Ah, the mixtape.

To the untrained ear, a seemingly random low-tech recording of various songs from the radio, records, or other tapes, with plenty of false starts, accidental DJ voice-overs, and tape hiss.

mini

But to those who know, the mixtape is a complex compilation of recordings carefully chosen and painstakingly woven together to set moods, convey emotion, or tell a story. Meticulous planning, eclectic musical tastes, and skillful operation of the PAUSE and RECORD buttons – these were the tools of the successful mixtape artist. Often given as a gifts to friends, or used to let someone know you thought they were cute, these items became more than mere song collections – they were physical tokens of affection to be cherished forever. Or burned in fantastic fashion after the recipient is stood up at the prom.

mini

Well, for better or worse, it seems technology has doomed the cassette to go the way of the dodo. Heck, now you have to request a tape player in a new MINI – a CD player is no longer an upgrade, it’s standard! Even so, the mixtape spirit is still alive and well at MINI USA.

Julie Hoffman, Motoring Advisor at Otto’s MINI and founder of
PhillyMINI, passed this little tidbit on to me, which she discovered buried in the pages of the Spring/Summer 2005 MINI Motoring Gear catalog:

1.) Open iTunes and select “Music Store” from the “Source” menu.
2.) Click on “iMix” in the “Choose Store” menu.
3.) Search by iMix name for “MINI mix 01”
4.) Select “MINI mix 01” and preview/purchase songs.
5.) Import songs to your iPod.
6.) Connect your iPod to your MINI with the MINI iPod adaptor.
7.) Motor. Listen. Enjoy.

If you already have iTunes, you can skip steps 1-3 by clicking here.
iTunes will launch and bring you to this iMix.

Wow. Massive Attack, The Smiths, John Lee Hooker, and Bowie… these 16 songs cover a lot of ground. Of course, you don’t necessarily have to have an iPod enjoy this music – you can just download these songs to your computer and listen there, or burn them to a CD and play them almost anywhere. Or you can make your own iMix of MINI-inspired music and post for others to check out and rate.

But, if you’re really ambitious, and your fingers still master those PAUSE and RECORD buttons on the boombox, well then, you know what to do…