As I write this, I am listening to a live DJ vinyl set. By the end of 2023, it became clear that my Spotify family was over. I do not like Spotify and the large corporations in the music industry, so it made no sense to continue paying for it. The new year is meant to be more private and more free.
This was the time I reevaluated my music tastes. Typically, I listen to music in phases. I realized that I lack a distinct personality; I get my music from others. Then I found that no one really has a unique personality; everyone gets their music from someone they know, either in real life or online.
Until 2019, most of the music I listened to was stored on my hard drive. I owned my music, however I might have obtained it; it was mine.
These days, I do not have any app to listen to music with. I found some apps that are alternative frontends for YouTube Music, but I wanted something different. I prefer to listen to music passively, without knowing what song is playing or what the lyrics are. I just want to enjoy the vibes.
A couple of years ago, I saw a poster for the Common People party in Barcelona, where DJ Amable was playing all the hits from the 90s and 2000s. I feel there is a special place for indie music in my heart. On the website, I found a link to a Mixcloud mix of DJ Amable’s live DJ set, which is what I have returned to.
I am listening to a live DJ set. There are thousands of these videos, whatever your jam is. I do not even care about the musicians or the lyrics. There is no one I am trying to impress; I just want time to pass and my work to continue.
On Spotify, I would regularly play robot-made mixes, but there was never the flow I needed. It feels good to have a professional selecting the music for me and making it flow, whatever I need.
I love “My Analog Journal,” where someone plays vinyl tracks and enjoys themselves. That is what I desire; I want to be partying to sweet beats, whether they are Bollywood disco or post-punk rock. There are more channels like this one. Let YouTube recommendations do their job. I believe I have discovered newer genres that would have been difficult to find otherwise.
YouTube channels:
- Mild Mambo Club
- Book Club Radio
- My Analog Journal
- Before Sunset Sessions
- Humano Studios
I am listening to shows like “How Does It Feel to Be Loved” or “Pop Songs Your New Boyfriend Is Too Stupid to Know About.” There is a certain pleasure in enjoying music that I do not control at all. I am discovering new things, and it feels like I am back in the 2010s, where radio was my main source of music. I still have an alternative YouTube Music frontend to listen to the specific music I want.
Mixcloud shows
- PopSongsMixtape
- How Does It Feel To Be Loved?
- DJ Monami
- amable
I feel sad that the days of owning music (digitally) are over. I am simply enjoying whatever is available and seeing how life unfolds. I still keep my hard drive of music. And keep adding more to it you never know how long this lasts.