These days People tend to discover music through mathematical algorithms that observe what they listen to and search for. These algorithms categorise listeners into segments then suggests music they may also like based on the behaviour of others in the same clusters. Fantastic hey, well except for the fact you’re now trapped in the echo chamber and are only ever going to be recommended music the algorithm determines you’re most likely to like.

In the days before Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal we discovered music through mix tapes, which were lovingly prepared by fellow aficionados of music. When preparing a tape, you would have an idea about what your friends had and knew but more importantly had probably never heard. You would line up a couple of obscure tracks by artists you knew they liked and probably feature a few forgotten gems. Some songs were selected because they triggered a memory or evoked an emotion. Others were included to be deliberately random and stimulate a bit of banter. On occasion, I would decide to be controversial and include a track by a band or artist considered uncool in our circle of friends, but this was a deliberate ploy to challenge my mates to focus on the music and not the musicians.

When sequencing these mixes, I decided to hark back to a time when the c90 cassette was one of your most treasured and prized possessions. I wanted to share with you some of my most cherished records, the tracks I return to time after time. In addition, I wanted to surprise and delight with forgotten gems and lesser known album tracks that rarely ever get played by DJs today. Just like my heroes of yesteryear, I stitched random genres of music together to express a very personal music story.

Sit back, relax and listen to the music.

Ricky Chopra