I sit here having just constructed a playlist on my iPod. The theme, loose as it was, was a sort of riot grrrl/alt. rock/whatever hybrid; the sort of thing that let’s me get away with putting The Breeders, The Slits, QueenAdreena and Bratmobile all in the same place for my listening pleasure. And after finishing this playlist, it sent my mind back to a time long ago. A time before my iPod was out of date (it’s a Classic. I know), and even before I used to carry around a Discman.

Making mixtapes.

Making a mixtape is an art-form. You can’t just charge in and slap things together in a playlist like you can with modern technology. You sit there with headphones on and a big pile of CDs next to you, listening to each song as you record it, choosing when to hit the pause button to stop the recording and transition into the next track. And because it’s more effort you find yourself putting more thought into it. There’s no quickly dragging and dropping. It’s a commitment.

I used to make mixtapes a lot. I used to make them for me to listen to on the bus, and I used to make them for other people. Oh, making a mixtape for another person. Now that’s something.

When you’re making a mixtape for somebody else and you really want them to enjoy it it can be quite a task. I’ve been known to spend hours crafting one. Picking a theme or lack thereof. Getting down to a list of songs that could feature. Cutting the list down until it fits in your time frame. Arranging the songs into an order that sounds great. It can take hours, and once you’ve finished, and you give it to someone, you’re giving them a part of yourself. A sort of aural reflection of what you think of them. An indicator of how you define them as a person. It’s like a selection of music you love that you think this person will love too; a point where you think your two personalities intertwine.

I don’t make mixtapes anymore. I don’t even have anything that plays or records tapes anymore. In fact, I don’t even make CDs anymore. I only really listen to music with my iPod and laptop now. But I think I’m going to get back in the game, regardless. We all need a hobby, don’t we?

So expect some updates in the near future of mixes from me to the world. In the spirit of a mixtape I’ll be putting plenty of thought and care into it. I may even make covers and give them names. But they’ll be in the mp3s in a .rar format. If you’re the type of person who likes mixtapes, and frankly, I don’t know why you wouldn’t, then keep an eye on them. The limits of my taste in music know no bounds, so if you see one full of bands that are shouty and you don’t want to take the plunge then hang around for the next and it could be full of electro-pop.

If you’d like one making for you specifically then let me know via the ‘Ask me…” thing up there on the right somewhere with a link to your last.fm or a few bands you like to give me an idea of where to pitch.

It’s nice to share things, I think. Except HIV.