Six years/Six pack: Introduction

I am generally content to let anniversaries pass by unremarked, and am by no means much of a self-promoter. But birthdays — even blog birthdays — are not to be denied, especially as the numbers get bigger.

It was six years ago that I started MFS mostly as a private aide memoire (the recordings didn't kick in for a few months) and I never really had any agenda or grand plan. It has been/continues to be a fun ride and has lead to plenty cool things.

MFS is not about me and will never be about me¹: it's about music and connections and community. I have my own private sense of MFS' "mandate" (lotsa razzmatazz about community archiving, audience participation, etc. etc.) but by far and away, the best part of the whole thing is having an avenue to meet people. People at shows turn into nodding acquaintances; some nodding acquaintances turn into people you chat with; some people you chat with turn into people you have real conversations with and hang out with; a few of those people turn into friends.

So far as I've been able to figure out, for all of the world's awkward souls there's nothing more nourishing than connections to other people — whether they're weak or strong ties, they're invigourating. Even when dealing with other people is shambling or weird, it's why you leave your house, stay out late, feel tired the next day. So to celebrate, I'm turning things over to a collection of nodding acquaintances, people I chat with, people I hang out with and friends to share some music.

When I hit the landmark of posting one thousand songs I did a series of guest playlists, and now with more than 2300 songs posted (and counting!) I'm reviving the concept with a series of "six packs" for six years. Some folks will have words about their selections, some won't — but I know everyone put a lot of effort into making their picks. So without further ado, here's the MFS six years/six pack selectors:

• James Lindsay (Pleasence Records)
• Karen Ng
• Michael Thomas (Grayowl Point)
• Jason Doell
• Adam Bradley
• Luca Capone (CHRY's The Night Shift)
• Jonathan Adjemian
• Jesse Locke
• Jakob Rehlinger (Arachnidiscs Recordings)
• Ian Chai (Buzz Records)
• Shawn Clarke
• Anni Spadafora
• Matt Fava
• Andrew Pulsifer (Silent Shout)
• Allison Cameron

Thanks everyone! Here's to the future!

Has there been a half-dozen songs posted here that made an impact on you? If you'd like to get in on the action and make a list, feel free to send me an email: mechanicalforestsound@gmail.com.

---

¹ Disclaimer: MFS is basically one hundred per cent about me.