WARMER MIXTAPES #415 | by Samuel

I started with my own song and ended with my best friends The Knocks. I love music and hear far too much to write it all down, but certain ones stay with me and get stuck in my head and inspire me to try new things and to be happy or be sad or go outside.
Reminders that life is beautiful and fleeting and there is so much room for imagination and love and positivity.

Photo by Loren Wohl.

1. Samuel | I Heart NY
It's weird because I filmed the music video for this in the winter, even though it's such a summer joint. I think I wrote it in the winter too, but when summer rolls around it feels right to blast this, especially the Joell Ortiz remix... I'm very grateful to be a part of this song and I like that young New Yorkers can rep it. If you hit me up on Facebook I'll give you this song for free, that's how much I like it.

2. The Weeknd | Loft Music
This song actually reminds me of NYC in the winter. I think I went to this party like 100 times in high school. Probably don't remember. It's so good it makes me jealous. Smoking cigarettes and splintering from the party with that special someone. Walking dead tracks. Running from police.

3. Death Grips | Takyon (Death Yon)
It's so terrifyingly invigorating... I feel like the dude my jump out of the speaker and kill me but I'd wanna drink a beer with him first. I would mosh to this song live. When I make beats I try to get the drums to sound like this, it's so aggressive. This is what drugs are for if you're angry and don't like Phish.

4. Balam Acab | Apart
If you could be stuck in some kind of endless summer montage that was beautiful and really foggy and old, this is what it would feel like maybe. Day time raving. Texture is really cool in music.

5. The East Flatbush Project | Tried By 12 (feat. DeS)
This is the greatest hip-hop song of all time. I used to be able to recite every word with my boys back of the day.

6. James Blake | I Only Know (What I Know Now)
He is in a crowd of shoppers buying fish heads and cow tongues and livers. The smell is overpowering and making him dizzy. He hears the the market banter and the servants are busy shopping and bartering. Black cats and chickens are loose and kids are stealing some of the produce.

7. Bon Iver | Beth/Rest
I mean, it's so unbelievable that music like this is somehow created in a room with human beings and stuff. What a song. Hopeful and romantic and sad all in a few minutes. Justin Vernon said... It just sounds like forever. It's kind of like timeless, and you can be lofted up into these very high places during that song... I totally agree.

8. Dads | I Didn't Say Pass Me The Ball
I'm obsessed with finding these emo bands on Bandcamp.com, there's so many good ones out there, but this one has an especially good name. The lyrics are so cute it hurts. Reminds me of Cap'N Jazz. I'm one of the few New Yorkers who appreciates New Jersey for their fine exports such as this.

9. Pépé Bradock | Deep Burnt
Groundbreaking track. He sampled Freddie Hubbard's Little Sunflower, and turned it into a deep house song with tons of filter and dub. Morning music. Transcendent. I feel as though I am immersed in the deep sea of emotion riding a wave of jubilation on my way to the beginning of no end where all is one and the nectar of love flows from the source that is within.

10. The Chemical Brothers | Swoon
That line just stays in your head forever Just remember to fall in love, there's nothing else... It's wonderful.

+11. The Knocks | Sunshine
I would play this song right after the Pépé Bradock one, I would listen to it on a rooftop with the Sun coming up after a long night out. Block party music. I listen to this on repeat.