![Reposted from my old tumblr.
Thank you so much! :) And no, it’s not a silly at all. I was quite flattered to receive your question!
Here’s the short version which I hope makes sense.
Choose more songs than you need the cut them down.
Sort them into playlists and move the songs you want to use to the top of the list.
Use music you love.
Be literal … but not too literal with your song choices.
Listen to your mix a lot of times.
From my screenshot, you can see that I have a lot of separate playlists for different pairings and characters.
Long version under cut. I’ll be using my own playlists as examples. I’M SORRY IT’S VERY LONG I GOT CARRIED AWAY. ALSO HEADCANONS AHOY.
[[MORE]]
Choose more songs than you need the cut them down. I spend a lot of time in front of the computer and I always have iTunes on. If a song sounds relevant, sort it into a playlist for a specific pairing or character. If you don’t want to use a song, move it to the bottom of the list in case you change your mind. I have different playlists for Shrios, Shenko, etc. I normally end up with thirty songs that I reduce to about ten.
Use music you love. I’ve been a fan on Bjork, Moloko, Emilie Simon, Broken Social Scene, the Smashing Pumpkins for ages, so they will always crop up in my mixes. I like mixing old and new as well, like Florence + the Machine, the XX. Try to use as many different musicians as possible. If you’re going to use two or three songs from the same musician, make sure they’re not right next to each other.
Each track should flow into the next. The end of one song should be similar to the beginning of the next one. In general, all the songs in the mix should sound pretty similar. You probably shouldn’t put Daft Punk and Edith Piaf in one mix, but Daft Punk and the XX would work.
Get the gist of the relationship when you’re making a fanmix for a pairing. Shakarian - trust. Shrios - tears of sihas hope and despair. A lot of despair. Shepard and Kaidan - second chances. Nyria - conflict and sacrifice. Don’t forget to throw in a couple of generic love songs.
Pick genres that go with the setting. For example, folk music would be more suited for Dragon Age than Mass Effect. This isn’t a strict rule.
Pick songs that go with the character. I personally feel that Thane would like Bjork, while Kaidan would listen to Broken Social Scene. Doesn’t mean that your entire Shrios playlist should be exotic Icelandic music - neutral stuff should work too.
You can follow the plot. For the Thane romance, the first time we meet him, he prays for forgiveness after killing (All My Sins by Mandalay). He speaks in poetry (Pagan Poetry by Bjork - NSFW). He tells Shepard she is his warrior angel (Angels by the XX). Shepard wants to save him (Breath Me by Sia). He has spent his life in memories but just as he has a few months to live, he meets Shepard (Videotape by Radiohead). But BioWare kills him (Somersault by Decoder Ring). No one brings up his death (Statues by Moloko).
For the Kaidan romance, we start with how Shepard and Kaidan fell in love (Tbtf by Kevin Drew), taking a chance that will never come again, only to have it taken away (Cosmic Love by Florence + the Machine). Reuniting on Horizon (Miss You by Foster the People). Kaidan doesn’t realise that Shepard thinks of him (Crystalised). They’d give it another shot (Try, Try, Try by the Smashing Pumpkins). So now they’re officially together and they’re not being subtle about it, but chances are Shepard might not make it back from the Crucible (Wandering Limbs by Kimbra). My Shepard doesn’t. Ha! I think I am so smart here with my song choices.
I actually have shitloads of headcanon for my Nyria fanmix but I’m not going to write them here because some people haven’t played the Omega DLC.
Be literal … but not too literal. You can do this by referring to a character’s dialogue. For example, one of Thane’s most well-known quotes is “Meet you across the sea.” Do you know how many songs mention “the sea” in their lyrics? Lol. I actually have to stop myself from being too literal when making Shrios mixes. They can’t all be about breathing or poetry.
For fun, you can sneak in literal song choices that no one else will pick up on. Pretty, Pretty Star by Billy Corgan is a generic love song. One of my Shepards is named Seren meaning “star”. Super literal, I know.
Listen to your mix. Over and over. Ten million times. The reason why I have so few mixes is because they undergo months of scrutiny. Which … probably isn’t necessary if you’re more decisive than I am.
Break all the rules. And have fun.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/4e2a3687ae2a356aec531491b4497e35/tumblr_mjh8mi2mJ51rv99hwo1_500.gif)
Reposted from my old tumblr.
Thank you so much! :) And no, it’s not a silly at all. I was quite flattered to receive your question!
Here’s the short version which I hope makes sense.
- Choose more songs than you need the cut them down.
- Sort them into playlists and move the songs you want to use to the top of the list.
- Use music you love.
- Be literal … but not too literal with your song choices.
- Listen to your mix a lot of times.
From my screenshot, you can see that I have a lot of separate playlists for different pairings and characters.
Long version under cut. I’ll be using my own playlists as examples. I’M SORRY IT’S VERY LONG I GOT CARRIED AWAY. ALSO HEADCANONS AHOY.
