Brandnew_________

Tue

Oct

TDK C90

Posted by David Hatton

Michael Jackson is dead. You might have heard. But, while the passing of the King of Pop caused worldwide shock, one closely linked event went largely unnoticed outside of a certain creative studio in a corner of Leeds.

You see Jacko was unknowingly central to a tradition that stretched back months maybe even 18 of them. The Friday 5pm Jackson Half Hour was part of BrandNew life. As traditional as time sheets and tight deadlines, the last half hour of the week was heralded by a bunch of tracks from the genius chameleon. You'd hear the opening lines of Smooth Criminal and you knew the weekend was nigh.

But Jacko died and with him the tradition. It just didn't seem right to play him every week. It would have felt like a weekly commemoration and that's no way to start a weekend.

So the wise controller of iTunes, suggested that we all begin to contribute 30 minute mixes to fill the Jackson void. We've all been busy so not many mixes have hit the BrandNew airwaves.

So I began trawling my own iTunes for my half hour - how hard could it be. In truth it took a while. I tinkered and tinkered until I realised what was happening. I was making a mix tape. A wave of nostalgia washed over me and it was as much as I could do not to stuff the half hour with Smiths songs.

As great as it is iTunes has killed the bedroom art of mixtapeology. That craft of carefully picking tunes, deciding on the correct order, fingers poised over the play and record buttons ready to lay down another belter, meticulously filling both sides of the TDK C90. And then there was the artwork. Time well spent thinking of a title and cover image and carefully penning the track listing on the inside.

My half hour Friday mix is no C90 labour of love, no tabs punched out to make the compilation permanent, no Smiths. But it is a bit of me. The same bit of me that is likely at the bottom of a box in the loft of an ex girlfriend or long lobbed out by mates who've updated music formats three times since. It's that same bit of us all that thinks our own taste in music is impeccable and worth sharing.

So is my bit any good? You'll have to wait till Friday at five.

RIP Jacko. Long live the spirit of the mix tape.

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