My history with music has almost everything to do with my brother, Dane. He has two years on me, which is just about the perfect amount of time to create a sort of hybrid mentor-peer relationship. From my first awareness of radio onward, my perception and exploration of music has been filtered through the lens of, “What does Dane think?” At times, this has dismayed me. Like other aspects of life, it has left me wondering how much of my destiny (and personality) lives outside my own control. How much of who I am is just a poor facsimile of my brother? Of course, as we both matured, and Dane went off to college, and I moved out West, my individuality blossomed and my distinct tastes and traits came into focus. So, now in our mid-thirties, I look upon my music relationship (well, my relationship as a whole, actually) with my brother with great fondness. I have cherished the glimpses I have gotten into his musical journey through his 2014 quarterly mixes, his own recordings, and his lion’s den tumblr. And the chances we get to discuss music and collaborate are energizing and very special to me. His seemingly boundless creativity and thirst for new music is an inspiration, no longer weighed down by the sort of shaming, “you can never be as good as me,” quality that I used to impose on them. So, today I’m proud to share with my brother and the world a mix I made for him. Continue reading →