Toward a theory of mix CDs.
Premise: A mix CD is essentially a collage -- a sequential, linear collage of found sound elements.
Structural analysis: The elegance of a mix is largely based upon the juxtaposition of individual songs, the flow from one into another. There is also a sense of the mix as a whole, as a collection of individual songs, without reference to the relationships between constituents: are the songs on this CD good songs? Juxtapositions are not always purely sequential: they may also be structural. For example, there may be a significant relationship between the first and last song on a mix.
Aesthetic approaches: The least sophisticated approach to creating a mix CD is to simply collect favorite songs and assemble them on a CD in a random order. An almost equally chaotic approach is to choose a theme -- such as "fire" or "love" or "magic" -- and make a CD that collects songs with those words in their respective titles.
Persons who love mix CDs and put great effort into them tend to be fascinated by / obsessed with the relationships between the song elements on a mix. I want to suggest a typology of aesthetic filters that the mix artist employs:
1. Conceptual
2. Textural
3. Dynamic
Explanation:
In juxtaposing songs on a CD (either back-to-back, or separated in the mix order) the artist may pay attention to the relationship between conceptual content. When there are two songs, (a) the second may be used as an echo of the first; (b) it may transform the theme of the first, pushing forward an implicit narrative; or (c) it may resolve a question or problem raised earlier.
Juxtaposition may ignore the lyrical content entirely, focussing instead on the textural qualities of songs and how they relate. For example, a mix artist may choose two songs with nearly identical textures to go next to each other, perhaps creating the illusion that both were recorded by the same band. Or, the mix artist may go for contrast, having a rough and spikey sound follow a smooth, ethereal one. These are blunt examples; at it's best, the artistry of this approach is like a painting abstract forms with subtle colors.
Looking at dynamic relationships between songs has to do with tempo and emotion. When the focus is on emotion, the mix artist considers the overall mood of an album -- whether it will stay in one mood, or go for highs and lows -- and if so, how abruptly. Emotionally, the mix artist hopes to be the listener's Virgil, taking them into difficult, despairing places, and then gently lifting them upward to elation. When the focus is on tempo, one pays attention to choosing a sequence of songs that gradually picks up the tempo or brings it down -- or perhaps gives the listener with an exuberant song, just to make the following slow heart-wrencher hit that much harder. Even the length of spaces between songs (the "negative space") may become an important consideration.
Personal meaning in mix CDs: A mix artist may create a CD for the sheer technical artistry of it. However, often the product is heavily laden with meaning. For many, I suspect, an engagement with this art form begins with creating a symbol of affection to be given as a gift to a romantic interest. In the solo arena, a mix CD may be used as an autobiographical record. Myself, I tend to collect songs for a mix CD over a period of a year or more, trying to catch songs that were stuck in my head at some point (regardless of other considerations) as the main material for a compilation. A personal mix may also be more immediate -- a meditation on some mood or problem that one has been wrestling with. The process of creating the mix -- sometimes taking 10 hours for a mere 15-20 songs -- is in itself an attempt to see things in a new, transformed light... just as one might do in a more traditional journal/diary.
Differences between audio tapes and CDs: Audio tapes force a much more laborious, linear process, carefully adding one song at a time after much planning. With the advent of software such as iTunes, however, it becomes far easier and faster to compile a mix. In some ways, this greater ease can make it more difficult to finalize one's selections. Like with a wordprocessor, you can cut and paste endlessly -- whereas an manual typewriter may propel you forward: once a word is committed to paper, there's no going back. Mix CDs also risk not coming into being: because you can listen to the work-in-progress within a digital environment, one may never get around to actually burning a finished product to disk.
Conclusion / thesis: Creating audio mixes should be considered a valid art form (albeit pop art), and be granted respect on par with collaging. It is possible to establish theory that would allow one to intelligently critique mixes; I have tried to provide such a framework above.
Looking at the present and to the future: With the advent of iTunes and similar software, we have arrived at the hey-day of mix creation. However, the new technology is not wholely superior; it creates certain difficulties at the same time that it eases mix creation. [The technological method of mix creation has a direct impact upon the artistic product.]
P.S. A shout out to mix-master Rob! --Who unwittingly planted the seed for this essay a year ago -- even before I'd met him, simply based upon his reputation for making killer mixes, and having a potentially academic interest in the subject.
Premise: A mix CD is essentially a collage -- a sequential, linear collage of found sound elements.
Structural analysis: The elegance of a mix is largely based upon the juxtaposition of individual songs, the flow from one into another. There is also a sense of the mix as a whole, as a collection of individual songs, without reference to the relationships between constituents: are the songs on this CD good songs? Juxtapositions are not always purely sequential: they may also be structural. For example, there may be a significant relationship between the first and last song on a mix.
Aesthetic approaches: The least sophisticated approach to creating a mix CD is to simply collect favorite songs and assemble them on a CD in a random order. An almost equally chaotic approach is to choose a theme -- such as "fire" or "love" or "magic" -- and make a CD that collects songs with those words in their respective titles.
Persons who love mix CDs and put great effort into them tend to be fascinated by / obsessed with the relationships between the song elements on a mix. I want to suggest a typology of aesthetic filters that the mix artist employs:
1. Conceptual
2. Textural
3. Dynamic
Explanation:
In juxtaposing songs on a CD (either back-to-back, or separated in the mix order) the artist may pay attention to the relationship between conceptual content. When there are two songs, (a) the second may be used as an echo of the first; (b) it may transform the theme of the first, pushing forward an implicit narrative; or (c) it may resolve a question or problem raised earlier.
Juxtaposition may ignore the lyrical content entirely, focussing instead on the textural qualities of songs and how they relate. For example, a mix artist may choose two songs with nearly identical textures to go next to each other, perhaps creating the illusion that both were recorded by the same band. Or, the mix artist may go for contrast, having a rough and spikey sound follow a smooth, ethereal one. These are blunt examples; at it's best, the artistry of this approach is like a painting abstract forms with subtle colors.
Looking at dynamic relationships between songs has to do with tempo and emotion. When the focus is on emotion, the mix artist considers the overall mood of an album -- whether it will stay in one mood, or go for highs and lows -- and if so, how abruptly. Emotionally, the mix artist hopes to be the listener's Virgil, taking them into difficult, despairing places, and then gently lifting them upward to elation. When the focus is on tempo, one pays attention to choosing a sequence of songs that gradually picks up the tempo or brings it down -- or perhaps gives the listener with an exuberant song, just to make the following slow heart-wrencher hit that much harder. Even the length of spaces between songs (the "negative space") may become an important consideration.
Personal meaning in mix CDs: A mix artist may create a CD for the sheer technical artistry of it. However, often the product is heavily laden with meaning. For many, I suspect, an engagement with this art form begins with creating a symbol of affection to be given as a gift to a romantic interest. In the solo arena, a mix CD may be used as an autobiographical record. Myself, I tend to collect songs for a mix CD over a period of a year or more, trying to catch songs that were stuck in my head at some point (regardless of other considerations) as the main material for a compilation. A personal mix may also be more immediate -- a meditation on some mood or problem that one has been wrestling with. The process of creating the mix -- sometimes taking 10 hours for a mere 15-20 songs -- is in itself an attempt to see things in a new, transformed light... just as one might do in a more traditional journal/diary.
Differences between audio tapes and CDs: Audio tapes force a much more laborious, linear process, carefully adding one song at a time after much planning. With the advent of software such as iTunes, however, it becomes far easier and faster to compile a mix. In some ways, this greater ease can make it more difficult to finalize one's selections. Like with a wordprocessor, you can cut and paste endlessly -- whereas an manual typewriter may propel you forward: once a word is committed to paper, there's no going back. Mix CDs also risk not coming into being: because you can listen to the work-in-progress within a digital environment, one may never get around to actually burning a finished product to disk.
Conclusion / thesis: Creating audio mixes should be considered a valid art form (albeit pop art), and be granted respect on par with collaging. It is possible to establish theory that would allow one to intelligently critique mixes; I have tried to provide such a framework above.
Looking at the present and to the future: With the advent of iTunes and similar software, we have arrived at the hey-day of mix creation. However, the new technology is not wholely superior; it creates certain difficulties at the same time that it eases mix creation. [The technological method of mix creation has a direct impact upon the artistic product.]
P.S. A shout out to mix-master Rob! --Who unwittingly planted the seed for this essay a year ago -- even before I'd met him, simply based upon his reputation for making killer mixes, and having a potentially academic interest in the subject.
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