The Rinse on XFM
, and was originally broadcast on January 23, 2005. Subsequently it was released as an internet-only album which this time fused R&B instrumentals with Pop, Rap, and R&B vocals.
In mid 2005 he was awarded the Webby Award for Artist Of The Year by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences
, who stated he had "taken the art of mash-up to a new level" and become "a global sensation" (The same award has also, to date, been presented to Gorillaz
, Beastie Boys
, Will.I.Am
and Trent Reznor
.)
In 2006 he released 24 Hours
, a double length album. The release of 24 Hours was preceded by three EP length releases, EP1, EP2 and EP3. Each EP was available for download for a limited time—EP2 replaced EP1, and in turn was replaced by EP3. EP3 itself was removed when 24 Hours was released.
In May 2006 the Creative Commons
-licensed film project A Swarm of Angels
announced the Kleptones as soundtrack producers.
In late 2006 Eric was invited to speak at the Web 2.0 Summit
in San Francisco, as half of "The Pirate And The Suit", a head-to-head discussion with EMI Music Vice-Chairman David Munns.
On December 7, 2006 Eric Kleptone posted a podcast, titled Hectic City on the Kleptones' blog, stating that the intention is to make it a weekly release. The podcast contains mash-ups by the Kleptones, and other artists.
In early 2008 The band released Live'r Than You'll Ever Be - Bestival 2007
, a live album containing a recording of their show at Bestival
, in the Isle Of Wight, on Saturday 8 September 2007.
On January 1, 2010, Uptime / Downtime
was released. One preview of the album, the track "Voodoo Sabotage" was released on the Kleptones blog a few weeks prior to release. Later that year, on the 9th of August 2010, a collection of B-sides and tracks that didn't made it onto an album, Shits & Giggles
was released.
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
who produces internet-only mashup
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
albums. Typically, he mixes rock/R&B instrumentals with rap and hip-hop vocals in a style that is "fun...and often surprising." His name is a parody of the famous guitarist, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, and a play on the fact that he is a "klepto
Kleptomania
Kleptomania is an irresistible urge to steal items of trivial value. People with this disorder are compelled to steal things, generally, but not limited to, objects of little or no significant value, such as pens, paper clips, paper and tape...
of tones" (that is, he "steals" others' music).
History
His first release was a mix of Yoshimi Battles the Pink RobotsYoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
-Special edition DVD-Audio:-The Flaming Lips:* Wayne Coyne - guitar, vocals, artwork, mixing, production* Michael Ivins - bass guitar, keyboards, vocals, mixing, production, additional engineering...
by The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
with hip-hop/rap vocals and various soundbites from television programs and movies entitled Yoshimi Battles the Hip-Hop Robots
Yoshimi Battles the Hip-Hop Robots
Yoshimi Battles the Hip-Hop Robots is a 2003 bastard pop album by The Kleptones. It combines instrumental tracks from The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots with vocal tracks from various rap songs.-Track listing:...
.
A Night at the Hip-Hopera was his breakthrough and most highly acclaimed album, fusing Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's rock music with rap vocals and many soundbites from movies and other sources. On November 8, 2004, Waxy, the main site that was mirroring
Mirror (computing)
In computing, a mirror is an exact copy of a data set. On the Internet, a mirror site is an exact copy of another Internet site.Mirror sites are most commonly used to provide multiple sources of the same information, and are of particular value as a way of providing reliable access to large downloads...
A Night at the Hip-Hopera, received a cease and desist notice from the Walt Disney Company for illegal sampling of songs by Queen, similar to the banning of DJ Danger Mouse's The Grey Album
The Grey Album
The Grey Album is a mashup album by Danger Mouse, released in 2004. It uses an a cappella version of rapper Jay-Z's The Black Album and couples it with instrumentals created from a multitude of unauthorized samples from The Beatles' LP The Beatles...
.
From Detroit to J.A.
From Detroit to J.A.
From Detroit to J.A. is The Kleptones' third album, which blends R&B instrumentals with Pop, Rap, and R&B vocals.The mashups were initially created for The Rinse radio show...
was created originally for the radio program The Rinse on XFM
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
, and was originally broadcast on January 23, 2005. Subsequently it was released as an internet-only album which this time fused R&B instrumentals with Pop, Rap, and R&B vocals.
In mid 2005 he was awarded the Webby Award for Artist Of The Year by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences
International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences
The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences or IADAS was founded in 1998 in New York to help drive the progress of the Internet and evolving forms of new media. The academy selects the nominees and winners for the Webby Awards, and their European equivalent, the Lovie Awards.Membership...
, who stated he had "taken the art of mash-up to a new level" and become "a global sensation" (The same award has also, to date, been presented to Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
, Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
, Will.I.Am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
and Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
.)
In 2006 he released 24 Hours
24 Hours (album)
24 Hours is a 2006 mashup double concept album by The Kleptones. Like other albums by The Kleptones, the album intersperses quotes from movies and television in its songs....
, a double length album. The release of 24 Hours was preceded by three EP length releases, EP1, EP2 and EP3. Each EP was available for download for a limited time—EP2 replaced EP1, and in turn was replaced by EP3. EP3 itself was removed when 24 Hours was released.
In May 2006 the Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
-licensed film project A Swarm of Angels
A Swarm of Angels
A Swarm of Angels is an open source film project and participatory film community, whose aim is to make the world’s first Internet-funded, crewed and distributed feature film. The collaborative project aims to attract 50,000 individual subscribers , each contributing £25 to the production...
announced the Kleptones as soundtrack producers.
In late 2006 Eric was invited to speak at the Web 2.0 Summit
Web 2.0 Summit
The Web 2.0 Summit is an annual event, held in San Francisco, California, featuring discussions about the World Wide Web. The event was started in 2004 by Tim O'Reilly, who is also widely credited with coining the term "Web 2.0"...
in San Francisco, as half of "The Pirate And The Suit", a head-to-head discussion with EMI Music Vice-Chairman David Munns.
On December 7, 2006 Eric Kleptone posted a podcast, titled Hectic City on the Kleptones' blog, stating that the intention is to make it a weekly release. The podcast contains mash-ups by the Kleptones, and other artists.
In early 2008 The band released Live'r Than You'll Ever Be - Bestival 2007
Live'r Than You'll Ever Be - Bestival 2007
Live'r Than You'll Ever Be is a recording of a show by The Kleptones at the 2007 Bestival. The title is taken from the celebrated 1969 Rolling Stones bootleg.- Track listing :# "Precession" 2:32# "See" 3:33#* Queen, "One Vision"...
, a live album containing a recording of their show at Bestival
Bestival
Bestival is a four-day music festival held at the Robin Hill country park on the Isle of Wight, England. It has been held annually in late summer since 2004. The event is organized by DJ and record producer Rob da Bank and is an off-shoot of his Sunday Best record label and club nights. The initial...
, in the Isle Of Wight, on Saturday 8 September 2007.
On January 1, 2010, Uptime / Downtime
Uptime / Downtime
-Uptime:#Call To Mind - 2:30#*Samples - Jim Steinman - Love, Death, and an American Guitar#Voodoo Sabotage - 4:32#*Sound Bites - Cheap Trick - I want you to want me...
was released. One preview of the album, the track "Voodoo Sabotage" was released on the Kleptones blog a few weeks prior to release. Later that year, on the 9th of August 2010, a collection of B-sides and tracks that didn't made it onto an album, Shits & Giggles
Shits & Giggles
Shits & Giggles is a 2010 mashup album by The Kleptones. It is a compilation of old songs that did not fit into the previous albums. Some songs date back to 2004 when the album A Night At The Hip-Hopera was released.-Track listing:...
was released.
Albums
- 2003 Yoshimi Battles the Hip-Hop RobotsYoshimi Battles the Hip-Hop RobotsYoshimi Battles the Hip-Hop Robots is a 2003 bastard pop album by The Kleptones. It combines instrumental tracks from The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots with vocal tracks from various rap songs.-Track listing:...
- 2004 A Night at the Hip-Hopera
- 2005 From Detroit to J.A.From Detroit to J.A.From Detroit to J.A. is The Kleptones' third album, which blends R&B instrumentals with Pop, Rap, and R&B vocals.The mashups were initially created for The Rinse radio show...
- 2006 24 Hours24 Hours (album)24 Hours is a 2006 mashup double concept album by The Kleptones. Like other albums by The Kleptones, the album intersperses quotes from movies and television in its songs....
- 2007 Live'r Than You'll Ever Be - Bestival 2007Live'r Than You'll Ever Be - Bestival 2007Live'r Than You'll Ever Be is a recording of a show by The Kleptones at the 2007 Bestival. The title is taken from the celebrated 1969 Rolling Stones bootleg.- Track listing :# "Precession" 2:32# "See" 3:33#* Queen, "One Vision"...
- 2010 Uptime / DowntimeUptime / Downtime-Uptime:#Call To Mind - 2:30#*Samples - Jim Steinman - Love, Death, and an American Guitar#Voodoo Sabotage - 4:32#*Sound Bites - Cheap Trick - I want you to want me...
- 2010 Shits & GigglesShits & GigglesShits & Giggles is a 2010 mashup album by The Kleptones. It is a compilation of old songs that did not fit into the previous albums. Some songs date back to 2004 when the album A Night At The Hip-Hopera was released.-Track listing:...
EPs
- 2003 Never Trust OriginalityNever Trust Originality-Track listing:# "Their Prayer" – 1:05# "Maybe Another Here" – 8:32# "Homesick" – 6:26# "Potato Salad" – 5:21-External links:*...
- 2006 EP1
- 2006 EP2
- 2006 EP3
Non-album singles
- 2002 "Madonna Is A Breeder" - 4:48
- 2003 "Bling Crosby" - 2:25
- 2004 "Bo Rhap" - 6:50
- 2006 "Careless Or Dead (Bootie Version)" - 4:44