What better day than #bluemonday to swing the doors open to the CDswap salon for the first meet of 2019. For our new members we come to you from the wonderful world of the nineties, before Spotify playlists, when CD burning was a thing. Itβs still a thing everyone! The idea is fiendishly simple: choose twelve tracks around a theme and pop them on a CD. Post them to a couple of other people, listen to theirs, then review online. As ever @kid-dynamite and your good self are your hosts.
So whatβs the theme this time? We are going into colour people. Or rather in homage to a certain reissue we are going White. Get your musical mojo working on all matters white, colourless and pale. Artists called white, tracks with white, lyrics about pale riders, er…white albumsβ¦even an album youβve got on white vinyl.
Schedule, full details etc in the comments, where all you need to do is post a comment and you are in.
1 Sign up by the closing date by just letting us know in the comments to this post. Sign up for CD swap three: White, closes in mid-Feb, Valentineβs Day to be precise.
2 We will then pair everyone up with two other people β you compile a CD (more later) and post it to two others. So post two out, get two back. You swap your addresses via DMs so no-one except your pairs need know you live at 10 Downing Street @philipmaybot.
3 Your CD: one CD only. 12 tracks only. Theme: White. Please rip your files without track or artist names so your partners can listen without prejudice. Artwork is up to you. MP3 tag is a free PC programme that allows you to strip all the artwork and info from your MP3 file.
4 DM us your track listing. DONβT POST IT ON THE SITE.
5 CDs to get to your partners in the mail by the middle of March (we will give you a gentle reminder on the blog).
6 You can then let the world know what you thought of the CDs you received in a megapost. Posting of reviews by mid-April.
7 We will post track listings at the end of April and watch the recriminations/accolades fly.
Shout out to @lemonhope for reminding us it’s time. And by way of a gentle pointer if it’s your first swap, we love the obscure, the new discovery, the deep cut and the lost classic on the swap. No need to take up one of your 12 precious tracks with, for example Procul Harum. Dig dig dig!
Pedantic correction: I believe it’s actually swap number fourβ¦ (Firsts, Cold, Space and now White) π
My Archivist informs me that the first Swap was themed ‘Beginnings’
[at this juncture I’m obliged to say sorry for being pedantic – but I can’t lie :-)]
π
Got all excited seeing a new CD Swap was in the offing… then saw the ‘theme’. Argh . Will consequently give this one a miss.
Aw, don’t be like that – have a think about it. Ok, ‘White’ doesn’t provide the broadest choice, but sometimes the constraint and the focus it brings can be a good thing…
Oh, go on then, you’ve won me over with your piercingly convincing argument.
I’m In.
Hurrah! I can be very persuasive when I’m hardly trying π
I’m in
In.
I will join in here, once again.
Ideas are already flowing.
In again.
Include me in please.
I’ll join in again – a quick check tells me that there are very few Swedish tracks in my collection that I can use for this theme, so expect an international mix this time!
* audible sigh of relief from the swap regulars* π
Oh! There won’t be Leif Anderson’s duo with Eilert Pilarm, that’s a pity…
Could not be more in π
I think it should have been blue for blue for hashtag blue Monday, and white potentially too close to cold.
Anyway I’ve got some free time at the moment so I’m in, confidentiality in the MM house may be tricky but we’ll manage it somehow.
Mrs MM xx
It was going to be black, and I said maybe thatβs too close to space…poor @moseleymoles canβt win!
This was going to be the winner on my black playlist, so youβll all just have to enjoy it here instead
What with the Kid and Mrs Moles giving me their opinions, ain’t no peace round here that’s for sure…
Yes please!
Iβm in, thanks. Swap virgin
Definitely in
Back once again (for the renegade master)
Note to self: Don’t bother with any Tuvaluan throat-singers, its been done.
I’m in again
I’ll give it another go – always good for a bit of variety and new stuff
Oh go on then π
Please can I join The White Company
The Fat White Family even –
Come on in!
but not the AVERAGE white band
I’m in.!
As Mud almost sang ⦔that’s white that’s white that’s white that’s white’s I really love to join in”
Need to add the Mud to the Klaxon McKlaxonface playlist Iβm doing with Ms MM! AWB already on it
Yup. I’m up fer scrabbling summat together for this’n. A dozen different versions o’ White Christmas, no problem.
Winnowing from an initial list of possibles. Down to 426 currently.
Now I have a new Mac that is reliable I am in.
Count me in too. Cover art for this one will be easy!
Well my tracks have been copied and just need to be anonymised and then the names of my swap partners revealed.
I think I should have taken a bit more time over my selections last time, so I’m not rushing this one.
Just in case you missed it in my reply to lemonhope’s comment further up the chain, I’ve cast aside my earlier flounce about the theme and decided to participate after all. You lucky people.
Ergo, I am ‘in’.
Quality. π
Right, I’ve got a shortlist of 28 (with the theme stretched to breaking point in a few cases, naturally) and I’m drawing a line under it at that point.
Probably…
Whittled my list down to 24. Now I’ll have to get savage with myself.
Okay, we know MM said Valentine’s Day in the original post, but it seems people are getting itchy to start making some discs, so please consider this a reminder that if you’re on the fence let me know by the weekend, and I’ll start matching after that.
Last call for sign ups, last call for alcohol, last call for your freedom of speech. Drink up. Happy hour is now enforced by law. Don’t forget our house special, it’s called a Tricky Dicky Screwdriver. It’s got one part Jack Daniel’s, two parts purple Kool-Aid, and a jigger of formaldehyde from the jar with Hitler’s brain in we got in the back storeroom.
I love this point in proceedings: carefully selecting the perfect twelve tracks for the best mix ever; grinning with inner smugness over the ‘oh-so clever’ links to the theme – and basking in just how cool a taste in music the mix clearly demonstrates.
Allow me this deluded, perfect moment…
…before it all goes ‘pear’ when we realize everyone else has chosen something better, something far more clever, and clearly has a better taste in music .
The doubts! Oh, those doubts! Why can’t I ever be happy with my choices!!
Mine are already done. But only because my computer acted a bit strange a few times this week, and I wanted to burn the CDs quickly in case it would give up on me! The good thing about that was having to make my final choices fast, no time to overthink it. But if I’d thought about the swaps as a way to impress people with my excellent taste, I would have chosen very differently in every swap so far! π
I’ve worked out the first 2 to give a sort of “quiet/epic” introduction.
I think the rest of the tracks are just going to be chucked on in whatever order they fall
(just need to get from 35 to 10, and avoid the obvious)
okay, pairings are about to follow. Two groups of four this time, and the rest are the usual threes. I think I’ve avoided repeating any previous pairings but holler if I’ve let some through. Please contact each other with names, addresses, PIN numbers, etc and get burning!
Kid Dynamite / @nickduvet / @contraryarticle / @moseleymoles (at last! The titanic minds behind the swap meet! Who will survive and what will be left of them?)
@nickduvet I may have got a bit confused about my group, anyway I’ll PM with you with my address. All: selection done, burning possibly Sunday so if I’ve not got your addresses please PM me.
Mate, I think you may still be a little disoriented. If I’m not mistaken, your group is @kiddynamite, @moseleymoles / @contraryarticle / @bogart
@locust / @wilson-wilson / Mrs Moseley Moles (guess you’d better contact him for the details?)
I gather @locust @wilson-wilson that Mrs Moles is finally after years of spamming my feed getting her own handle, will chase her up about it at the weekend. Today? Well had to collect a second-hand drumset for son after work and feel that is enough for the day.
Testing testing @MrsMoseleyMoles
@MrsMoseleyMoles welcome! Still whittling down my list (20 tracks at the minute) but will hopefully have my offering for you and @locust ready to go next weekend.
Looking forward to swapping with you @MrsMoseleyMoles and @Wilson-Wilson! Mine is ready to be sent out but I’m in no hurry, just a precaution because my computer had a dizzy spell and I feared the worstβ¦ I will DM you both my adress soon.
Welcome to the swap @MrsMoseleyMoles
@lemonhope / @SteveT / @NigelT
@Kid-Dynamite – selections carefully made – committing to disc this coming weekend.
Can you, @lemonhope and @NigelT please send me you postal addresses and then they will be on their merry way.
@SteveT – I have already private messaged you with my details
@SteveT & @NigelT
My selections are in the post and on their way to you both
@StellarX / @carl / @timtunes
@retropath2 / @johnny99 / @bogart / @rigid-digit
@Mike_H / @bamber / @vulpes-vulpes
Addresses successfully swapped, I’ve got mine burned and (simplistic) cover art done. Now sitting on my desk in jiffy bags ready for stamping and posting.
Prepare to be underwhelmed, Bamber & Foxy.
Mine already sent out. Eagerly awaiting two mystery CDs to caress/attack my ears.
@ron-cucumber / @deviant808 / @tinysuns
Iβve just had a major iTunes breakdown and everything is mangled. Will endeavour to stick to the timelines, but please bear with me swopshoppers…
Just sent out address details. In individual messages as I’m having one of those days and couldn’t work out how to send a private message to multiple targets.
I’ve got my shortlist down to 24 at the moment. Probably won’t get a chance to finalise it this weekend, but next weekend looks likely.
Thanks, I’ve just messaged you both with my address.
Your CD just arrived today thanks, will give that a listen during the week.
Burned mine at the weekend.
Just need to fashion some appropriate artwork now that won’t look too bad when printed on the dodgy B&W printer at work, which should be less of a problem this time of course given the colourless aspect of the theme, and they should be in the post by the end of the week.
Brace Yourselves.
Finally stuck them in the post last night. Wasn’t getting the opportunity to get out and buy padded envelopes, so – rather than delay further – I improvised something with some leftover cardboard, hopefully they’ll survive the trip π
I should mention that I have deviated (of course) from the rules to a degree in that there are more than 12 tracks on there. The first 12 though are the ones that I would’ve chosen if I’d stuck to that rule, so technically they’re the only ones you need to provide any feedback on.
Though of course you’re free to go wild and review the whole thing if you feel sufficiently inspired/traumatised by the experience π
What marvellous synchronicity, I’ve just finished all production stages of my discs
Didn’t me and @bogart meet last time?
oh bollocks, so you did. Gone back to the original thread and it turns out they signed up late and I didn’t update my spreadsheet. Sloppy bookkeeping from the young West Country lad there.
Tell you what, how about we swap @bogart from your group with @nickduvet from mine, so the groups go
me / @moseleymoles / @contraryarticle / @bogart and
@retropath2 / @nickduvet / @rigid_digit / @johnny99
Is everybody else involved okay with that?
OK, was just starting my correspondence with @contraryarticle, but no worries. I’ve told him I’m being transferred. Retro, Rigid_digit and johnny99, will DM you now with details
@contraryarticle will have a little chortle at your oblivious regendering there nick!
apologies for my presumption
Ha! No worries at all. ‘Tis a 50/50 chance I’d be one or t’other, & better’n being told I have ok music taste ‘for a girl’ as I have been told in the past. Sorry to miss out on getting some interesting sounds from down under @nickduvet & hopefully get to do a swap some other time. @kid-dynamite I have swapped with moseleymoles before in the 1st swap- as I recall he hated my mix apart from the Sparklehorse track at the end, but am quite happy to have my musical taste ripped to shreds by him again. Hehe. I think I can handle it. Long as he’s happy to be inflicted with another dozen of my choices :-/
All I can say @contraryarticle is anybody who puts Sparklehorse on a compilation well it wouldn’t matter if your a martian-martian or even an abominable snowman in the supermarket your musical taste in music would automatically be designated as wonderful…
oh god, so you have. I think that from now on some repetition of partners is going to be inevitable, unless we get an influx of new swappers. If it’s any consolation there’s a track on my mix that has the most tenuous connection to ‘white’ you could imagine and I really should can it, but I’ve left it there because I know you’ll like it….
oh, did I missed the closing date?
@kid-dynamite any friendly groups could squeeze one more in?
More victims always welcome here! π
well, as long as no one else objects I guess we can add @pizon-bros to the @StellarX / @carl / @timtunes lineup?
By heck Ret @retropath2 was my selection last time that bad!!!
He he, not a bit of it, it was just the interminable wait for your car to be returned before you gave me your opine on mine…… π
To be fair, I felt someone else should also get to hear where old genres go to die…..