Maybe I am easily pleased, but I am loving the new Daily Mix feature on Spotify. I say new. It might have been around for ages, but I only just discovered it. Basically there are six alternatives, based on listening history, that contain a mixture of tracks I have listened to and know that I like, tracks from artists that I have listened to even though I might not have listened to that track, and tracks similar to them, and all loosely in the same sort of genre or mood. I can pick any of the lists and be fairly sure I will like a lot of it, almost guaranteed to hear a few tracks I know well, but also get some pleasant surprises.

Well. Most of the time anyway. Looking at the mixes and their descriptions now I see:

• Mix 1: “Megadeth, Modest Mouse, Metallica and more”
  Seeems good. I listen to a lot of Megadeth and Metallica and have played a fair few Modest Mouse tracks
• Mix 2: “The Fall, Kraftwerk Yello and more”
  All artists I listen to a lot, and with a bit of a motorik bias.
• Mix 3: “Chicago, Genesis, Paul Simon and more”
  All very worthy, as long as the Chicago is all from the first few albums.
• Mix 4: “Riefenstahl, Joachim Witt, Rammstein and more”
  Hmm. I know I listen to German bands a bit, but only Joachim Witt is a regular on my playlists. OK though
• Mix 5: “Circa Waves, Hooton Tennis Club, Empire of the Sun and more”
  WTF? I can’t remember listening to any of these. I have only even heard of one of them.
• Mix 6: “Brainticket, Frumpy, Xhol Caravan and more”
  Um. Yet more krautrock. I knew I liked it, but didn’t realise I listened to it that much.

Five out of six isn’t bad. It is even possible that number 5 will turn out to be the best, but I am genuinely surprised to find that 70’s disco, rap, punk, African/Arabic and French rock are not featuring at all.