BY MIKEY MIGO
I think it's safe to say that anyone with access to a computer and music has put together a mix CD at one point in their life. The power of giving your ears exactly what they want is a strange thing. Musicians usually put their music in a specific order on an album, but with the power of the mix CD we can basically play God.
Would you think that Jim Morrison and The Doors would want "Light My Fire" on a CD playing right after "Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake? Probably not, but then again the contrast of what you put together can easily compliment each other.
I've made and heard my fair share of genre based mixes. All hip hop, all metal, all pop, all of my favorite bands on one CD, etc. But for me the best mix CDs are truly a MIX of all music that you enjoy. If you are a fan of one single genre and only that genre, I feel for you because you're missing out on A LOT of great music.
For me, making a mix CD is a lost art. You can't just throw 80 minutes worth of music on a disk and call it a day. You got to put some thoughts into the lay out. It's like using other people's music to tell a story for whatever the reason is for the mix CD. It's got to have a big open and a good finale. Everything in between is up to you based on the reason you're making it.
Before we get into this, I want to say that with modern technology and everyone except me having an ipod, I understand that mix CD's are rare breed now. Yet, even with my limited knowledge of these little pock size jukeboxes, I know you can program your own play list. To keep this from being a technology rant, we'll all accept that the "ipod play list" is the modern Mix CD.
There are a few different types of mix CDs:
"The Road Trip Mix"
I make for just about every concert trip. I've done it for so long now that my friend Joe and I sometimes look forward more to the mix CD than the concert we're attending. This setting is tradition mixed with whatever music is tickling my fancy at the moment. I must throw in some obscure song that'll end up being stuck in our heads for hours after the concert.
"The Sleep Mix"
Once in a great while, I'll come across a mellow track that I become mildly obsessed with. I actually got to the point of obsession with "In This Twilight" by Nine Inch Nails that I filled a CD with the same song over and over again. These types of CDs have potential to destroy your night on two paths. You can either listen to the CD all night long thus missing out on a few hours of sleep or you can go right to sleep and have some really odd dreams.
"The Buddy Mix"
I have a few friends that look forward to the mix CD's I make more than a normal CD release. They enjoy my mixes and know they'll have a CD to listen to on repeat for awhile, some new music, and basically a glance at what music I'm into at the moment. For these I try to base it off their personality and then alter it all from there. I got with songs we both enjoy and then ones that I would like them to enjoy.
"The Stoner Mix"
Back a few years ago when I still smoked weed, these CDs were the hit of many "gatherings". The "legendary Smiley Face Collection" ended up getting up to 15 different volumes. Each CD was a mix of old hippie songs, the hottest hip hop, some mellow goodness, and just great songs to smoke out to. I recently popped in "= ) v.3" and it brought back memories and still stood up as a good mix.
"The 'I Love You' Mix"
I made these for a few crushes in High School and didn't even know it. It took watching "High Fidelity" to realize what the hell I was doing. It's quite embarrassing in retrospect, but when it's done right it becomes a cherished CD to people. I have a few of these that were made for me and I know there are a good amount of these out there made by me. Just make sure the person you're making the mix CD for doesn't confuse a "I Love You Mix" for a "Buddy Mix". That's just uncomfortable.
"The Work Out Mix"
High bass and adrenaline is a must for one of these mixes. I know some people that use metal mixes for their work outs because of how hyper it makes them. I know some that use classical for a mental boost. Something with a huge beat and preferably electronic is what I usually go for.
"The Depression Mix"
You gather a ton of depressing songs and put them on a CD. These are rough to make because I think I've put a lot of thought into one or two of these. What ever is bothering you is sorta put at ease when you listen to the right CD that you can connect to. No matter how depressed, enraged, or hurt you were at the time of creating this CD, that feeling is never captured again after one listen. This is basically therapy in the form of a mix CD.
"The 'Best Of' Mix"
When you're a fan of a band like David Bowie, U2, or Nine Inch Nails it's rough to carry all of their CDs with you where ever you go. This is where I attempt to put the songs I love the most on one single mix CD. This is nearly impossible due to your long time favorites having so many awesome tracks, but when it's done it's a great mix. However, while listening to it you always remember that one track that you wish you'd of remembered to put on it. That just means you got to go back to the computer and make another one.
Putting in a mix CD that you made a few years back is like a time warp. You get to see what music you were into at the time and if you listened to the CD enough you remember the flow of the CD. It's a time capsule of an ageless soul.
There are many influences that one can undertake when making a mix CD. The ones I talked about are just a few of the ones I've experienced.
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