Press Play

Welcome to My Mixtape. It Never Ends.

So here’s the idea. Each day I’m going to add a song to a playlist and share it on the evil streaming empires known as Spotify and Apple Music. I’ll share the status of the playlist here and write a little something about each new song added.

Playlists Aren’t Mixtapes, Though

I’m aware, but there’s an art that goes into making a proper mix that I think is lost in the age of playlists. There’s an art that a good playlist can have that many ignore, and part of what I’m going to be writing about is what makes a good mix; the sounds, the sequences, the themes that emerge, and where they come from. Plus, Infinite Mixtape sounds dope. Infinite Playlist sounds like a thing that probably exists on an old Robert Christgau hard drive from 1998.

You Have Spotify and Apple Music?

Yes, for reasons, mostly subscription based. I should really cancel one but I like the UI and discoverability of Spotify quite a bit while music sounds better on Apple. Plus I’m a dinosaur that still has Apple Match, the annual service that does a pisspoor job of maintaining years worth of playlists I made on iTunes.

Why An Ode to a Dead Format?

That’s a good question. Why make something and call it something it isn’t and could never be? To answer, allow me to get a bit personal.

Oh boy.

Yes, well “you” asked.

So this year I set out with a lot of personal creative goals. I was working on rewriting a novel I completed ten years ago. I set out to complete an audio fiction podcast album. I tried sending a separate audio fiction pilot I created around to see who was interested. I did all this while taking a bit of a mental break from the big audio fiction project that has dominated my life for the past ten years. I made a lot of progress but I also second guessed myself a lot, a condition I’ve faced my whole life, and at this point I’ve learned there is no cure and it’s terminal.

But. People have always told me I make good mixes. Back when they were tapes. Back when they were burned CDs. And now that they’re shared links I send via text. People enjoy them. And I enjoy making them.

So given that this year has had a lot of ups and downs creatively, I wanted to do something I felt good about. Something that was simple, had a daily writing commitment to help me not get rusty, and something that was connected to something I love.

So press play. Hit shuffle. Or fast forward on to the next stack of subs. No matter who or wear you are, I hope you’ll indulge me and listen for as long or as light as you’d like.

The playlist begins on November 1, 2024.