Any one of a certain age will know what a mixtape is and have most likely created one. Any one under a certain age should know what they are or were and the clue is in the name. The practice did continue onto CDs with many being burned via computer from ripping CDs and downloading via Napster and other platforms like Limewire. The modern mixtape is basically a Spotify playlist.
If you’re not sure a mixtape is a custom compilation of music recorded onto a physical medium like a cassette tape or CD, or compiled as a digital playlist. Historically, people made them to share favorite songs or express feelings. In modern music, artists also release independent, loosely structured albums called mixtapes.
It’s the express feeling part I was thinking about this morning. Spotify build me weekly playlist based on my algorithm and I have in the past compiled playlists for the car, the bike or the gym for myself.
Does anyone create and share playlists for friends and loved ones, especially loved ones. Do you make specific heartfelt lists for that someone special and share it with them. It lacks the effort and craftsmanship of a physical mixtape but the sentiment is still there.
“If music be the food of love, play on.” This is one of the most famous opening lines in English literature, written by William Shakespeare for his comedy Twelfth Night (written around 1601).
Mixtapes were a simple manifestation of this, are they still channel of emotion?
