Megamix

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A megamix is a medley remix containing multiple songs in rapid succession. There may be only one verse or even just a brief chorus of each song used, sometimes in addition to samples of the same or other songs. To unify the songs together smoothly, a single backing beat may be added as background throughout the megamix, although this is not a must. This backing beat is kept basic so as to simplify mixing and to not compete with the music. These mixes are usually several minutes long at minimum, going up to a half-hour or an hour, or even more sometimes.

Ultimix is known for "flashback medleys" producing at least one or two every year based on popular songs of the year. Each is about 15 minutes long, usually with at least that many songs if not more.

"Album megamixes" feature all tracks from a particular album edited and compiled into one continuous medley. The "artist megamix" is also popular, including songs spanning a musician's career, with prolific artists such as Michael Jackson having more than one, usually from different remixers. Duran Duran created a megamix single from their own hits for the 1990 greatest-hits album Decade: Greatest Hits. Subsequently, artists such as Madonna, Britney Spears, and Janet Jackson have also released megamixes as singles in order to promote their greatest hits albums or in the latter's case, studio album. Many megamixes are bootlegs.

Megamixes and megamixers

Official releases (legal)

• The Grandmix series, by Dutch producer Ben Liebrand, usually as an end-of-the-year megamix. Liebrand is renowned for being one of the first to master the megamixing art style.
• The Max Mix series, (the first ever) Max Mix 1–Max Mix 12, also includes Max Mix Collection and SUPERMAX between 1984–1992, launched by Mike Platinas & Javier Ussía, then taken over by Toni Peret & Jose Mª Castells starting with volume 3.
• Publisher MAX Music.

• As of August 2012, Peret still produces the Max Mix series. Another notable series of theirs is the Maquina Total mixes (volume 1 to 9).
• The Dance Computer series, launched by The Unity Mixers (Luc Rigaux & Patrick Samoy). After the 2nd opus, they went on to produce other megamixes such as the Unity Mixes (volume 1 to 6), while the Mastermixers Unity and Stefano Paganelli produced the 3rd volume and 4th to 9th volume, respectively.
• The Tribal-Rave megamixes, by Dutch producer Bob Snoeijer. Only parts 1 and 2 exist.

Bootleg releases (not legal)

• The Deep Dance series (1988–present), by German producer DJ Deep from volumes 1 to 66, then taken over by other producers such as DJ O and Breakfreak32 from volume 67 and up. As of August 2012, the series is still going on.^[1]
• The Story series (1996–2010), by German producer DJ Studio 33 from the 1st Story to the 34th Story, then taken over by other unknown producers starting with the 35th Story. The series has ended in 2012 with the 103st Story (The Last Story).^[2]
• The Poolmix series, by Danish producer DJ Pool, each with its own musical theme.
• The Ultimate 90's Megamix and The Millennium Megamix, by Australian producer Samus Jay, each representing the 1990s and the 2000s, respectively.
• The Yearmix series, not done by a particular producer per se, but rather a general theme borrowed by a vast amount of DJs and producers around the world, as "end-of-the-year mixes". They're usually grouping together the best songs for a given year, in a given genre. The concept was first mastered by Ben Liebrand with his Grandmix series.

Other notable releases/series

• The Mission Impossible Mix, by Pieters Joosten (600 songs mixed in an hour)
• Jinx Mix Series 1–6, House Pacific Series 1–3, Direct Disco Series 1–12, History of House 1–10, The Ultimate 90's Mix and The Ultimate Millennium Megamix, by Samus Jay
• Legendary Megamix, by The Legendary Mastermind
• Magic Dance Xplosion and Magic Mix, by DJ Magic
• Beat 66 and Big Mix, by DJ Adamski
• Your Mix-Weekend, by Martin Pieters
• Deep Dance and Studio 33 the XXth Story series, originally started by DJ Deep and Studio 33 but done later by DJ O. and Breakfreak32
• Beat-Mix, by The King of Mix
• Dance Beat Explosion, by DJ Karsten

Musical acts that have produced official megamixes

References