Lane 8 pierces the psyche with biting Winter 2020 Mixtape

December 16, 2020

As the vibrant colors of fall turn to white, snowy frost, so too comes another installment of Lane 8‘s seminal seasonal mixtapes. For the Winter 2020 mixtape, the Bay Area progressive figurehead and This Never Happened label boss has nearly two hours of blissfully chill four-by-four number, each stacked against the next to build toward a frostbitten climactic point. All COVID and/or weather metaphors aside, the thematic staple of each mix is meant to draw out the feelings of the season.

With “winter’s bone” comes feelings that have been already pervading much of a year spent in quarantine. The winter mix touches on metaphors of death and impermanence, of turning inward to begin letting the old parts of ourselves die off in order to make room for the new.

Throughout the somber, reflective mix, Lane 8 creates room for bleakness and yet still manages to take his listeners on an elated journey like any other. Despite the lack of warm, summer tones, he still manages to keep the vibe energetic with piercing, chill tracks like Kidnap’s “Silence,” Yotto and Cassian’s “Grains,” andhim’s “Firefly,” and many more new and classic selections.

Winter is the time for rest and recollection, and that’s exactly what Lane 8 seeks to incite for listeners of his newest mix. As we reflect on the high and low points of the past circle around the sun, the message sent through the music couldn’t be more pertinent for 2020. Lane 8 knows full well it’s time we embraced the bleak and dismal because, as the old adage goes, after the winter comes the spring.

Sit down, relax, and block off some “me” time by streaming Lane 8’s Winter 2020 mixtape in full below. Also, view the entire track list here.