the art of the mix, vol. 1: the introductory mix

there are many types of mixes that one can make, but the most common of all is the introductory mix. the typical use of this type is to introduce your tastes in music to someone else. this can also be used to introduce a particular band or musician to someone (commonly referred to as "best of" mixes, but still a form of introductory mix).

while mixing, it is vital to choose your medium. will it be a tape or cd? with the advancements in digital technology and the ease with which one can download mp3s and upload songs to a computer, cds are the easier choice and also the best in terms of playability by your recipient. however, there are some of us who still prefer to make a good old-fashioned mix tape. tapes are more intimate than cds. you need to sit there for the ninety minutes that it takes for the tape to run, and the choices may be more spontaneous than they would be on a cd, where you can pre-select and rearrange tracks on your computer program. tapes tend to show mood at the time of mixing better than cds will, though, if you are crafty, you can make a perfect mood cd as well. do not feel limited by either medium, as they both have pros and cons. instead, give in to the art of the mix!

ninety minute tapes are the optimum length for mix tapes, while sixty-nine to seventy-three minutes would be the optimum length for a mix cd. though you may have eighty minutes to use, i would not recommend using all eighty. that can be overwhelming for a listener. you may be asking yourself, "why would ninety minutes be okay for a tape, but eighty is not okay for a cd?" the answer to that is that with a tape, you have the automatic break of side a to side b, so the listener can break it up into two separate listening experiences, if they so choose. whereas, with cds, one tends to listen the whole way through.

as with everything in life, there are rules to follow while making the introductory mix.

1. do not repeat artists on the mix.
this is the cardinal rule of the introductory mix, with the exception of "best of" artist mixes. it is not okay to put more than one song by any one particular band on a mix. the purpose of this mix is to introduce as many good songs and artists as possible to your listener, and by repeating musicians, you are not holding true to the purpose of the mix.

however, you may make exceptions to this. let us use stephen malkmus as an example. it would be possible to put stephen malkmus on one mix three times, as long as you do not put three "stephen malkmus" songs on said mix. stephen malkmus, prior to putting out solo and "jicks" albums, was in the band pavement, and also worked on some silver jews albums. you could put a silver jews song that malkmus sings on, a pavement song, and a stephen malkmus and the jicks song on, and you would not be breaking the rule, since all three are separate entities and have different sounds.

examples in practice:
introduction II - silver jews
harness your hopes - pavement
jenny and the ess-dog - stephen malkmus and the jicks

as long as the artist is working under a different moniker, you are free to use them more than once. loopholes rock!

2. know your audience.
you do not need to know everything that your listener has in their music collection, but it is helpful to have an idea of what they like. if your listener is an obsessive elliott smith fan, it is pointless to put any smith tracks on a mix, because they will most likely have this in their collection already. if your listener hates a particular artist (bright eyes), then do NOT use this artist on a mix, no matter how much you love them.

though this is not necessary with an introductory mix, you may also choose to customize the mix to the listeners tastes. this is only possible if you have broader knowledge of their musical tastes and music collection. if you have this knowledge, then you may choose to put particular artists on that are similar, but not the same, as some of their favorites. this is a variation on the standard introductory mix, and gives a personal touch to the mixing process.

3. keep the listener engaged.
some songs are really amazing, but are simply not mix-worthy. songs should be six minutes or less in duration. the mix should start off kind of slow, but interesting, and gradually increase in intensity through the first few songs. at that point, one should maintain the intensity and tempo for a few songs before mixing it up with a slower song or a longer song. not all songs should sound the same. there should not be a full mix of hard rock songs, for example.

the typical formula for a mix is to:
start it slow
build it up
maintain it
mix it up
bring it down
end it

"it" being the tempo and feel of the overall mix.

*
following those three rules will not guarantee success, but should help serve as overarching guidelines for the mix process.

in introductory mixes, it is nice to have some "standards" on hand to use for the mix. it is okay to use these songs on different mixes, as long as these are mixes for different listeners. these songs should be good (obviously) and should reflect your personal favorite artists and songs.

personal favorite standards for introductory mixes:
harness your hopes - pavement
up jumped the devil - nick cave and the bad seeds
in the aeroplane over the sea - neutral milk hotel
i wish i was the moon - neko case
no cease fires! - destroyer

(this list could go on and on, but that is at least a short representation.)

mixes not only introduce songs and artists to a listener, but they represent a part of you to your listener. if you are a big music fan, then these bands and musicians should be near and dear to your heart, and you are sharing that with someone else. it is a reflection of you and your style, whether you intend for it to be or not. it is. that is a fact.


further information to follow in future art of the mix volumes.