Mixtape Madness



This is an unnecessarily long write up to pair with the playlist outlining how it came about and what the playlist itself is about….please feel free to just go straight to the music or read as you’re playing but I don’t expect everyone to read this lol. Also sorry this was delayed two weeks - as @Woob_woob said some life stuff got in the way. All good now.


Usually my playlists attempt to capture a certain vibe or are made for a particular purpose (driving, working out, making love, etc.) but this playlist was a little more ambitious. It attempts to tell a story in a short 15 songs. The essence or the motto of this playlist is the phrase “If it don’t touch my soul, then I can’t listen to it.” This is a line from the song located in the middle of the playlist, The Vent, by Big K.R.I.T. It’s one of my favorite songs of all time and this line has always stuck with me. It became something that lived in the back of my mind as I was seeking out new music and trying to understand why I enjoy the music do. It is not a pure hip hop playlist, but everything about it relates back to that genre in some form. I think it’s such an incredible genre because of the obvious influences, samples, and styles it takes from other black music - soul, jazz, blues, R&B, go-go, disco, etc. The playlist starts out slow with some soul and ends slow (but triumphantly) with some more laid back, soulful hip hop cuts. The middle is where it gets interesting. Hip-hop fans should feel right at home, but those not as familiar may see this as a more challenging listen. However, I think there’s something for everyone in here. This mix is pretty dense. It was very hard to narrow down to 15 songs. I don’t think it’s the most cohesive, but I guess that’s part of the journey. There’s definitely some ups and downs, some more abrupt than others…some pointing out the irony between the dichotomies of complex vs. simple, deep vs. superficial, light vs. dark.


As much as the playlist is about finding soul in music, it is about my personal journey of music growing up to now and how it’s evolved over time. In one sense, I think the phrase “If it don’t touch my soul…” can be somewhat limiting when viewed in a strict sense of seeking out music that has aspects of “true hip hop”, strong lyrical content, or obvious soulful components. This relates to my brief stint as kind of backpacker (after discovering Lupe Fiasco and becoming obsessed with lyrics). For those that don’t know, a backpacker is someone who is basically an asshole ad self-described “true hip hop head” who only listens to conscious rap or underground rap acts. “Drizzy Drake? Psshhhh, have you heard that 1993 demo tape from MC TrashPakker who recorded the whole thing behind a Denny’s on a $20 microphone while his girlfriend was shooting heroin. It shits all over that wack Take Care shit. That’s REAL HIP HOP” is something you may have heard a backpacker say around the early 2010s. Jokes, aside it took me a while to grow out of this obsession with conscious hip hop, lyrics, and breaking down music to the components I found essential.


Artists like Young Thug, Yung Lean, Underachievers, Action Bronson and others really helped expand my vision of what music should be and what hip hop can be around the middle of this decade. Hip hop has never been about what you’re saying but how you’re saying it. Sure you could just say “When I was a poor kid I tried to dress nice but I had to sell drugs to get by”, but that’s not nearly as compelling as when Raekwon spits “A young youth, yo, rockin' the gold tooth, 'Lo goose. Only way I begin the G off was drug loot”. Of course a lot has changed since the golden era when beats allowed lyrics to take the forefront and bars were backing with literary devices, but to say that any creativity, lyrical ability or artistry has been evaporated from contemporary hip hop is ignorant to say the least.


There was no way I was going to be able to make this playlist without a strong influence from southern hip hop, which explains the inclusion of legends like Project Pat, Jeezy, and the younger southern artists that round out the end of the playlist. It also probably explains my love of artists like Young Thug, Migos, Sauce Walka, Denzel Curry, early Migos, etc. Other than lots of New York hip hop, I was also exposed to a lot of Three 6 Mafia, Jeezy, Chamillionaire and UGK from an early age. I credit that to my friend Everett from New Jersey. I lived thre around 2005-2009 and he was my best friend. We made home movies, comedy skits, and songs together. He eventually went on to produce beats for DJ Khaled, Curren$y and Yo Gotti. He introduced me to a lot of good stuff that shaped my taste in the future. The playlist, in a way follows my personal journey chronologically, frontloaded with some of my first favorite artists like Lupe and Freeway followed by classic New York hip hop, then transitioning to the sounds of the early 2010s of the end of the mixtape era, and finally finishing with some of classic southern hip hop and a few younger artists that felt that influence.


There is definitely a strong emphasis on good sampling and blending of different music influences which are two of the things I most love about music and hip-hop specifically. The playlist originally started with only the first song and the last. I wanted to showcase my love for Maze and one of my favorite samples in a hip hop song. The playlist ultimately comes full circle after taking you on a journey of what it means to me to be music that “touch my soul”. It’s not just something that uses an 80s soul sample or has deep metaphors. It’s something that evokes emotion. Period. Stuff that’s lighthearted and makes me laugh like Buggin Out and stuff that is just real authentic like the Chuck Strangers track. Stuff that is bursting with energy in the vocals and ad-libs like Young Thug. And stuff with bars lyrics and delivery so undeniable you can’t help but stankface while listening like Ghostface and Raekwon. And everything in between. You can’t always explain why you like music and you shouldn’t always have to. This is something I’ve had to learn growing up – I’ve still got a long ways to go. More important than anything I think is to be open minded, so I ask for you to do the same when listening to this playlist. I think it was probably too ambitious a goal for just 15 tracks and probably would look different if I took another month or two to formulate it, but I hope you appreciate it and let me know what you think. What sticks out? What did you learn from it? What could be better? What does it make you feel? If you made it all the way through this very sporadic write up I appreciate you and hope this helped you gain some insight to the playlist and my personal taste for music and love of hip hop. Enjoy the mix!


Really enjoying this, thank you! Some stuff I knew and loved (Lupe and Nas), other stuff I didn't know and am liking (Freeway and most of the southern hip hop). The idea behind this is deep on several levels. I think the “If it don’t touch my soul…” motto and trying to capture your evolving musical tastes over the years are really cool concepts. I also love that it starts with a soul track and ends with that same track being sampled in a hip hop track. It's obvious a lot of thought went into this and I really appreciate that!

Some notes: I had never heard of Maze until about a month ago when someone working at a record store recommended them to me based on some other stuff I was interested in. I picked up Can't Stop the Love that day, and really enjoy it. I Need You was new to me, and it's amazing! I had never listened to Big K.R.I.T. before and that wasn't what I was expecting at all, really liked that song a lot, very deep. I love the production on I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times), great track! Hurt Me Soul is one of my favorites from Lupe, who is one of my favorite rappers. I'm honestly not sure how You Dropped A Bomb On Me ties into everything, but I still liked its inclusion haha. That Jeezy track is fantastic, and you're right, the sample is on point, going to be listening to this one a lot! Two lines that I pulled out of the playlist that stick with me, and that I can relate with, that are along the same lines as “If it don’t touch my soul, then I can’t listen to it” were Lupe's: "I used to hate hip hop, yup, because the women degraded" and Big K.R.I.T.'s "The radio don't play the shit I used to love, or maybe I'm just growing up." I feel as I've gotten older my tastes have changed a little and what I'm willing to listen to have changed as well. I used to LOVE Eminem back in middle and high school, but that type of rap just doesn't appeal to me at all anymore and I can't even listen to it.

Anyway, great mix, thanks for sharing!
 
I’m honestly not sure how You Dropped A Bomb On Me ties into everything, but I still liked its inclusion haha. Two lines that I pulled out of the playlist that stick with me, and that I can relate with, that are along the same lines as “If it don’t touch my soul, then I can’t listen to it” were Lupe's: "I used to hate hip hop, yup, because the women degraded" and Big K.R.I.T.'s "The radio don't play the shit I used to love, or maybe I'm just growing up." I feel as I've gotten older my tastes have changed a little and what I'm willing to listen to have changed as well. I used to LOVE Eminem back in middle and high school, but that type of rap just doesn't appeal to me at all anymore and I can't even listen to it.

Anyway, great mix, thanks for sharing!

Honestly not sure that Dropped a Bomb on Me fits in super well but its a cool track I wanted to share. I wanted another funk/soul kinda track and decided on this. It was originally something that my dad tried to put me onto. Definitely wasn’t about it at first and dismissed it as “old people music” but now I really enjoy the Gap Band lol. So i guess it kind of goes with the theme of changing tastes. Plus I think it has a nice contrast with I Need You. Could have done some Main Ingredient or Marvin or something but I wanted to share this one.

I’m really glad you’re enjoying it. Those two lines I definitely feel are essential to the ethos of the mix. Lupe’s whole outlook on hip hop in that song is something special and aspects of it I can definitely relate to.

I Know There’s Gonna be Good Times is the perfect summer time jam and deserves a spot in any playlist around this time of year.

I really tried to avoid having more than one song from the same artist when forming the playlist but I really loved the use of sampling on both those freeway songs (he’s the king of mixing vocal samples into his bars imo) and the pacing of them felt perfect too. Plus it’s nice to highlight one of my first favorite rappers who I think is very underrated
 
I just wanted to say I love this thread already haha I wasn't sure if the next person was randomly selected or not so I started one to make sure I had a concept if I was chosen soon. Once I was told it was in order of the list I thought to myself, I'll come back and finish it when it's my turn. I couldn't stay away though, I've already finished the mix and done a write up for it haha it just sucked me in, I can't wait to share it with you guys in...September 😂😂😂 Who knows, by then I may have a ton ready and waiting. Anyway, yeah, just wanted to say how much fun I had making it this week, so thank you!
 
I just wanted to say I love this thread already haha I wasn't sure if the next person was randomly selected or not so I started one to make sure I had a concept if I was chosen soon. Once I was told it was in order of the list I thought to myself, I'll come back and finish it when it's my turn. I couldn't stay away though, I've already finished the mix and done a write up for it haha it just sucked me in, I can't wait to share it with you guys in...September 😂😂😂 Who knows, by then I may have a ton ready and waiting. Anyway, yeah, just wanted to say how much fun I had making it this week, so thank you!

I'm working on my second one already if it makes you feel any better.
 
I’d definitely like to create a list of songs to listen to, so please throw me on the list! I only use Spotify because Apple has burned me too many times by deleting songs off my collection so I refuse to ever use them again.
 
@Woob_woob just discovered this thread! SIGN ME UP!
I’d definitely like to create a list of songs to listen to, so please throw me on the list! I only use Spotify because Apple has burned me too many times by deleting songs off my collection so I refuse to ever use them again.
You're both added.

I'm going to cap the upcoming list at 20, so at the moment we have two more open spots. If anyone wants them, just let me know
 
Hey @TheLoopDigga!

Dug this mix. I loved seeing stuff on there that I recognize/own (Maze, Raekwon, ATCQ) mixed in with stuff I have heard of and never checked out (Big K.R.I.T., Lupe Fiasco) and a whole mess of stuff that was new to me :)

My absolute favorites from this mix were Lupe Fiasco, Chuck Strangers, Big K.R.I.T., and Yung Lean. I kept coming back to those, and they never got old for me!

Freeway were the only tracks that I just could not latch well with. It's not his rhymes, I found his writing to be compelling and hold my interest... part of it, I think, might be the production value (they reminded me of late 90's mixtapes) and, moreso, his actual voice. Freeway holds a special place with me of rappers whose writing I enjoy but whose delivery/voice is not particularly enjoyable for me. My wife and I actually have had several conversations about this phenomenon. I can't understand why she doesn't like Kendrick's voice, and she can't quite fathom why I hate Jay-Z's voice (I know, I know, hot take).

I guess I have two questions for you:

1. Are there any artists you feel that way about?
2. How does production value or a rapper's voice versus their message influence the way you listen to them?

Thank you for this mix :)
 
Hey N&G Fam! Welcome to another week of Mixtape Madness! Excited to share this mix with you:


The following is a lengthy description about the mix and the concept behind it. You need not read to enjoy, but may want to for discussion purposes.

So for my Mixtape Madness, I thought I’d do something a bit different than previous curators. Instead of a well-thought out amalgamation of genre-specific or mood-specific music that has a carefully selected ebb and flow, I made an attempt to be a bit more educational in my Mixtape. Therefore, it’s ordered more chronologically as we examine influences and stylistic innovators that end in a particular album. So let’s dive right in.

22, A Million by Bon Iver is not only Vernon’s best work, but an album carefully created on the backs and influences of so many predecessors. It is an album that could not exist in its current form without the impressive innovations of so many pioneers in so many different genres that come before it.

We start with a brief 4-song look into the development of the key saxophone player, Colin Stetson. The tape begins with tracks by Earl Bostic and John Coltrane, two accomplished 70’s sax players. As you listen to these two, note the altissimo— the uppermost register of the instrument—and how they reach it despite very different styles. From there we go to two tracks of Stetson himself. Note his similar ability to reach this upper register as well as his ability to incorporate multi-phonics (several notes at once).

After this quick and dirty intro to jazz, there’s a nice lull as the folk song Jubilee from 1952 plays. There is notable influences in this Appalachia type music in both style and themes in all of Bon Iver’s works.

Following this track, there begins our journey through the technological influences of 22, A Million. “Believe” by Cher is one of the first songs to use the technology known as auto-tune, as the technology was launched just 1 year before the song debuted.

We break from auto-tune overload to look into dissonance with “Idioteque” and “Melancholia I”. Note the grating electronic tones at the beginning and at approximately 3:12 of “Idioteque” as well as the way Radiohead utilizes technology and electronica influences in this song—and all of Kid A for that matter. There is similar overt dissonance at the beginning of Basinski’s “Melancholia I,” but a different type of dissonance is also present. Throughout the whole piece, we get the feeling something is…off. Many of the tones seem just a slight step out of tune, even of a minor key, best heard in some of the basal tones around 1:28. (Note: I’m almost positive there's a term for this, but I cannot remember it for the life of me). Sorry for bumming y’all out with that one, let’s have some FUN!

T-Pain is up next with “I’m Sprung” and “Buy U a Drank.” There is no way we can have a discussion about the use of Auto-Tune in the musical industry without talking about Pain. The man is an absolute legend for taking a technology and using it to truly pioneer a musical style. Instead of being another R&B/Hip-Hop guy who uses his natural voice (see his Tiny Desk if you don’t believe me or you’ve been living under a rock), T-Pain developed a signature style that made him a platinum-certified recording artist by the age of 25. His signature is all over auto-tune’s usage and sometimes I personally wonder how long it would’ve taken artists to utilize AT to its full potential without T-Pain’s commitment to it.

Finally we start to bring it all together over the back third of the playlist. “Woods” is Justin Vernon’s first recorded usage of incorporating technology like Auto-Tune into his folk style. Note how his Appalachia folk influences still manage to come through even with the tech. Then we move onto Sufjan. Age of Adz is essentially Sufjan’s version of 22, A Million, only it came out about 6 years earlier. In “I Want To Be Well” and “Age of Adz” note Sufjan’s use of auto-tune, electronica influences, and dissonant tones—undoubtedly influenced by some of the previous artists and styles.

At last, we come to the crowing work of Justin Vernon, 22, A Million. The two songs I selected both feature auto-tune and electronic influences, similar to Age of Adz. Both have themes and tones of folk that people have come to love from Bon Iver. “21 Moon Water” is more dissonant—take careful listen around 2:25—while “____45_____” starts with the auto-tune being applied to a sax, played by, you guessed it, Colin Stetson. Again note the multiphonics at the beginning and altissimo around 1:12. All in all, 22, A Million is one of the best albums of the decade for the way it is careful to incorporate so many different styles of music—jazz techniques made famous in the 70’s, technology invented in the 90’s, and even dissonance pioneered by years of electronica.
 
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Hey N&G Fam! Welcome to another week of Mixtape Madness! Excited to share this mix with you:


The following is a lengthy description about the mix and the concept behind it. You need not read to enjoy, but may want to for discussion purposes.

So for my Mixtape Madness, I thought I’d do something a bit different than previous curators. Instead of a well-thought out amalgamation of genre-specific or mood-specific music that has a carefully selected ebb and flow, I made an attempt to be a bit more educational in my Mixtape. Therefore, it’s ordered more chronologically. So let’s dive right in.

22, A Million by Bon Iver is not only Vernon’s best work, but an album carefully created on the backs and influences of so many predecessors. It is an album that could not exist in its current form without the impressive innovations of so many pioneers in so many different genres that come before it.

We start with a brief 4-song look into the development of the key saxophone player, Colin Stetson. The tape begins with tracks by Earl Bostic and John Coltrane, two accomplished 70’s sax players. As you listen to these two, note the altissimo— the uppermost register of the instrument—and how they reach it despite very different styles. From there we go to two tracks of Stetson himself. Note his similar ability to reach this upper register as well as his ability to incorporate multi-phonics (several notes at once).

After this quick and dirty intro to jazz, there’s a nice lull as the folk song Jubilee from 1952 plays. There is notable influences in this Appalachia type music in both style and themes in all of Bon Iver’s works.

Following this track, there begins our journey through the technological influences of 22, A Million. “Believe” by Cher is one of the first songs to use the technology known as auto-tune, as the technology was launched just 1 year before the song debuted.

We break from auto-tune overload to look into dissonance with “Idioteque” and “Melancholia I”. Note the grating electronic tones at the beginning and at approximately 3:12 of “Idioteque” as well as the way Radiohead utilizes technology and electronica influences in this song—and all of Kid A for that matter. There is similar overt dissonance at the beginning of Basinski’s “Melancholia I,” but a different type of dissonance is also present. Throughout the whole piece, we get the feeling something is…off. Many of the tones seem just a slight step out of tune, even of a minor key, best heard in some of the basal tones around 1:28. (Note: I’m almost positive theres a term for this, but I cannot remember it for the life of me). Sorry for bumming y’all out with that one, let’s have some FUN!

T-Pain is up next with “I’m Sprung” and “Buy U a Drank.” There is no way we can have a discussion about the use of Auto-Tune in the musical industry without talking about Pain. The man is an absolute legend for taking a technology and using it to truly pioneer a musical style. Instead of being another R&B/Hip-Hop guy who uses his natural voice (see his Tiny Desk if you don’t believe me or you’ve been living under a rock), T-Pain developed a signature style that made him a platinum-certified recording artist by the age of 25. His signature is all over auto-tune’s usage and sometimes I personally wonder how long it would’ve taken artists to utilize AT to its full potential without T-Pain’s commitment to it.

Finally we start to bring it all together over the back third of the playlist. “Woods” is Justin Vernon’s first recorded usage of incorporating technology like Auto-Tune into his folk style. Note how his Appalachia folk influences still manage to come through even with the tech. Then we move onto Sufjan. Age of Adz is essentially Sufjan’s version of 22, A Million, only it came out about 6 years earlier. In “I Want To Be Well” and “Age of Adz” not Sufjan’s use of auto-tune, electronica influences, and dissonant tones—undoubtedly influenced by some of the previous artists and styles.

At last, we come to the crowing work of Justin Vernon, 22, A Million. The two songs I selected both feature auto-tune and electronic influences, similar to Age of Adz. Both have themes and tones of folk that people have come to love from Bon Iver. “21 Moon Water” is more dissonant—take careful listen around 2:25—while “____45_____” starts with the auto-tune being applied to a sax, played by, you guessed it, Colin Stetson. Again note the multiphonics at the beginning and altissimo around 1:12. All in all, 22, A Million is one of the best albums of the decade for the way it is careful to incorporate so many different styles of music—jazz techniques made famous in the 70’s, technology invented in the 90’s, and even dissonance pioneered by years of electronica.
The playlist isnt showing up for me

Edit: weird, its showing up in the quote tho
 
Hey N&G Fam! Welcome to another week of Mixtape Madness! Excited to share this mix with you:


The following is a lengthy description about the mix and the concept behind it. You need not read to enjoy, but may want to for discussion purposes.

So for my Mixtape Madness, I thought I’d do something a bit different than previous curators. Instead of a well-thought out amalgamation of genre-specific or mood-specific music that has a carefully selected ebb and flow, I made an attempt to be a bit more educational in my Mixtape. Therefore, it’s ordered more chronologically as we examine influences and stylistic innovators that end in a particular album. So let’s dive right in.

22, A Million by Bon Iver is not only Vernon’s best work, but an album carefully created on the backs and influences of so many predecessors. It is an album that could not exist in its current form without the impressive innovations of so many pioneers in so many different genres that come before it.

We start with a brief 4-song look into the development of the key saxophone player, Colin Stetson. The tape begins with tracks by Earl Bostic and John Coltrane, two accomplished 70’s sax players. As you listen to these two, note the altissimo— the uppermost register of the instrument—and how they reach it despite very different styles. From there we go to two tracks of Stetson himself. Note his similar ability to reach this upper register as well as his ability to incorporate multi-phonics (several notes at once).

After this quick and dirty intro to jazz, there’s a nice lull as the folk song Jubilee from 1952 plays. There is notable influences in this Appalachia type music in both style and themes in all of Bon Iver’s works.

Following this track, there begins our journey through the technological influences of 22, A Million. “Believe” by Cher is one of the first songs to use the technology known as auto-tune, as the technology was launched just 1 year before the song debuted.

We break from auto-tune overload to look into dissonance with “Idioteque” and “Melancholia I”. Note the grating electronic tones at the beginning and at approximately 3:12 of “Idioteque” as well as the way Radiohead utilizes technology and electronica influences in this song—and all of Kid A for that matter. There is similar overt dissonance at the beginning of Basinski’s “Melancholia I,” but a different type of dissonance is also present. Throughout the whole piece, we get the feeling something is…off. Many of the tones seem just a slight step out of tune, even of a minor key, best heard in some of the basal tones around 1:28. (Note: I’m almost positive theres a term for this, but I cannot remember it for the life of me). Sorry for bumming y’all out with that one, let’s have some FUN!

T-Pain is up next with “I’m Sprung” and “Buy U a Drank.” There is no way we can have a discussion about the use of Auto-Tune in the musical industry without talking about Pain. The man is an absolute legend for taking a technology and using it to truly pioneer a musical style. Instead of being another R&B/Hip-Hop guy who uses his natural voice (see his Tiny Desk if you don’t believe me or you’ve been living under a rock), T-Pain developed a signature style that made him a platinum-certified recording artist by the age of 25. His signature is all over auto-tune’s usage and sometimes I personally wonder how long it would’ve taken artists to utilize AT to its full potential without T-Pain’s commitment to it.

Finally we start to bring it all together over the back third of the playlist. “Woods” is Justin Vernon’s first recorded usage of incorporating technology like Auto-Tune into his folk style. Note how his Appalachia folk influences still manage to come through even with the tech. Then we move onto Sufjan. Age of Adz is essentially Sufjan’s version of 22, A Million, only it came out about 6 years earlier. In “I Want To Be Well” and “Age of Adz” note Sufjan’s use of auto-tune, electronica influences, and dissonant tones—undoubtedly influenced by some of the previous artists and styles.

At last, we come to the crowing work of Justin Vernon, 22, A Million. The two songs I selected both feature auto-tune and electronic influences, similar to Age of Adz. Both have themes and tones of folk that people have come to love from Bon Iver. “21 Moon Water” is more dissonant—take careful listen around 2:25—while “____45_____” starts with the auto-tune being applied to a sax, played by, you guessed it, Colin Stetson. Again note the multiphonics at the beginning and altissimo around 1:12. All in all, 22, A Million is one of the best albums of the decade for the way it is careful to incorporate so many different styles of music—jazz techniques made famous in the 70’s, technology invented in the 90’s, and even dissonance pioneered by years of electronica.
Wow, this is amazing!!!!!! I'm excited to dig in.
 
Hey @TheLoopDigga!

Dug this mix. I loved seeing stuff on there that I recognize/own (Maze, Raekwon, ATCQ) mixed in with stuff I have heard of and never checked out (Big K.R.I.T., Lupe Fiasco) and a whole mess of stuff that was new to me :)

My absolute favorites from this mix were Lupe Fiasco, Chuck Strangers, Big K.R.I.T., and Yung Lean. I kept coming back to those, and they never got old for me!

Freeway were the only tracks that I just could not latch well with. It's not his rhymes, I found his writing to be compelling and hold my interest... part of it, I think, might be the production value (they reminded me of late 90's mixtapes) and, moreso, his actual voice. Freeway holds a special place with me of rappers whose writing I enjoy but whose delivery/voice is not particularly enjoyable for me. My wife and I actually have had several conversations about this phenomenon. I can't understand why she doesn't like Kendrick's voice, and she can't quite fathom why I hate Jay-Z's voice (I know, I know, hot take).

I guess I have two questions for you:

1. Are there any artists you feel that way about?
2. How does production value or a rapper's voice versus their message influence the way you listen to them?

Thank you for this mix :)
Hey @MadLucas ,

Thanks for listening and thanks for your thoughts and questions!

1. Off the top I think of one of my favorite rappers, E-40 who just picks a lot of really bad beats and sometimes has awful hooks that ruin the song despite me loving the delivery, wit and flow in his verses. Danny Brown and Young Thug are people who's voices turned me off big time at first but now they're some of my favorite artists. I don't know If i can think of anyone I dislike SOLELY because of their voice although that can definitely have an impact.

2. Production value is really important for me. I think I've realized this more as time has gone on. If you're making a song about intense political struggles and personal conflict but the beat sounds like the My Little Pony soundtrack, I won't be able to take it seriously. I also think sometimes vocals are not enough to carry a song. You can have the most amazing verses and lyrics but if the beat sounds like it was recorded through garageband by a 12 year old and mixed through a Nokia, then I likely won't ever listen to the song again lol.
 
Hey N&G Fam! Welcome to another week of Mixtape Madness! Excited to share this mix with you:


The following is a lengthy description about the mix and the concept behind it. You need not read to enjoy, but may want to for discussion purposes.

So for my Mixtape Madness, I thought I’d do something a bit different than previous curators. Instead of a well-thought out amalgamation of genre-specific or mood-specific music that has a carefully selected ebb and flow, I made an attempt to be a bit more educational in my Mixtape. Therefore, it’s ordered more chronologically as we examine influences and stylistic innovators that end in a particular album. So let’s dive right in.

22, A Million by Bon Iver is not only Vernon’s best work, but an album carefully created on the backs and influences of so many predecessors. It is an album that could not exist in its current form without the impressive innovations of so many pioneers in so many different genres that come before it.

We start with a brief 4-song look into the development of the key saxophone player, Colin Stetson. The tape begins with tracks by Earl Bostic and John Coltrane, two accomplished 70’s sax players. As you listen to these two, note the altissimo— the uppermost register of the instrument—and how they reach it despite very different styles. From there we go to two tracks of Stetson himself. Note his similar ability to reach this upper register as well as his ability to incorporate multi-phonics (several notes at once).

After this quick and dirty intro to jazz, there’s a nice lull as the folk song Jubilee from 1952 plays. There is notable influences in this Appalachia type music in both style and themes in all of Bon Iver’s works.

Following this track, there begins our journey through the technological influences of 22, A Million. “Believe” by Cher is one of the first songs to use the technology known as auto-tune, as the technology was launched just 1 year before the song debuted.

We break from auto-tune overload to look into dissonance with “Idioteque” and “Melancholia I”. Note the grating electronic tones at the beginning and at approximately 3:12 of “Idioteque” as well as the way Radiohead utilizes technology and electronica influences in this song—and all of Kid A for that matter. There is similar overt dissonance at the beginning of Basinski’s “Melancholia I,” but a different type of dissonance is also present. Throughout the whole piece, we get the feeling something is…off. Many of the tones seem just a slight step out of tune, even of a minor key, best heard in some of the basal tones around 1:28. (Note: I’m almost positive theres a term for this, but I cannot remember it for the life of me). Sorry for bumming y’all out with that one, let’s have some FUN!

T-Pain is up next with “I’m Sprung” and “Buy U a Drank.” There is no way we can have a discussion about the use of Auto-Tune in the musical industry without talking about Pain. The man is an absolute legend for taking a technology and using it to truly pioneer a musical style. Instead of being another R&B/Hip-Hop guy who uses his natural voice (see his Tiny Desk if you don’t believe me or you’ve been living under a rock), T-Pain developed a signature style that made him a platinum-certified recording artist by the age of 25. His signature is all over auto-tune’s usage and sometimes I personally wonder how long it would’ve taken artists to utilize AT to its full potential without T-Pain’s commitment to it.

Finally we start to bring it all together over the back third of the playlist. “Woods” is Justin Vernon’s first recorded usage of incorporating technology like Auto-Tune into his folk style. Note how his Appalachia folk influences still manage to come through even with the tech. Then we move onto Sufjan. Age of Adz is essentially Sufjan’s version of 22, A Million, only it came out about 6 years earlier. In “I Want To Be Well” and “Age of Adz” note Sufjan’s use of auto-tune, electronica influences, and dissonant tones—undoubtedly influenced by some of the previous artists and styles.

At last, we come to the crowing work of Justin Vernon, 22, A Million. The two songs I selected both feature auto-tune and electronic influences, similar to Age of Adz. Both have themes and tones of folk that people have come to love from Bon Iver. “21 Moon Water” is more dissonant—take careful listen around 2:25—while “____45_____” starts with the auto-tune being applied to a sax, played by, you guessed it, Colin Stetson. Again note the multiphonics at the beginning and altissimo around 1:12. All in all, 22, A Million is one of the best albums of the decade for the way it is careful to incorporate so many different styles of music—jazz techniques made famous in the 70’s, technology invented in the 90’s, and even dissonance pioneered by years of electronica.

Love the concept behind this, can't wait to dive in!
 
Hey N&G Fam! Welcome to another week of Mixtape Madness! Excited to share this mix with you:


The following is a lengthy description about the mix and the concept behind it. You need not read to enjoy, but may want to for discussion purposes.

So for my Mixtape Madness, I thought I’d do something a bit different than previous curators. Instead of a well-thought out amalgamation of genre-specific or mood-specific music that has a carefully selected ebb and flow, I made an attempt to be a bit more educational in my Mixtape. Therefore, it’s ordered more chronologically as we examine influences and stylistic innovators that end in a particular album. So let’s dive right in.

22, A Million by Bon Iver is not only Vernon’s best work, but an album carefully created on the backs and influences of so many predecessors. It is an album that could not exist in its current form without the impressive innovations of so many pioneers in so many different genres that come before it.

We start with a brief 4-song look into the development of the key saxophone player, Colin Stetson. The tape begins with tracks by Earl Bostic and John Coltrane, two accomplished 70’s sax players. As you listen to these two, note the altissimo— the uppermost register of the instrument—and how they reach it despite very different styles. From there we go to two tracks of Stetson himself. Note his similar ability to reach this upper register as well as his ability to incorporate multi-phonics (several notes at once).

After this quick and dirty intro to jazz, there’s a nice lull as the folk song Jubilee from 1952 plays. There is notable influences in this Appalachia type music in both style and themes in all of Bon Iver’s works.

Following this track, there begins our journey through the technological influences of 22, A Million. “Believe” by Cher is one of the first songs to use the technology known as auto-tune, as the technology was launched just 1 year before the song debuted.

We break from auto-tune overload to look into dissonance with “Idioteque” and “Melancholia I”. Note the grating electronic tones at the beginning and at approximately 3:12 of “Idioteque” as well as the way Radiohead utilizes technology and electronica influences in this song—and all of Kid A for that matter. There is similar overt dissonance at the beginning of Basinski’s “Melancholia I,” but a different type of dissonance is also present. Throughout the whole piece, we get the feeling something is…off. Many of the tones seem just a slight step out of tune, even of a minor key, best heard in some of the basal tones around 1:28. (Note: I’m almost positive there's a term for this, but I cannot remember it for the life of me). Sorry for bumming y’all out with that one, let’s have some FUN!

T-Pain is up next with “I’m Sprung” and “Buy U a Drank.” There is no way we can have a discussion about the use of Auto-Tune in the musical industry without talking about Pain. The man is an absolute legend for taking a technology and using it to truly pioneer a musical style. Instead of being another R&B/Hip-Hop guy who uses his natural voice (see his Tiny Desk if you don’t believe me or you’ve been living under a rock), T-Pain developed a signature style that made him a platinum-certified recording artist by the age of 25. His signature is all over auto-tune’s usage and sometimes I personally wonder how long it would’ve taken artists to utilize AT to its full potential without T-Pain’s commitment to it.

Finally we start to bring it all together over the back third of the playlist. “Woods” is Justin Vernon’s first recorded usage of incorporating technology like Auto-Tune into his folk style. Note how his Appalachia folk influences still manage to come through even with the tech. Then we move onto Sufjan. Age of Adz is essentially Sufjan’s version of 22, A Million, only it came out about 6 years earlier. In “I Want To Be Well” and “Age of Adz” note Sufjan’s use of auto-tune, electronica influences, and dissonant tones—undoubtedly influenced by some of the previous artists and styles.

At last, we come to the crowing work of Justin Vernon, 22, A Million. The two songs I selected both feature auto-tune and electronic influences, similar to Age of Adz. Both have themes and tones of folk that people have come to love from Bon Iver. “21 Moon Water” is more dissonant—take careful listen around 2:25—while “____45_____” starts with the auto-tune being applied to a sax, played by, you guessed it, Colin Stetson. Again note the multiphonics at the beginning and altissimo around 1:12. All in all, 22, A Million is one of the best albums of the decade for the way it is careful to incorporate so many different styles of music—jazz techniques made famous in the 70’s, technology invented in the 90’s, and even dissonance pioneered by years of electronica.
Great description to this awesome sounding mix! Looking forward to giving it a listen.
 
@ModernCyrus really enjoying this mix, thank you! I hadn't listened to Sufjan, Bon Iver and most of the others on this playlist before (sadly the only songs I knew were radio hits from Cher and T-Pain haha) I really like everything from Colin Stetson on here and love the collab with BBNG. I also had no idea that Kanye "sampled" (read: used without altering at all) Woods by Bon Iver on Lost in the World. When that came on, I was like wait, I know this, it's Kanye!, but the beat never kicked in and I realized it was Bon Iver haha. Anyway, really cool concept and a fun ride, really like it!
 
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