BRITTICISMS

Playing Favorites: All Mixed Up (Mixes of the Year)

The streaming DJ mix has been my work savior this year. More precise than radio, more satisfying than everything else on my iPod, I’ve relied on these mixes to provide a sense of escape from my tiny desk in my tiny corner of the office. In the past, I had a cubicle that allowed for the privacy of a shoulder pop, but now I wrestle with the publicness of our open floor plan. What makes a mix a great mix? The combination of the nostalgic, the current favorites, and something left of center. But also, a great mix gives one the temporary high of the dance floor, the relaxation of the other hours of your day. It reminds you of what you’ve felt in the past and what is within your reach in just a couple … more … hours. A perfect mix is pure and right and good. It doesn’t get old. It only gets better. It only stays fresher.

My favorite mixes of the year in no particular order:

OC Mixtape #29: Chicks With Hits Extra Credit for Opening Ceremony

FACT Mix #327: Disclosure

Bondax Dazed Digital mix

Matthew Dear Boiler Room mix

“I missed u so bad” mix by Moneyworth

LOL Boys Fader mix

FACT Mix #358: Jets

Nina Kraviz Boiler Room mix

Submotion Orchestra’s Endless Summer mixtape

Azealia Banks and Other Jams Born in 1991 by The Fader

Daphni 7.5 hour mix, Live from the Bussey Building