dj.WYSIWYG

Ideas started to unwind while thinking about what I would put on my version of Euphoria. A setlist of curated tracks, the modern “mixtape,” is something I’ve done countless times for others long ago. Mixtapes were never just whipped together quickly, but thought through; always giving consideration to feel, tempo and the mixtape’s “transitions,” etc. Many of my current YouTube playlists are done similarly. Electronic Playlists haven’t quite translated as nicely as a tangible compilation collection (whether on vinyl, cassette, CD, etc.), but is a good opportunity to explore further.

It occurred to me this could be a complementary set to Halo-Halo. This series will have its own name, and settled on the name “Merienda” – our word for “snack.” Paying homage to my fam, who would appreciate this (or laugh).

This is also a spot for tunes (or versions of) that I won’t mix and to highlight forgotten music, related genres and musical artists to the featured Halo-Halo series.

Notes

Limiting selections to Synthpop Ballads didn’t exactly make sense, because there’s less of them. I’ve picked a few, but pushed some boundaries with other artists like Martika, Annie Lennox and Enigma; the latter two were also VMC selections. New Order has their alternative side and a few spinoff bands that did good work (Electronic, Bad Lieutenant), but were also overlooked. Lastly, I had to include some forgotten Energy 88.7 featured plays that didn’t reach the big stations – namely, Lisa Keith and Kim Wilde.

Another count of 16 seemed like a good round number, and about what you’d expect on a mixtape. Recommended: let it play through.

Merienda 1 Playlist

About the Artwork

It’s been awhile since doing more design work, but want to apply and experiment with some of it again. Seems like the right place.

Related: Euphoria 1, Eraserhead (Erasure)