··· WHY CREATING THIS?
- A kind of an archive function.
- Personal expression; real life offers limited opportunities for that. Where I live, acting 'normal' is key.
- Usability on music boards and microblogs (like Bluesky): I can put a link in a profile, signature or post/reply. Without a central place to store titles, I would end up spamming too many YouTube links.
The inspiration for the look is a blend of early 90s Top 40 sheets, internet radio station ROVR, and old TUTB cds; specifically parts 7 till 18.
··· THIS VS. STREAMING SERVICES / IMPORTING LISTS
For some years, Spotify was the main place for these things. There's still an account; neatly updated. And most pages on this site contain subtle links to matching Spotify playlists. But it's got an increasingly dark side, a lot of songs are missing, and its future is uncertain. Sadly, alternatives like Deezer are technically worse.
Anyway: this site ended up being the main place where titles are shared. If you're on another service like Tidal, Qobuz, or Deezer, you can - using a bit of help from Soundiiz, ChatGPT, and Excel - turn them into CSV files, and import the lists into your favourite streaming service, if they spark your interest.
··· SOME BASICS ABOUT MYSELF
Online I go by Christina; it's part of my given name. I was born in the spring of 1981 (hence the 'xy' in the URL) and live in the south of the Netherlands.
Mid-1991 I started listening to contemporary music; till the mid 00s mostly dance. Here's a longer musical timeline.
··· LYRICS, ALBUMS
I prefer music over lyrics (that hasn't changed, even after exploring many more genres), and I tend to listen 'track-based'. Both are probably remains of my dance years. Dance music was - and often still is - released as singles rather than albums.
··· SOURCES
Sources I use to find music: preferably relatively old-fashioned, human curated ones. Internet radio, Mixcloud streams, music podcasts, discussion boards, reviews, homemade playlists on streaming services, etc.
··· SOCIALS/STREAMING SERVICES
I have profiles on many sites and services. A couple of them: Bluesky and MusicMeter (the Dutch version of 'Rate Your Music'). And Spotify was already mentioned before.
··· MAINSTREAM VERSUS MORE OBSCURE MUSIC
I tend to fall somewhere in between. I’m not a typical CHR-radio listener - I struggle to connect with 2:30, heavily auto-tuned tracks. Even in fully electronic music, I tend to look for some kind of human element beneath the surface.
At the same time, I listen to music in a more relaxed way than the archetypal purist or music snob. This leaves me in a somewhat unusual grey area.
I have no issue with catchiness or with music becoming 'big', as long as there’s something musically engaging going on. This is especially reflected in the 80s and 90s selections, where many familiar and more pop-oriented tracks appear.
