Perceiving the Mosaic: Form in the Mashups of DJ Earworm

Abstract

The formal analysis of mashups is generally overlooked because their structures are assumed to be derived from one or more of their component tracks. This article explores the generation of original formal structures in one of the most well-known and complex mashup artists, DJ Earworm. We show that the form of his mashups can neither be derived from a singular work nor be analyzed by their thematic or harmonic construction. Instead, verse–chorus forms are revealed by correlating mashup sections to the formal origins of their borrowed material, which is based on the composer’s writings and interviews, a history of formal correlation in the mashup genre, and multiple analyses.