Author Topic: 80s Music Libraries - compilation mix [parts 1 & 2]  (Read 26288 times)

FictionOfColours

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80s Music Libraries - compilation mix [parts 1 & 2]
« on: February 07, 2018, 08:42:47 PM »
This compilation is focused on library music of the 1980s (with one track from ‘78 and another from ‘90). It was a niche that I felt deserved it’s own mix(es), especially with how neglected it’s become in comparison to pre-80s library. I wanted to highlight the various beautiful, futuristic, interesting and/or simply fun uses of both analog and digital electronics of this era.

(images taken from the palmandlaser tumblr)

Part 1


8tracks - https://8tracks.com/tinderboxofaheart/curios-from-the-background-vol-1-80s-music-libraries

Youtube playlist [very close to complete] https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB0qm7266sOM9dbdYwzl5k0abQjp2NGqO

Part 2


8tracks - https://8tracks.com/tinderboxofaheart/curios-from-the-background-vol-3-80s-music-libraries

Youtube playlist (sadly only half-complete) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB0qm7266sONfh3kYqbiVonvISifyC2id

(The 8tracks mixes may not be available outside the US unfortunately; 8tracks’ availability has gone downhill)

~~~

I made sure to include both songs that felt distinctly 1980s (Geoff Bastow - “Cat Walk”, Robert Viger - “Champs Elysses 2”, etc.) and songs that felt truly futuristic (Alan Shearer - “Isis For Osiris”, Paul Williams’ breathtaking “Sunken Cathedral”, the Hawkshaw track “Crystal Vision”, etc.). I wasn’t interested in shoving the digital era music under a bin either, like so many other electronic-music mixes/websites tend to.

I wanted to show how both how charming and how prescient this music can be. After all, some of these songs naturally sound like ‘vaporwave’ before it existed, and it definitely has had an indirect yet noticeable influence on that phenomenon. Many collectors who came across these records I assume simply dismissed a lot of it as ‘typical corporate 80s cheese’, but I find there to often be much more to it than that. If you’re an open minded electronic/library music fan who doesn’t have much of a negative bias against 80s electronics, than I suggest giving this a listen.

This project became a labor of love, and is the product of tons of listening, searching, and most of all, editing. I made a few mistakes at first, but I think by this time, especially after Mr from LTM gave me some pointers, that I can feel proud of it.

~~~

I also must note this is actually a ‘subseries’ of my playlist series 'Curios From The Background’, which was a joint exploration of sorts into not just 80s library but the general umbrella of 'muzak’, library, lounge music, easy listening, etc. that has intrigued me for some years now; I’m considering posting the other 3 volumes here later even if they aren’t 100% library tracks, since they may appeal to some of you at LTM.

It’s kind of confusing, I know; if you have any questions regarding these projects, I’m sure I could answer them and explain further.

Greta

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Re: 80s Music Libraries - compilation mix [parts 1 & 2]
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2018, 12:10:04 AM »
Nice yeah. Thank you Fiction.
I had a listen earlier today, hitting the links in your signature.
G.

stackjackson

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Re: 80s Music Libraries - compilation mix [parts 1 & 2]
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2018, 03:33:38 AM »
Amazing presentation, fiction! A true labor of love and quite impressive.
80s is generally not my period, but this is very compelling. Great work!
| Stack |

FictionOfColours

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Re: 80s Music Libraries - compilation mix [parts 1 & 2]
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2018, 03:55:25 AM »
Nice yeah. Thank you Fiction.
I had a listen earlier today, hitting the links in your signature.

Glad to year you listened! Does this mean 8tracks worked for you, by any chance? It's been hard to tell who it works for and who it doesn't.
Either way, hope you enjoyed what you heard, found some goodies, etc.

Amazing presentation, fiction! A true labor of love and quite impressive.
80s is generally not my period, but this is very compelling. Great work!

Thank you so much. This is some of the kindest feedback I've gotten for this playlist - glad you enjoyed my presentation here, espec. since I spent a lot of these past couple days putting the post together and keeping it understandable.
Hope you can listen sometime and maybe discover something you like.


Greta

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Re: 80s Music Libraries - compilation mix [parts 1 & 2]
« Reply #4 on: February 08, 2018, 12:23:31 PM »
Yeah, I enjoyed it a lot. I like personal comps. And no, 8tracks didn't work for me.
G.

FictionOfColours

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Re: 80s Music Libraries - compilation mix [parts 1 & 2]
« Reply #5 on: February 08, 2018, 06:46:31 PM »
Yeah, I enjoyed it a lot. I like personal comps. And no, 8tracks didn't work for me.

Glad to know. And well, I can't say I'm surprised by 8tracks not working, based on how someone else had told me it didn't work for people outside the US. Don't think they acknowledge that limit to those who make the mix - it's really disappointing they do such limiting things like that now, because it used to be an excellent site for this kind of stuff. I hope to find an alternative to it someday.

Mr

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Re: 80s Music Libraries - compilation mix [parts 1 & 2]
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2018, 05:19:23 PM »
I have no experience with either, but isn't Mixcloud in something of a similar 'market'?

FictionOfColours

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Re: 80s Music Libraries - compilation mix [parts 1 & 2]
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2018, 05:57:27 PM »
Yeah, I've tried Mixcloud before and it is similar in ways - the main difference though is that it requires all of the songs to be in one track and cross-faded together I'm pretty sure, and while having the songs be in one file is something I could maybe pull off, I have very little experience/knowledge of pulling off crossfades and/or transitions, even if it is something interesting to me. And since Mixcloud doesn't allow mixes that don't work like that, I haven't been able to do much with it.

FictionOfColours

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Re: 80s Music Libraries - compilation mix [parts 1 & 2]
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2019, 12:32:30 AM »
Some updates:
I haven’t yet had the opportunity to do so, to make a long story short - however, in the future I hope to replace some more of the less essential tracks on Part 2, as I feel there are too many repeat artists/labels on it; needs a little more variety to work I've noticed.

Meanwhile, those of you who liked these mixes may want to check out my recent RYM lists on this niche:
10+ times 80s-90s library music predated vaporwave+synthwave - https://rateyourmusic.com/list/dreamfortress/10-times-80s-90s-library-music-predicted-vaporwave/
My top 15 eighties library albums - https://rateyourmusic.com/list/dreamfortress/top-15-80s-library-albums-1980-1991/

Tommy Wong

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Re: 80s Music Libraries - compilation mix [parts 1 & 2]
« Reply #9 on: April 29, 2019, 06:16:00 PM »
The 80s have become possibly my favorite decade for library music, gonna give these a listen. I already see a lot of my favorites 8]

FictionOfColours

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Re: 80s Music Libraries - compilation mix [parts 1 & 2]
« Reply #10 on: May 06, 2019, 07:39:37 PM »
Glad you love this niche as I do! I agree, the 70s were very interesting for library music but the 80s stuff is overdue for it's turn to shine.

danthemusiclover

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Re: 80s Music Libraries - compilation mix [parts 1 & 2]
« Reply #11 on: May 15, 2023, 09:33:51 PM »
Thanks