WARMER MIXTAPES #130 | by Mario Baltodano [Kites Sail High]

1. Everything But The Girl | Before Today
Every car ride I took with my Dad when I was younger was an adventure. Grocery stores, family gatherings, and school rides would be something to look forward to. The only question asked during car rides would be Who’s playing? and Can you turn it up, please? and throughout the time driving to point A to B would be pure magic. In the back seat head tilted back and looking up at the sky while my heart melted from Tracey Thorn’s voice. This was beautiful, this was innocence.

2. Lightning Bolt | 2 Towers
My good friend owned a 1987 Volkswagen Cabriolet and it had one of the best sound systems I’ve ever heard in a car. Both speakers in the back of the car were broken but the front speakers made some kind of mixture of good enough bass and treble to travel into our ears and consume the taste of something awesome. We left school blasting this song in the struggle of getting through a fight of horrible drivers in the Silicon Valley and we won. It was dirty and rough but it had peaceful ending to it.

3. M83 | Farewell/Goodbye
Goodbye was something hard to say to all of my friends. I thought it was the right idea at the time to start something new and move into another world. That was a big fucking mistake. I felt lost and not accepted by the new place with different species and adaptations I couldn’t get used to. The tears rolled down my eyes remembering where I grew up. It was my home, I missed it.

4. 2Pac | Changes
That’s just the way it is. It was the answers to the questions I had seeing the things I saw everywhere around me. It was the age of Why? and I wanted real answers but I knew if I learned the truth then I wouldn’t be able to handle it. Hearing this made things simple for me at the time of my parent’s divorce.

5. Daft Punk | One More Time
Meet new people, have a good time, and repeat. Meet new people, have a good time, and repeat. Meet new people, have a good time, and repeat. Meet sketchy people, have a bad time, and avoid the cops.

6. Animal Collective | Safer
The Earth was shattering in front of me. I was heartbroken and I had nowhere to go or to talk to when my ex-girlfriend and I called it quits. I lit up a cigarette and sat at the curb of the street with a blank look on my face. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do anymore. Everything around me was a reminder of how much emotion I spilled out for her. I had to get away. I took a trip back where I grew up and saw my friends and it made me feel better. They are family and being around them made me feel safe.

7. Sade | By Your Side
I was really happy for my Dad to get remarried. He deserved it after all the years of hell he had to go through with his previous wife, my Mom. When it came time to dance this song came on and it seemed like everything played in slow motion for me. His gray hair shined and his eyes glowed while he stared at me for a second like if there was a confirmation of how good life will be now that he’s starting something new.

8. Madvillain | Great Day Today
Waking up from a hangover to a beautiful blue sky is the best thing over. You know things will be great. You go out and get breakfast even if it’s 1 PM and talk about what had happened the night before with someone puking on someone or your friend ending up nude by the end of the night. There are always crazy things I’ve seen at parties and I love to observe it and experience it because it draws memories to enjoy and laugh about later. Once it’s all over just start up and do it again.

9. Panda Bear | Comfy In Nautica
I sat in my car in the rain. The rained poured over my windshield and made a wall of blur and I sat there listening to this while my world turned into something beautiful. No words could describe how I felt with what I had heard. At this point of my life I felt pressured with drugs, issues with friends, and the place I was living at I didn’t like. But I always reminded myself to avoid all of that shit and have a good time.

10. J Dilla | Waves
He’s traveled with me since the day I found a Slum Village bootleg online and I’ve worked my way up finding out who he was. Dilla made everything good and he had a passion with his music that I look up to.

+11. Björk | Venus As Boy
I had doubts I’d ever go out with my first crush. There was this kind of love game show during Valentine's Day they did at my junior high school and you would have to answer some questions about the girl behind the curtain. Apparently someone rigged the game in order for me to get her as the prize along with candy and flowers to give to her. I asked her out that day and had our first kiss later that week. It was really surprising to me, I didn’t know she actually liked me until I found out she was part of the reason why I won her at the end of the game.