10.17.07 From the Vixen
Music > The Science of the Mix Tape
Written by Ashly Burch
Five tips to making your mix tape an instant boxer/panty peeler.
When trying to impress a lovely lady or lad, there are several steps one can take with the intent of wooing. Flirtation, dates and other related activities are of course a given, but there is one time-honored tradition that swiftly and easily sizes up compatibility as well as helping to show how romantic and interesting you can be. This is, of course, the mix tape. When compiling a mix tape, however, one must take extreme caution and be completely meticulous in the choice of songs and their progression. As this is a difficult and very time consuming task to engage in, Doublevixen has prepared you with a list of helpful tips for creating your mix tape that will ensure that your gentleman or woman of choice will be eating out of the palm of your proverbial hand.
This is probably a good idea even if you don’t have the intent of making them a mix tape, just as a general factor of gauging how well you fit together. One of my friends puts particular importance on the synonymy of music taste, his rationale being that music is something of a manifestation of the soul, and if you don’t like the same music then your souls are obviously not in sync. Whether or not you agree with this, there would probably be a discrepancy in compatibility if you like Andrew Bird and they like Nickelback, so it’s good to be privy to that information from the get-go. Providing, of course, that potential abhorrent music taste hasn’t driven you away, now you have a better idea of how to wow them when you sit down to make your mix. Include a song by their favorite band, or introduce them to another band that has a similar sound; if nothing else, you’ll have credibility in their eyes for including one track that resonates with them. And of course, when you’re figuring out their music tastes, don’t be overt about it; in that awkward “getting to know you” stage, you can throw out a question about what sort of music their inclined to, wait a while so they completely forget you ever asked, and then have a band they like show up on your mix to their awe and amazement. Instant brownie points.
2. Design it for their personality
Would they be annoyed if you included really obvious expressions of love and devotion, or are they into that sort of thing? Do they hate songs that even mention romance? Do they hate all songs that don’t? It’s a good idea to figure that sort of thing out. Personally, I would be somewhat turned off if a guy gave me a mix tape with a bunch of overtly sappy and romantic songs. I need a balance between sweetness and musical intelligence, but some girls are completely different. The most important thing to remember is that music is a very compelling method of expression for a number of different circumstances, and you want to hit that musical g-spot with your mix tape. Cater to their needs and desires and win them over with your astounding perceptiveness and taste.
3. Achieve equilibrium between romance and sexuality
Yeah, lovey dovey and sunshine and prince(ss) charming is all good, but sometimes you just want to have sex. It’s nice to talk about having a very gracious and devoted relationship, but on the other hand it’s nice to say that you’re willing to fulfill the horniness factor as well, because it’s difficult to have one without the other. Obviously you don’t want to have an abundance of one and a lacking of another on your mix tape (you especially don’t want to talk about sex more than you’re talking about romance if you’re dealing with a person sensitive to what that might suggest) so it’s important to establish some sort of balance. You probably don’t want to make the sex songs screamo or allow the lyrics to be particularly prevalent or overwhelming. A subdued approach would probably be better for that arena. If I could suggest a song, if your sweetheart is into their type of music, “By Tonight” by Say Anything is a very sexy song; it delivers the message in a soft and sensual way, but is still very much about getting down and dirty.
4. Order and organize it properly
Like a good book should have a deliberate narrative structure, a good mix tape needs to have a method to its madness. The progression of the songs should be in some way significant. Maybe you want to start them off slowly and delicately and then build to a triumphant climax. Maybe you want the bands to be placed in their order of importance to you, with the last song being that which is closest to your heart. Perhaps you have a theme to it that you need to perpetuate. Maybe all of the songs are very smooth and sultry; maybe they’re energetic and bombastic; maybe they’re a combination of the two. Any devoted mix tape maker will tell you, though, that it’s quite important that the product is a cohesive whole and that the songs flow in a very specific and intended way. If you put the music together without any concern of how they will glide into one another, it will give a sloppy and hurried effect. This is your child; your key, or at least your first step into a place of positive romance. Make sure that you can be proud of it.
5. Check your lyrics!
I once received a mix tape that was comprised of several very good songs with lyrics that were unfortunately incorrect for what the gentleman was trying to convey. Which is why, ladies and jelly spoons, that it’s important to double check the meaning of your lyrics before including certain songs in the mix. A song might sound poignant and beautiful but have lyrics that are completely adverse to what you’re trying to express. There’s always, of course, the possibility that the person doesn’t even listen to the lyrics, but you probably don’t want to take that chance. There are plenty of songs that have the right words and the right sounds for what you’re trying to express.
