The Mix-Up

The Mix-Up
Studio album by Beastie Boys
Released	June 26, 2007
Recorded	2006–2007 at Oscilloscope Laboratories, New York, New York City
Genre	Funk, post-punk, instrumental, jazz fusion
Length	42:43
Label	Capitol
Producer	Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys chronology
To the 5 Boroughs (2004) The Mix-Up (2007) Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (2011)

The Mix-Up is the seventh studio album by the Beastie Boys, released on June 26, 2007. It consists entirely of instrumental performances and won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

Background

On May 1, 2007, an e-mail sent to those on the Beastie Boys' mailing list revealed the album is all instrumental.

“

OK, here's our blurb about our new album — it spits hot fire! — hot s***! it's official... it's named THE MIX-UP. g'wan. all instrumental record. "see i knew they were gonna do that!" that's a quote from you. check the track listing and cover below. you love us. don't you?"

”

On June 21, 2007, a legal stream of the entire album was released on BrooklynVegan.com. Snippets of all the songs on the album can be found on BeastieBoys.Com along with the video for one of the songs, "Off the Grid". The video for "The Rat Cage" has also been released.

Drummer Mike D said that "even though The Mix-Up is a 'post-punk instrumental' album, the Beasties have no plans to ditch vocals for good. In fact, they are currently planning another version of the album that will feature collaborations with 'a pretty wide array' of 'mostly newer' vocalists."

Two singers speculated to be featured on the vocal version were Jarvis Cocker and M.I.A., with Mark Ronson somehow also involved. The idea for this version of the album has since been abandoned.^{[citation needed]}

In an interview with The Aquarian Weekly, published in February 2008, the band was asked if they were making a statement about the status of hip-hop music by releasing an album strictly of instrumentals. “In a way, the album was a reaction to our hip hop," said Ad-Rock "Our last record was an all rap record, so when we started recording [The Mix Up] we wanted to work with some instruments, and it just sounded cool, so we kept with it.”

Diamond expanded on Ad-Rock's response, adding, "“We get asked, ‘What do you think of the state of hip hop today?’ a lot. Maybe I’m being defensive, but it seems like people always look for us to come out and criticize hip hop. But hip hop is what we grew up on, and it continues to be one of the only forms of music left that strives on evolution and innovation. Yeah, we might be in a spell where we’re waiting for that next record to come out and change everything—but still, that’s what hip hop is and that’s what puts it in its unique place.”

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	61/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
The A.V. Club	B
Entertainment Weekly	C+
IGN	9.4/10
NME	4/10
Pitchfork Media	4.6/10
PopMatters	6/10
Robert Christgau
Rockfeedback
Rolling Stone

The album debuted at number 15 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 44,000 copies in its first week. As of April 27, 2008, the album sold 258,000 copies worldwide. In Australia, the album debuted at number 42. In the UK, the album debuted at number 79. It is by far their lowest charting album in the UK so far, the highest being Hello Nasty, which debuted at number 1.

According to BallerStatus.com, The Mix-Up was the highest selling "hip hop album" of that week. On September 15, the Beastie Boys sent a newsletter listing the last of the shows associated with The Mix-Up; within the newsletter it was joked The Mix-Up was a platinum record.

Uncut magazine gave it four stars out of five, saying "The Mix-Up is the best record collection ever thoroughly digested and re-imagined by a bunch of guys in love with sound."

The Mix-Up won a Grammy in the Best Pop Instrumental category.

Track listing

1. "B for My Name" – 3:31
2. "14th St. Break" – 3:34
3. "Suco de Tangerina" – 3:17
4. "The Gala Event" – 3:47
5. "Electric Worm" – 3:15
6. "Freaky Hijiki" – 3:05
7. "Off the Grid" – 4:36
8. "The Rat Cage" – 3:37
9. "The Melee" – 3:10
10. "Dramastically Different" – 3:57
11. "The Cousin of Death" – 3:06
12. "The Kangaroo Rat" – 3:28
13. "Biscuits and Butter" (iTunes exclusive) – 4:19

The Mix-Up Bonus Tracks

The Mix-Up Bonus Tracks
EP by Beastie Boys
Released	December 23, 2008
Length	21:25

A set of bonus tracks were offered as digital downloads as a part of the EP The Mix-Up Bonus Tracks. It was released on December 23, 2008.

1. "Politickin'" – 3:57
2. "Beasley Is a Beast" – 3:49
3. "LTD" – 3:12
4. "The Panda Rat" – 3:40
5. "The Mix-Up" – 3:34
6. "Fibonacci Sequence" – 3:13

Personnel

Beastie Boys

• Adrock – guitars, producer, engineer, art direction
• MCA – bass guitar and upright basses, producer, engineer, art direction
• Mike D – drums, producer, engineer, art direction

Additional musicians

• Mark Nishita – Clavinet, Rhodes, Farfisa
• Alfredo Ortiz – percussion

Technical personnel

• Jon Weiner – engineer
• Greg Calbi – mastering
• Bill McMullen – illustration, package design