This is House of Fun Radio, a monthly mixtape available on Substack and SoundCloud. ૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡
Today’s Episode: Electronic, Bossa Nova, Hyperpop, Trip-Hop, Tunisian Disco, Shibuya Kei, City Pop
This episode is fairly self-explanatory and deeply self-indulgent. This is one of those things I made simply to fill the void in my heart that is usually filled by endless doom-scrolling.
One thing I’ve learned in 3 short months of hosting a radio show is that it’s basically arts and crafts. Curating playlists, listening CLOSELY to each track to ensure it fits the vibe (a science), recording and re-recording my voice into my phone (humiliating), and then helplessly futzing with GarageBand until everything sounds like a cohesive unit.
This is my knitting. My sourdough starter.
This particular episode is obviously MarioKart themed. Unsurprisingly, I am a gamer girl. These days, that part of me stays dormant. But every year, between like January 5th and March 15th, the Nintendo consoles make their way out of the closet during my winter hibernation period and I get serious about farming turnips and stuff.
This winter, I was a disciple at the altar of Kirby and the Forgotten Land. But today, we harken back to a simpler time: The days of MarioKart 64. For what is an American suburban upbringing without getting squished by the giant egg in Yoshi’s Valley?
Like many video games from my youth, this one deeply informed my cultural sensibilities. Listening to the soundtrack now, it’s easy to see how resonant it was for so many people and how influential it still is today.
I hear MarioKart everywhere now. Whether it’s Tyler The Creator, Azealia Banks, or even Laufey, the influence of bossa nova and jazz fusion is in the bones of pop music.
However, MarioKart music transcends one or two genres. It is not just jazz or bossa nova. It’s everything in-between. That’s what this episode is about. <3
I know I usually say these mixtapes are good for long walks, but honestly I can’t think of one real-life scenario that this mixtape is good for? This is simply from me to you. Enjoy!!!
[Tracklist]
00 Title Track - MarioKart 64 / 01 Swallow by CASIOPEA (1979) / 02 Agora ou Nunca Mais by Ana Mazzotti (1974) / 03 Curve and Light by Mid-Air Thief (2019) / 04 BELIEVIN’ by NANIWA EXPRESS (1982) / 05 Working For Vacation by Cibo Matto (1998) / 06 A Figure 8 by Cowgirl Clue (2019) / 07 You Can Get It by BUMPER (2020) / 08 I THINK by Tyler, The Creator (2019) / 09 Hottie by Flo Milli and Babyface Ray (2022) / 10 Hanen by Carthago (1979) / 11 You Are My Music by hi-posi (1998) / 12 地球人のカラダ by Serani Poji (2004) / 13 おつかれSummer by HALCALI (2003) / 14 Funny Thing by Thundercat (2020) / 15 Samba De Sunny Side Up by Colette (1998) / 16 Count Contessa by Azealia Banks (2019) / 17 Desert by Hakushi Hasegawa (2019)
Rainbow Road ♡ HoF RADIO 003