Divorce Party Mixtape
(2 minutes reading time)
I’d scheduled a Divorce Party for a few months back, but of course this horrible pandemic put a long pause on that. I’d spent months working on this mixtape and looked forward to people hearing it. I might as well share it now.
The continuous mix on Mixcloud
How I mixed it
I used the Pacemaker iPhone app which took a bit of getting used to. The algorithm for generates a mix for you, and the simple interface makes it easier than an approximation for a sound mixer. I enjoyed tweaking how songs blended into each other, to make it sound better than how the algorithm had set it. The algorithm sometimes suggested downright awful mixes. I’m particularly proud of how I got Robyn’s Ever Again (Soulwax Mix) to blend into Roxy Music’s Love Is The Drug (Todd Terje Disco Mix).
But there are massively irritating things about it. You can’t save the same mix. Every change you make generates a new mix! I had a stupidly long list of date and time based songs. You can’t export your mix in any way. You can only listen to it on the app itself. The “sharing” links forces others to download and install the app if you want people to hear it. OK I know it’s likely an export feature is problematic for licensing reasons (DJs buy the tracks they mix, right…?), but some kind of link up with Soundcloud or Mixcloud would have been a killer feature.
These suggestions for improvements to the app are now purely academic as Spotify are pulling the plug on all 3rd party apps being able to mix songs from their API. That includes the other popular ones like DeeJay Pro. They’ll still have access to other streaming services, but Spotify is number one.
How did I get it onto Mixcloud then? I bought (at great expense) Audio Hijack and played the mix from my iPhone. I was determined not to lose this mix forever.
What the songs mean to me
Some don’t really, they’re just tunes I like. Some do have a genuine meaning to me. You’ll probably spot the obvious ones, but some are more subtle. I skipped a bunch of songs though that I didn’t feel fitted a party vibe. Maybe I’ll release those another time.
The whole thing does encapsulate a lot of how I’ve felt the past couple of years, but mainly how I’m better now in my new life and looking to the future more.
The track list as a Spotify playlist
I’d really love for you to listen to my mix and let me know what you think!