This was the first mixtape I created for my wife. At the time, the idea was simply to just share as much Australian music as I could, and I wasn’t thinking too heavily about this being an ongoing series of tapes.
I do remember thinking that it needed a strong opener (so we can thank Last Dinosaurs and their song ‘Andy’ for that), and the remainder of it was simply crafted using music I had been listening to on repeat over the past year.
When I decided to transform it into a mixtape, I knew that I needed to give it an actual mixtape theme. That is, something that actually paid tribute to the very concept of the mixtape itself.
That’s where I came across the 2015 Record Store Day cassette from Beach Slang, fittingly titled Here, I Made This For You. The concept was that Beach Slang presented a mixtape of their favourite songs, though it was actually a cassette filled with covers of the songs listed on the artwork.
I’m unsure of who actually created this artwork, but I decided to adopt it for my own design when I made this first tape.
The quote on the back flap comes from the lyrics of Chet Faker’s ‘I’m Into You’, and for those wanting to listen along on Spotify, the playlist is mixxing both Gyroscope’s cover of Jebediah’s ‘Monument’, and Jonathan Boulet’s cover of Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s ‘Colour Television’. I’ve linked those covers there for you so you can hear them if you would like.
Mixtape, Vol. 1 – Gallery
Mixtape, Vol. 1 – Tracklist
Side 1:
1. ‘Andy’ – Last Dinosaurs (2012)
2. ‘Darling, I Need Ya’ – Kid Confucius (2008)
3. ‘Awkward’ – San Cisco (2011)
4. ‘The Good News’ – Philadelphia Grand Jury (2009)
5. ‘Spray On Pants’ – Kisschasy (2007)
6. ‘The Only Way’ – Gotye (2006)
7. ‘Run’ – Cog (2005)
8. ‘Nothing Much Happens’ – Ben Lee (1998)
9. ‘Laughing Boy’ – Big Heavy Stuff (2001)
10. ‘Breaking It Slowly’ – george (2002)
Side 2:
1. ‘Coming Down’ – Ball Park Music (2012)
2. ‘The Beast’ – Angus & Julia Stone (2007)
3. ‘Monument’ (Jebediah cover) – Gyroscope (2006)
4. ‘Colour Television’ (Eddy Current Suppression Ring cover) – Jonathan Boulet (2010)
5. ‘Zimbabwe’ – New Navy (2011)
6. ‘I’m Into You’ – Chet Faker (2012)
7. ‘Dear Science’ – Seth Sentry (2012)
8. ‘Aw Yeah’ – The Grates (2008)
9. ‘Dance Bear’ – Snakadaktal (2012)
10. ‘Hallelujah’ – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (2001)