We got to try something a bit new at Mixtape Bingo last week! For a little more about how this event works, check out the first article I wrote about this event 😉
Jessica spent a lot of time putting together a list of 100 tracks that have been popular to international audiences over the last 20-30 years, and she also included about 25 tracks that were really popular in Japan. When I first looked at the list, I have to be honest and say that I thought ‘what a load of cheese!’… but when I actually heard them being played at the event, rather than cringe, I felt this huge wave of nostalgia. You can see the full playlist at the bottom of this page!
Most of the time when we’re listening to music together, we’re listening to what’s in the charts right now. What’s interesting about the songs that we played at this event is that they’re familiar to everyone. We remember exactly when they were released, and it brings you back to a very specific moment of your youth – it conjures up old memories that you thought you’d forgotten.
The closest thing I can compare it to is karaoke because everyone always chooses these nostalgic smash hits to sing, but the music is so loud there’s almost no dialogue alongside the music. This event allowed us to share our stories and thoughts about these ubiquitous anthems, which I really enjoyed.
I also learned a lot about songs that had importance to our Japanese attendees, and there were a few songs I’d never heard before that I added to my own playlists after the event!
This was the first time we’d hosted this event so there were still a few kinks with the format – I think we had too many tracks on the playlist and to be honest, the turnout wasn’t quite what I had expected, which meant that we didn’t quite have the ‘party’ atmosphere I was trying to create, but I understand that a lot of people took this opportunity to travel and see their families and friends now that international travel has become a little easier. Hopefully a few more people will come next time and we can realise the format I had in mind!
Speaking of ‘next time’… It occurred to me that Mixtape Bingo might be a really good opportunity for individuals to share their own playlists with the community! I think you can learn a huge amount about a person from their playlists, and it would give them ownership over the event! “Don’t just come to play the game, come to learn about my music taste, to hear my favourite songs and learn why they mean so much to me!”
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this new event, and I think we might try again in October with a new playlist from Travis which is going to be super varied and interesting. Hope you guys can make it!
– Matthew
