This mixtape is called Halloween 2022

Happy One year anniversary to me putting mixtapes that nobody asked for on the internet!

When I made my mixtape with Silas I asked him if he ever thought Calvin would make one with me. The jury was out and when I questioned Calvin himself he felt that he didn't have much to offer a mixtape. I appreciated his honesty but still held out hope.

In the beginning of the school year I noticed that Calvin was listening to his iPod more and more often. This wasn't totally uncommon but the frequency definitely increased. When I asked to see what he was listening to I was amused, surprised and very impressed.

Metal is a genre that I'm not entirely uninformed on but it's never been a big focal point. I lightly touch on this concept in the writeup to Memoir Side A, specifically when discussing Firehouse. I do have a favorite Iron Maiden album and (inexplicably) two copies of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid". However, even the lightest weight metal-head could call me a poseur and I'd be like "yep... no arguments here". So I was fascinated that Calvin's playlist was full of metal. I loved that he'd found a genre to love that wasn't regularly being played in our house.

Now over time he's expanded a bit outside of metal and exploring music in a new and fascinating way. He's not really attached to genre or time period and is hopping around just checking things out. It's fascinating watching someone discover at a time where it truly is all available.

So when I approached him again about making a playlist he was all in. It just so happened that it was nearing spooky times and I thought what better time to put out a potentially metal-heavy mixtape. Now from my side of the table I wanted to make sure I didn't armchair quarterback the whole thing while still making a playlist that I actually wanted to listen to. The fun thing about these collaborations is that I really end up making stuff that I would never in a million years have put together. It is a fascinating way to bookmark these periods in my life.

So Happy Halloween! Grab a pumpkin and hail satan!!