Erinnert ihr euch noch an Kassetten? Dieses hoffnungslos romantische analoge Format, das es einem im Handumdrehen ermöglichte der Liebsten, Freunden oder auch Verwandten nicht nur eine Freude zu machen, sondern gleichzeitig auch noch eine musikalische Lehrstunde zu geben, inklusive Coolness-Statement! Was war das schön! Wir huldigen nach wie vor dieser Leidenschaft und stellen euch mit unserer Mixtaping by Strangers-Reihe nicht nur tolle neue Künstler vor, die über ihre Mixtape-Vergangenheit und -Vorlieben berichten, nein, wir lassen sie auch extra für euch eine kleine Liste zusammen stellen, auf dass ihr schwelgt in für euch neuer Musik, musikalische Einflüsse entdeckt und die Leidenschaft zur Mixtape machen, weiter geht! Repeat & Rewind inklusive! Tape 3 wurde für euch von den drei Schwestern Allison, Meegan und Natalie Closner zusammengestellt, die als Joseph es schon bis ins Vorprogramm von James Bay geschafft haben und demnächst auch in Deutschland vor Michael Kiwanuka zu sehen sein werden! Ihr Album ‘I’m Alone, No You’re Not‘ gibt es übrigens ab 26. August überall zu kaufen. Push play!
Mixtaping by Strangers – Vol 3 – Joseph
Have you ever done a mixtape before? If yes – when was the first time and for which person? If not – why not and for which person would you do one?
In high school, mix tapes were synonymous with crushes. Each one would be on a cd and have sharpied titles and drawings on them correlating with flirtatious inside jokes. Prior to that, I would sit in my room with the radio on waiting for my favorite song to come on and when it would I’d rush over and hit the button with the red circle on my tape player. So my first mixtapes were for myself until I realized the art of sending and receiving messages with boys through lyrics and song titles. I remember blushing when I heard the line “running her hands through my fro” on a mixtape from my curly haired crush in 10th grade.
Which format would you prefer for your mixtape: Cassette, CD, digital playlist?
These days Spotify is the best mix tape making platform. We’re constantly making playlists based on mood full of newly discovered or re-discovered favorites.
Insider tips that the listener won’t know or mainstream hits?
We each chose 3 songs for this playlist and for the 10th song we chose a song called Dreamin by Rayland Baxter. It was on repeat over and over during our first tour ever because there was something ineffable about it that carried you away. Now we look back on it as the soundtrack to the beginning of this whole thing, a carefree time of adventure and possibility. A couple years later we got to meet and play a show with Rayland (who happened to be on the label we signed to) and we grinned at each other so big when he asked us to sing bgv’s on that song.
Sad/emotional or dance/party songs?
We went for songs that take us somewhere, that make us feel something. In this case, the feelings are a bit more thoughtful and quiet.
Listing songs one after the other or planning a tonal climax?
There is a bit of an arch to the sequencing on this playlist, although it’s an unusual one. The beginning is the biggest. I went with the first song as a bit of an intro, then it starts a little up-beat mid tempo and with fuller, groovier sounds. There are subtle dynamic peaks and valleys (musically and emotionally) in the middle, then after the Lucy Rose song brings it all the way down, you’re ushered into the Beach House dreamscape where you’re invited to feel in big sweeping waves.
About the cover: self painted, a picture stolen from the internet or a simple set-list?
This would be a photo taken from my first encounter with flamingos. On it is the title of this mixtape which was taken from the Copeland song which says “In her arms you will never starve… The oceans of her kindness, they will pull you under” I like to think of music that way. You’re swept away, you’re pulled under.
If you could choose an artist/band, who should do a mixtape for you – which one would it be and why?
Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie because he’s one of my favorite songwriters and I’d love to know whose writing he is inspired by, which songs make him feel something.
P.S. I love that song Mistaken For Strangers.
