A World So Small: Fanmixes

[wordslinging]

I was lucky enough to get two fanmixes this year, and I adore them both. It's always amazing to me when someone can take something I wrote and find a song I've never heard before that fits it perfectly, and both my mixes are full of examples of that. Thanks so much to both my mixers! ♥


Things Found in the Dark by fleurdeliser

1. Nocturne No.19 in E minor, Op.72 No.1 - Chopin
2. Cello Song - Nick Drake
3. In Other Words - Ben Kweller
4. Kingdom of Rust - Doves
5. Mirrorball - Elbow
6. Low Is A Height - Great Northern
7. That's Okay - The Hush Sound
8. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 Var. 18 Canone Alla Sesta a 1 Clav. - András Schiff
9. Creep - Scala (Radiohead cover)
10. In a Graveyard - Rufus Wainwright
11. Come in Closer - Blue October
12. Strangest Land - Tom McRae
13. Enchanted - Patrick Wolf
14. Allegretto in C Minor, WoO 53 - Alfred Brendel

I love how this mix has classical music pieces that fit the setting (which they really do, and not just because they're classical--listen to the Chopin nocturne with your eyes closed and see if you don't start picturing a once-grand manor house gone to seed) mixed in with contemporary stuff where the lyrics fit perfectly. To pick out just a few, "In a Graveyard" is such a perfect love song for Frank and Gerard in this story, and "Come in Closer" and "Strangest Land" both gave me chills the first time I listened to them.


Fanmix by summerslaughter




This one also has some great Frank/Gerard love songs on it--"You Are the Daybreak" pretty much sums up the way Gerard feels about Frank better than anything I actually wrote--but what I love most about it is how well songs like "Death", "Thru These Walls", and "Crazy Baby" get inside Attic-Recluse-Gerard's head. Also, while I was doing a final check for typos, I got to the part where Frank takes Gerard outside and "The Night Starts Here" spontaneously started up in my head, which I think is a sign of a mix well done.

Comments

[fleurdeliser.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you liked the mix. I was nervous about it. :)

[crowgirl13.livejournal.com]

I have to tell you - I thought you mix was perfect for this story. The classical pieces were well-chosen and you created such a great mood with your track choices - it really enhanced my fic-reading experience. I *know* I'll be listening to this mix heavily. [And that cover of Creep made me LAUGH.] Great job, dude!

[fleurdeliser.livejournal.com]

Thank you! This one was a challenge to put together because I didn't want the mix to be too jarring in relation to the historical setting of the story. It's surprising how many songs make reference to modern things that like telephones and I wanted to keep those kinds of things to a minimum. I'm pretty sure a few crept in anyway because I decided the song as a whole fit too well to dismiss it because of a small reference, but I did try.

(Hee! I think the cover of Creep is awesome and I really debated putting it in as it's definitely a little strange at first, but I really liked the song itself for the story and thought the cover fit the setting pretty darn well, even if it's weird. :D)

And here's a confession: I cheated a little bit with the Chopin piece. It's actually one of the main soundtrack songs on the 1987 version of The Secret Garden. Images of big houses being explored automatically send me straight to that song.

[vixalicious]

That was a really awesome mix - I listened to it while reading the story, and it was such a great accompaniment!

[fleurdeliser.livejournal.com]

Yay! Thank you! :D

[vixalicious]

Both are great mixes, and I love the artwork on the second one!

[crowgirl13.livejournal.com]

See, this is what I LOVE about the mix-making process - I completely understand why you'd want to be cautious about the inclusion of modern references, but I don't think *I* think of that sort of a track requirement. IMO, you were very successful - this is collection is atmospheric, meloncholy and strangely grand. Like I said, a perfect fit for the tale. :)

[Oh, it totally is an awesome cover - there's something about a choir of young girls singing 'fucking' with perfect ennucation that cracks me up. And yes, it does fit the story well.]

How is that cheating? I think that's a lovely and very logical connection to make.

[iamthelolrus.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed your mix so much I have to tell you! I love the songs you picked and they work so well with the story. :)

It's my favorite fan mix so far, definitely. <3

[fleurdeliser.livejournal.com]

Thank you so very much! ♥

[redsnake05.livejournal.com]

I'm just listening to summerslaughter's mix right now, and Joan Osbourne's Crazy Baby has made it's way right into my heart and taken up residence there. I know you said it was getting inside Attic-recluse!Gerard's head for you, but, for me, it's a little bit about Mikey and how much he worries about Gerard and the things that are said about him. I love the whole mix, but this is a stand out track, along with Seed of Wonder. That one, for me, encapsulates how Frank represents so much dizzying possibility for Gerard.

[littleladypunk.livejournal.com]

First mix is awesome <3