The Mixtape Missive: A Compilation Primer
17th Nov 2006, 07:33 GMT
Remember mixtapes? They were the social networking system of our younger years: make a compilation for someone in the hopes you hit it off, maybe put a little extra work in if it's for a cute girl. Making a good mix is hard, even if you aren’t as horribly neurotic as John Cusack in High Fidelity. It requires a good read of the person you’re making the mix for, not to mention good musical taste. These days, with the ease of thousand-album music libraries, too many people have forgotten the hard-won lessons of their youth. So let’s go back to the age of tape decks and cracking voices for a refresher. [more]In terms of volume and ease, now is probably the best time ever to make a mixtape compilation--even if it's on a CD, a zip file, or just a string of attachments in an email message. After all, music is a social phenomenon, and telling your friends (whether in person, by phone, or MySpace) about a great new band is fast becoming a viable way for groups to survive. The internet also provides a ready medium for the remixes, edits, and mashups of the world’s bedroom producers. Still, though, it’s nice to have all your music literally at your fingertips; it lends itself to laziness, since it takes less work to make two hour-long playlists than it does to edit tracks down to a single glorious hour. Still, making a mix for someone else should be at least a little difficult—you should be thinking not only about what they like, but also about what they might like. With that in mind, let’s get ourselves into it. “Making a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention.” – High Fidelity You should think of your playlist as a sales pitch; it’s ok for the middle to be a little flat if they only remember the beginning and the end. (Anyone recall the middle of Kennedy’s inaugural “Ask not what your country can do for you…” address?) You’re trying to convince them to listen to the rest of your masterpiece, so choose something that’ll get you to a fast start--probably something you know they’ll like. You can gamble a little on the second track, since you already have their attention, but don’t get crazy--one good song choice won’t win anyone over. After that, feel free to play around with more obscure songs, but remember to keep their taste in mind. You get unlimited attempts to make a compilation you like, but this may be the only chance you get to make a compilation the person you are giving it to likes. There are a few other general rules to pay attention to. First, make sure you check the content of the songs in the mix. There’s nothing more awkward than making a playlist for someone you just met and then realizing that, as a whole, it’s basically the equivalent of singing a tender ballad under her window—especially if you’re not even interested. Bottom line: beware connotation. Next, check the flow of your playlist when you’re done. A Tribe Called Quest and Andrew W.K. are not good neighbors. Last, but certainly not least, comes the name. It's a tradition that has been abandoned lately, which is a shame. Getting a guitar rock mix called “Eclectic Electric Kleptomania” is half the fun. Mixes should be fun to both make and listen to. There are plenty of other minor tricks, but this little primer should be enough to make compilations that’ll make your new friend smile and your Jack Black-esque music nerd friend say, "That's so good, that should have been mine."
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