It's been almost 4 years since I
first started dabbling in the art of playlisting on Spotify. Inspired by the
beautiful, quirky and random mixtapes folk around my age used to make when we
were kids and young adults. At first we created them to record songs we
liked off the radio and not have to rely on radio DJs or our own meagre
record and tape collections to listen to our favourite tracks.
Later, as we became more practised and relatively affluent, our mixtape skills focused on compiling songs that worked well together and then sharing our mixes with friends. To make a mixtape for someone was one of the most romantic or caring gestures we could make. That hand-sized plastic package of carefully chosen music with a handwritten track list and sometimes a handmade insert or cover crafted from magazine cut out collage, could seal new friendships, heal broken ones and keep us company through the many tough times of adolescence and early adulthood.
The idea of being able to stream and
buy digital copies of our favourite songs and tracks was something we could not
even dream of yet. To have such a vast quantity of music available 24/7 would
have been unbelievable to our younger selves. Yet here we are - unlimited
streaming, vast catalogues and endless playback.
Playlisting itself has developed into
an art form of its own and despite lacking the tactility, smell or physical
presence of analogue cassette tapes, digital playlists can carry a similar
potency. The initial magic ingredients of taking time and thought to carefully
curate a list, perfect for a certain time, a certain moment, a certain someone,
remains.
My first attempt was a little roughshod mix for a friend going through some momentous life changes. It runs over 5 hours long and includes such disparities as Pete Tong, Robert Plant, Alex The Astronaut, Billie Holiday, St. Vincent, Fleetwood Mac, Geri Halliwell, Elbow and many many more but each track is carefully selected and ordered (although back then, I naively imagined that the ultimate track order would be whatever I chose by clicking on ‘date added’, ‘album’ or ‘song title’ (ascending or descending) rather than the original order of tracks as they were added) to give an overall effect of playful curiosity and burgeoning confidence wrapped up in a soothing hug. I hope that comes across!!
As you can see by the notes I added to the playlist description (or imaginary cassette insert if you like) there is
magic in the giving of as well as the reception of a well thought out mixtape:
This ‘mix-tape’ was put together as a musical hug for a friend. I've listened to it almost daily these past few months which have been a super challenging time for me. It has been a life buoy, comfort blanket, spirit lifter, solace, distraction + inspiration. I hope you feel moved by the music too x
My first Spotify Mix-Tapes were
considerably longer than they are now, reflecting my excitement at the
seemingly endless possibilities of curating a soundtrack gift to share. They contained
anywhere between 37 and 78 tracks - up to 5 ½ hours of play! Now they are limited
to 27 items but are still derived from an addiction to the curating of music to
share.
In the beginning stages of
writing practice back then, it seemed natural to bring that craft to the playlist
too. Feeling the need for a challenge to shake up my early writing style, I gave
myself the challenge of writing a piece of poetry or prose using all the track
titles listed to construct a conversation, a letter, memory fragments or some
other form of communication - a message in a bottle if you like. Thus the Mix-Tape Poems were born.
Mix-Tape 1 - I Believe In Music - Jun2018
November 2021 I began creating my fortieth Mix-Tape called I Knew You, titled after the first soul baring track by Future Islands. I'm not sure why this mix needed a full hibernation period before sprouting its wings out into the world, but this slowly emerging spring feels like the right time to unearth its gems and let it grow. Personally, I am falling in love with it, and the magic of the mixtape process, all over again. I hope you do too.. x
Mix-Tape 40 - I Knew You - Winter2021/22
Description Poem:
Always running down / this dead end street is hard / There's music in the darkness / grooves pounded into heart / sways with our emotions / Hush. Yonder door is open / bright lights beam our way / disco balls glitter, say / we've arrived.. x
Fragments:
Our last
sundown fell aeons ago, way beyond our horizons yet
Was it so long-ago
that you knew me babe and I knew you?
We were love’s
refuges rolling a dark train of disappointment
Pushed underground
through a tunnel snaking dark and long
Myriad memories
meander over this aging mindscape-
That last
year as surprising as the seasons confused
Like time runaway
we were far from our true selves..
Unnaturally
warm spring and it was cold in summer
A lonely
girl in the rain and my love, I kissed someone (it wasn’t you)
Though I
was thinking of you I swear, your face was all I saw..
They say,
you’re on your way and I wonder after all this time
Will you
remember me? Will you recognise these darkened eyes..
You came
back then and I can’t believe we had another chance
Yet there
on Redondo beach we claimed our own secret Paradise
The clouds
lifted and we danced, you in your faded blue jeans
My white
dress torn like my heart, a tattered shell, unshored
But you
held my hand, said ‘I know places’ and you know how it is
When you
love too much, I swear my heart was a firework - constant
Explosions
- all senses flowing like a river to the open sea
We were in
heaven, and I swear, it was just like old times..
At
Groovata the sun swelled over the midnight ocean
In your
arms I felt serene, full of grace by your side
I only
feel cool when I’m with you and something wonderful-
Something unparalleled
fell into our laps, babe, magic, I swear.
Our eyes
fixed, you breathed ‘My Millennium Angel’, and I belonged
From that
moment on, I swear I was yours. Even now, all it takes-
A touch of
southern breeze can bring me back to you, those nights..
You
remember how the edges bled and we lived in soft filter babe
Polaroid kisses,
even the whale song called out to our wildness
The sound fills
me with heartbreak now, time and time again
Sunset’s
arms still stretch wide though there’s only me now
But you’re
coming back, and I swear babe, if this ain’t love
I don’t
know what is. This summer will be my last here so
Whatever the weather, find me babe, come give me love.. xx
