··· WHY CREATING THIS?
- A kind of an archive function.
- Personal expression; real life offers limited opportunities for that.
- Usability on music boards and apps like Bluesky: I can put the link in a profile or signature. 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 (used before), 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. The aqua and pink lists are similar to this webspace (except for the missing songs). But it's got an increasingly dark side, and its future is uncertain. Sadly, alternatives like Deezer are technically worse.
This webspace became the main place to share titles. You just can't play the songs directly. But with some help of Soundiiz, ChatGPT and Excel, you can create a CSV version and transfer the lists to your favourite streaming service - if you're intrigued by them.
··· 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 ones, created by humans instead of algorithms/AI. 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
When it comes to that I'm somewhere in between. I'm not a 'CHR radio' listener; I find it hard to connect with 2:30 long, heavily autotuned songs. And even if it's 100 % electronic, I like some human element underneath.
But at the same time I'm enjoying music in a more relaxed way than the archetypal purist/music snob/etc.. When it comes to that I'm in a strange place.
Basically, I have no problem with catchiness or with music becoming 'big', as long as there’s something musically interesting. Especially in the 80s and 90s lists, there are many well-known and/or poppy tracks.
