Written by David Turner (@dalatudalatu)

North Carolina was in the 60s this weekend and to my joy I worked inside my school’s library during this unseasonably warm February weekend. But to make up for the lack of sun rays and afternoon OG bud lights—no lime-a-ritas over here—I kept listening to DJ Moondawg’s We Invented the Bop mixtape. For impressive Youtube diving ability check out Meaghan Garvey’s review of the tape on Pitchfork and for further reportage on the scene read this Chicago Reader piece by Leor Galil. Personally I just wanted to give a little listening advice for anyone whose already been enjoying the tape.

Throw the tape on “shuffle.” The mixtape opener of “Fiesta” by Sicko Mobb should remain the opening track, because, even though it might be old, looping about four different impossibly catchy melodies mixed with some auto-tuned singing is pretty much how all mixes should begin and especially for a style of music called “Bop.” The actual sequencing of the mixtape is fairly strong, but unsurprisingly familiarity forms on the 25th and 26th go through of the same set-list. And considering most of these tracks are either instruction dance songs or explicit party starting anthems keeping the order loose prevents that particular déjà-vu feeling; will the next song be the synchronized “Dlow Shuffle” or the overly joyful “Killin It” or chantable “One Night?”

Anyway the weather this week at least in North Carolina is mostly in the mid-50s, so maybe not exactly premature-spring party weather. But considering these songs come from the comparatively frozen-over tundra of Chicago. That shouldn’t be an excuse not to Bop to the Right, Bop to the Right, Bop to the Left, Bop to the Left, Kemo Step, Kemo Step and Kemo Step.

Link: DJ Moondawg Presents: We Invented the Bop