Each week, the Argosy asks a member of the Sackville community to create a mixtape playlist on a theme or topic of their choosing.
Some people think earnest folk or bleating country waltzes ensure a good morning, but those people have spent their whole lives lying to you. Play some of the jams below and your morning will get a whole lot weirder.
“Resolution” — Bugseed (Diamond in the Rough)
Do you like jazz but hate falling asleep with your mouth open during the middle of a Charlie Parker solo? If yes, Bugseed’s your man, fusing ‘serious’ bebop with grainy hip hop drums, with a result that even your pot-smoking uncle would approve of.
“Perfectly” — Ryan Hemsworth (Still Awake)
Cutting-edge beat music assembled in miniature. I hate the term ‘pocket symphony’, but it’s the only one that does it here. Hyperactive sampling keeps it on the right side of the line between ‘uplifting’ and ‘car commercial feel-good jam’.
“Slowjam” — Four Tet (Rounds)
Do yourself a favour and listen to a song without drums. Here, layered guitar samples flutter in and out of focus, building to a sunny guitar conclusion.
“633 Sundance” — KIHN SERPENT (TRANESPACE)
A lonesome alarm clock blip slowly grows arms and legs and shakes itself awake, resolving into one of the better alarm clock songs of the last dozen years. Paired with a morning walk, the sun-drenched synth tones levee out a too-optimistic day.
“Walkabout” — Atlas Sound ft. Noah Lennox (LOGOS)
Listening to this for the first time feels like uncovering a sublimely dusty and timeless pop song. Plus it’s the perfect speed for clicking your heels as you walk. ‘Buoyant’ describes this one to a tee.
Ian Malcolm is The Argosy’s humour editor.
