I think.

Download “Sweet Music for Dark Times” (MP3 format, 81 MB)

This mix is intended to be inspirational. More than inspirational–it should be electrifying. It should help you change your life. Every segue kicks the tempo up a little, from the woodsy lento of F.S. Blumm’s neo-folk to the electric presto of Scriptti Politti’s shiny neo-thrash. (There is an interesting detour when the UMCs abruptly downshift from 116 to 95, before Tears For Fears’s marimbas yank us right up to 127.)

I made this mix back in 2006 and just rediscovered it today. I think it is very strong.

[0:00] 1. Nie by F.S. Blumm

[3:40] 2. Sometimes, you can’t decide by The Remote Viewer

[7:03] 3. You don’t by Tricky

[11:42] 4. Carpet Crawlers by Genesis

[16:44] 5. Sinner by Neil Finn

[21:10] 6. I don’t know what it is by Rufus Wainwright

[26:00] 7. Solid ground by Ms. John Soda

[29:29] 8. I haven’t seen this day before by the Innocence Mission

If I could, I would break into flower.
If I could, I’d no longer be barren.
This day is filling up my room,
Is coming through my door.
Oh I have not seen this day before.

Oh mourning dove, we’ll go up to my roof.
Oh mourning dove, we’ll go into the sky.
This day is filling up my room,
Is coming through my door.
Oh I have not seen this day before.

And the cars are a stream running by me,
Bend away to a place I don’t know.
This day is filling up my room,
Is coming through my door.
Oh I have not seen this day before.

(Karen Peris, 1999)

[31:38] 9. Wood Beez by Scritti Politti

[36:27] 10. Swing it to the area by the UMCs

[39:44] 11. Change by Tears For Fears

[43:35] 12. Am I Wry? No by Mew

[48:30] 13. Snowball by Devo

My baby took our love
And then she rolled it up
Rolled it up a hill
Like a ball of snow
Like a snowball grows
Until it gets too big
Until she lost control
And it rolled back down
And it rolled back down
And it rolled back down
And it rolled back down

She took a tiny bit
And rolled it up again
Slower than before
She went a step too far
She had to let it go
I saw it go straight down
My baby turned around
Started up again
Started up again
Started up again
Started up again

Eyes were made for looking
Hands were made for holding
Hearts were made for loving
Lips were made for kissing
Legs were made for walking
Tracks were made to follow
Thats what I’m gonna do
Two tracks
In the snow
Two tracks
Up that hill
My heart broke
When my baby left
Two tracks behind

(Gerald V. Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh, 1980)

[50:59] 14. Eu Sou Meu Guia by Lenine

[54:57] 15. We live as we dream, alone by Gang of Four

[58:17] 16. Middle of the road by the Pretenders

[62:32] 17. Here come July by Scritti Politti

[66:33]

It may be tempting to assign credit for the astonishing discovery that the last chord of Lindsey Buckingham’s “Cast Away Dreams” and the first chord of Talk Talk’s “Chameleon Day” are the same chord to some sort of traditional default pseudo-agent, such as Divine Providence. That would be a mistake. The skill of the mixologist may surpass the understanding; it is, nonetheless, real.

Download the mix (MP3 file, 52 MB)

Download the booklet (PDF file, 3.4 MB)

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