Background:

So, songs that made me, me. I didn't go chronological, I've always had a very diverse array of music thrown at me from early in my life. In my very early years of life, I always had a Fisher Price 826 Tape Player, Walkman, or radio of something glued to my head. Music was always in my home, even if nobody in my family played music, or took me to music related things.

Anyway, the disc doesn't really contain any of the music I grew up hearing on the radio all the time, or what I heard in the background from my parents playing it. The discs encapsulate the music I found on my own, by accident, or exposed to it in some way or another. Pretty much where I found my own tastes in music after spending most of my teenage years listening to nothing but Nu-Metal.

First disc is more tame, while the second is more of something that I wouldn't play in a car ride for a stranger.

I chose to make this a 2-disc set simply because of how difficult it was to narrow it down from a 94 track playlist. There are still more that I could have added, but this is as good as it's going to get. I guess I'm saving the more personal embarrassing music for a future disc down the road.

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Total Runtime 79:42

Total Runtime 78:38

All recorded from FLAC sources (CD Quality or Better) via Electron to an MZ-NF610 in SP format.

Recorded to a pair of Sony MDW80T's. Playtested on the same device, as well as an Onkyo MD-105FX.

Washi tape and stickers to decorate the discs, while the second half was more of just a last minute operational decision.

Photos will go here

I didn't take any photos of the regional tokens, but it was a mix of stickers from bands I've seen, and a favorite music shop.

1. I found MOTK from a blog shortly after their EP Sezession came out, they were labeled “Nu-Jazz” I wasn't sure what that meant, but wound up buying the EP numerous times, and saw them live (You can see me in the crowd)here [*]. This was always the first song I shared with people.

2. I blame the film High Fidelity for me looking into Massive Attack.

3. I saw OPN open for Nine Inch Nails, and my mind was blown, I never heard anything like OPN before then. It was a mix of improvised stuff and items from Replica. This was before R Plus Seven came out, I think?

4. Well, I really liked the work that Elizabeth Frasier did on Mezzanine by Massive Attack, so I pretty much found this album on Wikipedia, loved it, and became a very big Yann Tiersen fan, I wasn't even aware of the films he scored, I just really liked this album.

5. Saw them play on David Letterman, was hooked after that. Really enjoy the work of Daniel Rossen.

6. His work was often intertwined with other artists I liked when I was a teen, his catalog is astounding and his ability to push boundaries/genres to this day still brings me much joy.

7. A friend showed me the Return to the 37th Chamber and I was immediately hooked.

8. This is pretty much the prelude to “The Cavern” which is my favorite Inter Arma song. Probably one of my top songs of all time, but at 45 minutes long, it is difficult to exert the effort of doing a third disc for this swap.

9. An old work friend of mine and I shared similar music tastes, and this was one of the albums he pretty much threw at me. But, to keep it simple, I love the interludes on this album and “Leaving Your Body Map”. I don't know where he is now, but I think about him when I listen to MOTW.

10. Aphex Twin was my first taste of “IDM”, still very inspiring. It was one of those moments where it was a meme because of how technical things are, but the more you listen things click and you can see it for what it really is.

11. I first found this album from a indie torrent tracker an online friend told me about in the early 2000's, it was well reviewed by other users, loved it. I of course have since then bought it numerous times and continue to support the work of IARAP.

12. This is the shortened version, I heard this song so many times in so many films and such. It was always just a good song. I don't think people listen to this version much.

13. I found Jeff Buckley because of his cover of a Genesis song, I had no idea of his legacy. I picked up Grace afterwards and it was life changing.

14. When I was younger, I used to work with my local forest service, my “Crew Leader” was a big music nerd and talked about the album this song is on, I thought it was hilarious. Lasting impact.

15. It's a great cover of a Meters song, and I love listening to bands I like do music of others that I normally wouldn't find on my own. It's often how I found new music early on, was finding out what inspired what I liked at the time.

16. This is the direct soundboard recording of the song. This was from my very first “real” concert. It was about a 4 hour drive one way, riding in the passenger seat of a green Geo Metro. I still have the ticket stub and pick I got from this show. Always thank the people that show you new music.

17. I found out about Estradasphere because I was reading an article about the first Humble Indie Bundle. Gish was one of the games in that bundle and it featured this song as well as other songs from Estradasphere. I never played the game, but I loved the song and got everything I could since then.

18. This dude has been on so many albums, one of my guitar heroes, I followed a lot of news from TOOL and heard about this album because Danny Carey played on it as well as Les Claypool.

19. This was a Pandora find, seen them in person multiple times. Always funny to hear people joking about a 4-song set.

20. A musician friend turned me on to Dub Trio (though he doesn't know it).

21. I heard TOOL do this first, I liked the song and wanted to hear the original. All downhill after that.

Disc 2.

1. Guzzlemug is my local band heroes in Chicago, they were doing things I've never heard before, liked a lot of the same music and are also just super friendly. On indefinite hiatus, but leave a lasting legacy to me and the Chicago music scene.

2. Found by chance on bandcamp, I just like stuff similar to Earthless and etc.

3. This is mostly just to show off the variety in what Estradasphere can do in a short period.

4. I love the stuff that floats in the Bungle/Estradaspehere areas. Secret Chiefs is a sight to see, and definitely an experience. I once asked Trey to sign an album of mine “Kindly” and I will never forget my social awkward self getting completely dumbfounded when he asked me if he could sign it angry instead.

5. Another Pandora find, it was actually their song about golf that I found hilarious, but they're just riff machines from the bible belt. With some connections to some folks in Chicago.

6. Pelican was a Pandora find too, but I definitely would have heard about them because they play out a lot, I feel the algorithm was sending me Chicago things whether I knew it or not.

7. This was the first song I heard Inter Arma play in person, I really resonate with the lyrics, and the song just rips. Never heard anything like Inter Arma before, and I loved their Theremin player.

8. I blame Jon Ehlers of Bangladeafy for me finding this album, we have mutual friends on social media and this was one of his top albums for the year it came out. And in my constant search for new music, I'm glad I picked this one up.

9. This was from the Indie Torrents tracker again, I remember the old Youtube video of them being the “worst band in the world” or something and people not getting it. When I first heard them, it was again one of those moments where you're not sure it's really music and then it clicks. I've bought all their stuff since then, got to see them live, they're a huge inspiration for me.

10. Roon suggested a song from Metridium Fields and I was hooked.

11. Another Roon suggestion, the whole album is solid. This one features vocals from Brent Hinds (RIP).

12. This was a bandcamp find, Ni fits into the whole Yowie/DonCab/Terms area of music that I like. If they ever come to the US, I'll be there to see them.