The tracks filling my head-space in 2021
A year which seen Trump lose his presidency, which caused a mob to invade capitol hill and the Congress building. A super tanker got jammed in the Suez Canal for 6 days, grinding the globe’s commerce to a near halt. Several European football teams attempted to break ranks from UEFA and form a new super league. The Tokyo Olympics finally got under way a year later than planned, as did the EURO 2020. Hosted across several European cities, it marked the 60th anniversary of the competition. COP26 took place here in Glasgow, with world leaders making agreements and plans over a 2-week period to tackle climate change. And finally, just when it seemed like life was managing to move beyond CoVid-19, a new variant, Omicron reared up in South Africa. To date it has spread across the globe, causing the return of previous phased out CoVid regulations.
So here we are (or should that be HEAR) a year on from my 1st annual Eclectic Mix. Once again, I’ve decided to share with all you people the music that’s made up the soundtrack to my year. Roughly based on my Spotify 2021 Wrapped playlist, with a few tweaks here and there. Some song’s I cut partially because they were on last year’s list, while others found themselves on it because my daughter played them so much on my account ha-ha! She did discover Daft Punk and Gorillaz this year, so they have remained in honour of her! Other song’s I added as I have listened to them a lot and have no idea why they aren’t on it, which felt like an injustice.
Anyway, the list is just as it says Eclectic as ever and shows all the differing music that I treat my ears and brain to over the year. I have included the main playlist, but as always, I have broken it further down into 5 major categories, DANCE, ALTERNATIVE, GOLDEN OLDIES, THE REST and RAP. Within each of these you’ll find a dedicated playlist for that sub-genre, and a few YouTube videos of songs which I think are worth checking out. As I always say the main playlist is long, hence why I’ve broken it down into these more manageable chunks, or genres to target something closer to what you might want/be looking for. So enjoy this musical wonderland, full of genre’s as Dance, Indie, Trip-Hop, Ambient, Soul and everything in between!
ECLECTIC MIX 2021
The main dish, probably a bit much going in here, and it’s a big portion! Clocking in at deluxe buffet (with a quick stop to the vomitorium thrown in) 8 hours and 9minutes!!! Now as previously stated I have broken it down into manageable chunks and flavours to make it easier to digest. But if you’re up to the challenge or have a day off work then be my guest. If not feel free to skip ahead.
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Exactly what it says on the tin. Music that’s at a higher tempo, with more BPM to get you up and dancing. Ideal for housework, gym, going for a jog, setting the mood for a party, or just because you want to. Wayward make quite an appearance here, as I’ve just discovered them this year and think their music is class. Get the disco ball out, the flashing multicoloured light and move the furniture out the way, it’s time to get your groove on.
Stand out tracks from this list:
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You won’t hear this stuff on the mainstream radio that’s for sure. Not now, not anytime soon. This is the stuff you find tucked away at 2am on a music channel, or at the dusty back corner of a music shop (do they still exist??). Don’t let that put you off though, some of this stuff will light up a section of your brain that hasn’t been so before. Or it might just make you skip to something else, either way don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
Stand out tracks from this list:
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Music from yesteryear. This stuff is the shoulders that present day music stands on. Anyone who’s on the music scene who doesn’t claim to like old music is a fraud as far as I’m concerned. This is music we all think is old and reserved for an age group older than ourselves. However, take the time to listen and you’ll find gold here, this genre of music will ALWAYS stand the test of time
Stand out tracks from this list:
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This stuff I find difficult to pigeon-hole, or these songs maybe just reflect one niche genre, and unfortunately don’t warrant a whole playlist to themselves. So here they are lumped together, like random bits of Lego with no business being together. Who knew a that rabbit made from green, purple, grey and blue bricks could look so great?!
Stand out tracks from this list:
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Well, this one speaks for itself as well. Or it does to a degree, all music here is by black artists, but within itself shows a broad range, from funky soul, R&B tones, to hard-edged gangster rap, and some afro-beats. This list is dominated by A Tribe Called Quest, who I’ve also discovered this year. I can’t and couldn’t get enough of their music this year, so much so that I even gave them a dedicated section in my Eclectic Mix October 2021. Don’t forget now some of the lyrics might be a bit saucy or explicit, so consider before you crank the volume ha-ha!
Stand out tracks from this list:
Hope you’ve enjoyed the music, and don’t forget how important music is. Afterall its the soundtrack to your life!!!