I made this mix for an intimate summer solstice gathering. The theme my partner in rhyme Casey (caseykarr.com) dreamed up was so brilliant I assumed it'd be my title: "The Vibe is in Shambles." But making the mix took me elsewhere. Casey is a muse I can always rely on — not just "check this track out!" but in ways that shape a mix's whole energy: She sent me Sade's tear-jerker "Pearls." Moved to the core, I asked, "isn't this too sad for the mix?" Her reply stuck: 1) let people FEEL something, and 2) the only question worth asking is "can I dance to it?" I said, "of course — but what about Pearls?" She said, "I can dance to that!" That unlocked something. I've always woven in eclectic, ambient, un-danceable tracks, but "can I dance to it?" in the broadest sense deepened the whole process. The vibe was no longer in shambles. This gathering would be mostly women and queer humans — and suddenly it was clear: Aja Monet should open and close the mix. The title revealed itself.
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Also, if you wanna go down the rabbit holes of each track/artist, here's a spreadsheet with more info and links: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WmbAij6ww88pY8--ohsEjKHlFEF1O08qlt-hhfwKwRM/
The description seems to get cut off at times, so I'm pasting it here in full "I made this mix for an intimate summer solstice gathering. The theme my partner in rhyme Casey (caseykarr.com) dreamed up was so brilliant I assumed it'd be my title: "The Vibe is in Shambles." But making the mix took me elsewhere. Casey is a muse I can always rely on — not just "check this track out!" but in ways that shape a mix's whole energy: She sent me Sade's tear-jerker "Pearls." Moved to the core, I asked, "isn't this too sad for the mix?" Her reply stuck: 1) let people FEEL something, and 2) the only question worth asking is "can I dance to it?" I said, "of course — but what about Pearls?" She said, "I can dance to that!" That unlocked something. I've always woven in eclectic, ambient, un-danceable tracks, but "can I dance to it?" in the broadest sense deepened the whole process. The vibe was no longer in shambles. This gathering would be mostly women and queer humans — and suddenly it was clear: Aja Monet should open and close the mix. The title revealed itself."