Fear the Shuffle

I never liked skipping tracks, I never liked shuffling my music. I listen to music one album at a time from start to finish, sometimes the whole discography of a band or artiste in chronological sequence. Old school? Very much so.

I have recently started shuffling some of my music, and have found that it can be quite disturbing at times. I once had a shuffle in Windows Media Player that was nothing but radio friendly hits, I cannot help but wonder if there is a software in there picking out top hits and playing them for some music publisher’s agenda. Not to be trusted.

Then I started shuffling on my MP3 player, I started getting paranoid as well. Knowing a teeny bit about technology, I know that nothing electronic is truly random, they are usually random enough insofar that a human is concerned. But the randomness usually works on some sort of an algorithm. Why are there days when the Gods of Shuffle decide to bestow nothing but depressing music into my playlist? Sure, it was because I had them in my MP3 player, but still the juxtapositioning of songs can be quite mysterious. I began to notice some songs being thrown into the mix more frequently than others. Also two songs by the same band being played in sequence, how in all probability does that happen?

Then there was that occasion a few days ago, when a friend asked if I would like to go see Aimee Mann. I am quite sure I would, but have not confirmed it yet. The bizarre thing was, not one but two Aimee Mann tracks was in my shuffle on the way home from work that day. That kind of sealed the deal for me.

Perhaps I am over thinking this. Surely a cheap MP3 is not possessed by some God of Shuffling that dictates what I listen to. Surely its just pure coincedence…or is it?

*cue Fear of the Dark by Iron Maiden

Equality in relationships

I guess everyone knows that relationships built on equality work better. Of course there are no absolutes, and everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I have always thought about this kinda on a general term.

It was when I have come to know about relationships that some of my 16-19 year old students have that it really hit home. The world of a 16-19 year old is actually quite an equal one. Everyone is a student, regardless of whether they were bright or not, and even if someone is really hot, they would still have their awkwardness from inexperience and youth.

Things change really fast after that age, or rather equality does. Some people make it to university, some people end up in green. Some overseas, some work, some gain extraordinary confidence. And thats when a rather homogenous community of students become a wide ranging diversity of adults. Everything becomes unequal from that point on.

One ends up having to date people quite different from one’s own situation. Different levels of hotness, different education standards (it impacts the sort of conversation one has), different income levels (probably one of the biggest gulfs), different experiences and views, and of course, different ages (and the generation gaps that brings into the picture). Where can the equality be found in all this diversity?

I miss John Peel

After a conversation with a friend recently about needing/wanting to get exposed to new current music, I just realised that I missed John Peel very much. He was my purveyor of good taste in cross-genre music for over a decade, an institution as old as time, but bringing new music of all types to the world. I cannot believe that it has been 5 years since my exploration of new music was under his guidance.

Music on the BBC is not the same anymore without John Peel, no offense to Charlie Gillet and the other music presenters. If any of you out there know any DJ who performs a role similar to what John Peel had done for decades, please let me know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Peel