Mixtape
May 2024
SOUL • FUNK • BALEARIC HOUSE • SYNTH-POP
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Monthly mixtape artwork collage cover.
Mixtape
May 2024
SOUL • FUNK • BALEARIC HOUSE • SYNTH-POP

That was the personal update. On to the music.

After a long break, I'm happy to get the mixtapes going again. Apologies for disappearing. In the section below, I explain why that project was put on hold for a year and what led me to resume it today.

Featuring deep bass lines, soulful arrangements and catchy grooves, the MAY 2024 selection is undeniably anchored in the 70s and 80s. With songs by Crown Heights Affair, Jana Koubková, The Doors, Frankie Smith and other great musicians from that era, it's edgy, energetic, playful and funky. Greg Foat, Tutankhamun and Golf Trip bring a modern twist to the mix, while Andrea Laszlo de Simone and Lucio Battisti do what they do best: infusing emotional depth with their distinctive Italian flair and rich instrumentation.

As usual, we start quietly, and the pace gradually picks up before winding down again as we reach the end.

Special mention goes to ‘Billy Jack’ by Curtis Mayfield.

Happy listening! I hope you enjoy it.

Recommended Setting

Imagined Setting: you're gathered with friends around a bonfire on an empty beach. The sun is setting, the sound of laughter mixing with the melodies and the music carrying you away as you move effortlessly.

PERSONAL UPDATE

It’s been a while, I know, but I am happy to finally reconnect over here. I owe you an explanation for my disappearing act so this update will be a bit longer than usual.

My last communication dates back to March 2023. Apologies for going MIA; last year was a whirlwind, I found myself stretched thin, and side projects took a backseat.

After compiling 33 consecutive mixtapes, skipping the APR 2023 one felt weird. The perfectionist in me didn’t like it. For the first time, I did not stick to my monthly commitment. I eventually moved on, telling myself I would not skip the next one. But then the next month rolled around, I was knee-deep in work and the MAY 2023 mixtape never saw the light of day.

This pattern of ‘convincing myself and failing’ went on for a few months, and I abandoned the project, telling myself I’d get back to it when I have more time. “Be open to change; it’s okay; things are not meant to last forever,” I scribbled in my notebook in September.

Despite the break, I never stopped listening to music and kept saving standout tracks in a playlist; a pool of songs that might come in handy at some point.

During that time, I also found myself reminiscing about the process of compiling these mixtapes. The research and writing exercises it enabled, the thrill of finally getting the sequencing right after many iterations, the simple act of sharing music, the exchanges and new connections it fostered, and the joy of discovering a great song knowing it might eventually find its place in the mixtapes archive.

Some things are not meant to last forever, but others will call you back at some point. You find yourself pulled towards them, unable to dive back just yet, but you know deep down that the door is not completely shut. The timing is just not right.  

2024 began with a strong desire to reconsider what I was allocating time to in my life, and whether that was truly aligned with my priorities, interests and aspirations. For a while, I’ve contemplated reducing my work hours to give other projects a fair shot. I’ve recently decided to shift gears and switch to part-time work from June onwards to experiment with a different way of managing my time.

New phase. More time for personal projects. Let’s see what the second half of the year brings.

With that, I am happy to kick off the mixtapes again! Hopefully you’ll hear from me again at the end of June. Also, I'll be skipping the track description from now on to keep it lightweight.

Happy to be back,
Choucri

CHAPTER 1

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King Heroin - James Brown
1972
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Billy Jack - Curtis Mayfield
1975
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I've Been Watching You (Move Your Sexy Body) - Parliament
1976
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i ain't scared of no devil - Jitwam, dj godfrey ho
2017
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Coltrane - Tutankhamun
2022
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Nijána - Jana Koubková
1985
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Soul Brother - Golf Trip
2022
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Ghost Song - Jim Morrison, The Doors
1978
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Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On - Yvonne Fair
1975
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Double Dutch Bus - Frankie Smith
1981
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Dancin' - Crown Height Affair
1976
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Junge Roemer (Specially Remixed 7" Edit) - Falco
1984
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La Chica de Humo - Emmanuel
1988
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Chicago, Damn - Bobbi Humphrey
1973
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Float On (Single Version) - The Floaters
1977
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Abbracciala Abbracciali Abbracciati - Lucio Battisti
1974
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Fatherhood - Greg Foat
2022
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Il Regno Animale - Andrea Laszlo De Simone
2023
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Arcadian Dream - Ed Longo and The Applied Arts Ensemble
2019

CHAPTER 2

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Happy listening

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