Modern-day Groovy Devil Mix

Gone are the days of the devil being portrayed as a winged creature with no people skills. No one can deny that the handsome devil Gavin Rossdale played in Constantine upped the image a couple of notches. Al Pacino's irresistably charming representation of Mephisto in The Devil's Advocate solidified Satan's newfound iconic status even more.

The following playlist contain songs that embody the laid-back but imposing vibe of the modern demon.

Faith no More - Evidence Mike Patton's voice is what the devil would sound like if he was on downers. I never thought a song can sound so loose and tight at the same time. Incubus - Deep Inside Similarly toned vocals, with less suave but a whole lot more intensity. Devastations - Sex and Mayhem If for some strange reason you wonder what Johnny Cash would sound like if someone had slipped a date rape drug in his drink, look no further. Lovage - Anger Management The devil Mike Patton is back and has mistook Johnny Cash's drink for his own. Lovage - Stroker Ace Listen to this song with a toothpick between your teeth to truly know what it is to be  pimpin'. Gone - David Holmes This song is the perfect soundtrack when traversing through a dangerous dark alley looking for the next victim (in other words, a dimly lit hallway en route to the fridge).  Six Underground - Sneaker Pimps  Curiously, my descriptions always end up substance-related. To prevent further self-incrimination, I will refrain from saying anything about this speedball of a song.  Isaac Hayes- Walk on By, from the album Hot Buttered Soul is what should be the entrance song of only the most debonaire of fiends. Raspy. John Lee Hooker -The Healer  Bad men don't let feminine emotions, such as love, into their choice of songs. Santana's passionate guitar-playing on this track is a less obvious alternative. Even raspier. John Campbell - Down in the Hole If this playlist was arranged by the amount of evil in the songs, nothing can come after this. Raspiest.

Your turn.

*the metaphors used above are based on hearsay and not acquired through memorable college experiences  

MORE INTRO

Hi-Fidelity

Aside from occasionally breaking the fourth wall, the thing that set the movie apart from other chick flicks are the characters and their passion. To most people, the protagonist and his music-obsessed entourage are just another group of characters penned by a scriptwriter. I, on the other hand, was a little awestruck by the familiarity of their dialogue and worship for songs and artists. Rob (the main character) and his cohorts go about their day working in a record store living life not much different from normal people. What makes them different is that the soundtrack, which is usually somewhere behind all the important issues and problems of daily life, is up front and center stage. Much like the record store, this blog is a place to make and talk about mixtapes..

Mixing Tapes for Dummies

Let's leave the movie-reviewing to imdb, and get down to mixing tapes as a creative activity. Music is an important part of daily life. It changes moods and gives inspiration. A single song can change the course of someone's day. Like any other destiny-manipulating hobby, creating mixtapes is a challenge that requires psychology and ingenuity. It doesn't just stop when the track ends, the conclusion comes after the concept is over. Between the start and end of the list is a rollercoaster ride of carefully placed emotions (unless of course it is an album of downtempo electronica boredom or a black metal barrage of ...black metal).

It starts with conceptualization. This is as important to the mixtape as an objective is to a thesis. This is where the fun begins. There is no challenge in making a "feel-good" mixtape. Just the same, there is no fun in making a German Neo Punk Fusion playlist. Although it is generally better when there is more than one artist in the set of songs, a little continuity isn't bad. It takes the right mix of variety and similarity to make a manageable but challenging playlist.

Every mix-tape maker has their own style of mix-tape making. Some go all out at first go with balls-to-the-wall musical fury. Some like to progress. I personally put songs that need time to grow as the starter. Sometimes I put an obscure song I personally like, just to impose my taste on the listener. Nothing is more satisfying than balls-to-the-wall imposition through good taste.

After that  is where the mix-tape maker uses all types of tomfoolery to manipulate the listeners groove. He could either compliment the first song by building it up even more or surprise the audience with a somber piece. A follow through is strong, but so is a Pacquiao-like punch from a wild angle. "Para sa 'yo ang Laban na 'to" may be a bit too wild angled for any playlist, but it is proof that the element of surprise alone can make a hit.

A good end to a playlist is one that leaves the listener's face peeled off, muttering expletives as the tape runs out. An end that leaves the audience hanging is good too.




"The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up is hard to do. It takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick it off with a killer to grab attention. Then you gotta take it up a notch. But you don't want to blow your wad. So then you gotta cool it off a notch."    -Rob


Breaking the fourth wall - I have always wanted to use this term publicly but have never had the chance. Thank you for letting me use the term and explain it's meaning in this blog...- is an example of breaking the fourth wall.

Balls to the wall - is a term I encountered in my many journeys in amazon. It was used to describe an obscure south african psychedellic rock group that went by the name suck. *May the image be stuck in your head as well.

Amazon

INTRO

This blog is about an artistic creation containing individual tracks that converge to make 1 coherent musical journey, like the way beats and rythms make up a melody. This is for the people who felt a connection with John Cusack's character in the movie "Hi-Fidelity". This is for those who spend more time creating playlists than actually listening to the mix. This joint is the magic that happens between the last note of the previous song and the first note of the next, and the work put into choosing the two. This shit here is about MIXTAPES.