What is 3TrackSet?
In the crowded world of music streaming services where algorithms reign supreme, finding new music that truly speaks to you can feel like a challenge. Official playlists with dozens, even hundreds of songs only add to the noise and AI recommendations can sometimes miss the mark. That's where 3TrackSet.com comes in, offering a music discovery platform built on human curation, where you can connect with fellow music enthusiasts and discover new artists through micro-playlists comprised of just 3 songs. This minimalist approach not only streamlines the discovery process, but also encourages users to be much more selective and intentional in their track choices, ensuring that each playlist is not only carefully crafted, but deeply reflective of the user's musical preferences.
I'm sure that I'm not alone when it comes to appreciating the power of music recommendations from friends and peers. Whether through group chats, car rides, parties, or in-person conversations, we often find ourselves exchanging suggestions and discovering new artists through the music our friends are listening to. With 3TrackSet, you can tap into this social aspect of music discovery, connecting music lovers and fostering the sharing of favourite tracks.
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| A user's curated playlist (set) via 3trackset.com |
3TrackSet offers a unique perspective on musical growth, tracking the evolution of one's taste and preferences over time. As life changes - be it through geographical moves or shifting emotional and societal influences - so do our musical preferences, and 3TrackSet provides a space to document that journey. I was previously in the habit of crafting lengthy playlists, comprised of 30 or more tracks each month in attempt to document my musical preferences at the time. I noticed perhaps the most striking shift in the songs I was drawn to - not just the artists, but the tempo, lyrics and overall mood after I moved from Toronto to Southern California. The once dark and moody tracks were replaced by the brash and uptempo sounds of up-and-coming Los Angeles area artists. This musical transformation would have been captured perfectly by 3TrackSet, serving as a time capsule for me to revisit whenever I felt like getting a hit of nostalgia from the tracks I once held dear.
At its core, 3TrackSet is all about expanding our musical spheres and connecting with others over a shared love of music. Whether you're looking to shake up and expand your current musical preferences, or simply want to share your current favourites with friends, 3TrackSet provides a platform for discovering and sharing music in a more personal and meaningful way.
If you want to give it a try for yourself head over to 3TrackSet.com to get started!
My Musical Beginnings
I'm fully aware of how cliche this might sound but music has always been a huge part of my life. I'm one of those people who always has music playing, no matter what I'm doing. At home, at the gym, in the car, at work, in the shower, or shopping at the grocery store, I've always got a soundtrack. Whether I'm motivating myself for an early morning workout after a restless night, diving deep into my work, or tackling a pile of dirty dishes, I find that everything is more enjoyable and manageable with music in the background.
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| Photo reenactment of the first albums my parents introduced me to |
As much as I really want to sit here and say that my musical journey started off with my parents gifting me a CD player with copies of What's Going On, Thriller, Purple Rain, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Illmatic, and The Black Album which lead me to develop an exquisite musical palate which stuck with me throughout my entire life, that simply wasn't the case. In fact my introduction to music came in quite possibly the most underwhelming way possible; Top 40 Radio. Although my parents didn't bestow me with any of the albums above, they themselves were pretty big music fans and whenever we were in the car they'd have the radio playing. I took a quick look back at the Billboard Hot 100 List and I can confidently say that I remember hearing some of the songs on that list from as far back as 2000. It wasn't until around 2003-2004 where these songs started to register with me as something that I actually enjoyed on a deeper level.
Growing up, my dad was a massive hip-hop fan, and I credit him with introducing me to the genre as well as spurring my passion for it. One standout moment for me was in 2004 when Jay-Z dropped "Dirt off Your Shoulder". Every time the song came on the radio, I remember my dad turning up the volume in the minivan we had at the time, head bopping along, all while making that stank face that is so prominent in the hip-hop community. His enthusiastic reaction to the track, coupled with how unique that now iconic Timbaland beat was compared to other songs on the radio at the time, undoubtedly left an imprint on my eight your old mind. This was the beginning of my hip-hop journey, starting with this particular Jay-Z track as my first favourite song.
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| Nothing but slaps on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2004 |
From 2004 onwards I definitely became a lot more aware of the music I heard around me. Artists like Usher, Outkast, Mariah Carey, Ciara, Kanye West, 50 Cent, Rihanna, Nelly Furtado, and Justin Timberlake started to resonate with me more and more and naturally I found myself being especially drawn towards hip-hop, pop, and R&B. Although I wasn't fully immersed in music culture, devoting more of my attention to things like watching TV, playing video games, and participating in various sports, I did have a growing appreciation for the art form. At the time I wasn't tuning in to MTV (or MuchMusic as we had in Canada), or actively seeking out new music in my free time, but it was clear that music was already becoming a significant part of my life.
In the early days of MP3 players I managed to save up enough money to get my hands on a cheap device. This transformed my relationship with music from something passive and situational to a more active and deliberate activity. I discovered the means to acquire music online which unlocked an entire world of tracks beyond what was being played on the radio. I finally started to craft my own musical identity. I remember learning all of the words to Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" and listening to all of Justin Timerlake's album "FutureSex/LoveSounds" which I cautiously renamed "Future/LoveSounds" due to my concerns about the explicit nature of the album title. Although for some reason my young brain wasn't registering the vulgarity of "Lollipop" and found that perfectly okay to rap along to in my room.
In the early 2010s, like many other teenagers I further expanded my musical taste into EDM and Dubstep, gravitating towards the likes of Skrillex, Deadmau5, and Swedish House Mafia. This dramatic shift away from Top 40 and what I heard on the radio can be attributed to my time spent playing DJ Hero and having close friends who were also passionate about electronic music. My newfound love affair with electronic music was quickly interrupted by the rise in popularity of a certain Canadian rapper who was starting to make waves in Toronto. Of course I'm talking about Drake, who remains my most streamed artist to this day. I won't get too deep into the specifics of my Drake fandom right now, but Take Care was the first album I remember anticipating the release date for and sitting down in front of the computer with the sole intention of listening to the album from front to back without any interruptions.
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| "DatPiff.com world premiere" |
DatPiff.com also played a massive part in my musical discovery at this time and introduced me to then emerging artists like J. Cole, Meek Mill, Big Sean, French Montana, Tyga, Joey Bada$$, Childish Gambino and Wale. This was my entry into the realm of underground hip-hop, and I found myself drawn to the pride of discovering new artists ahead of my friends and seeking out new sounds that hadn't yet achieved broad radio status. This appreciation for music outside of the mainstream continues with me to this day as the majority of what I find myself listening to is eccentric, eclectic, and sometimes straight up weird.
There's plenty more to dive into regarding my musical history and how I've discovered music throughout the years, but that's a story for future posts. For now it's worth noting that I've always been passionate about exploring new sounds and have a pretty solid understanding and appreciation for genres I listen to regularly, yet am completely in the dark with those that I'm not as familiar with. I launched this blog and accompanying website to not only share music I'm into, but also to capture my journey of actively discovering a diverse range of sounds and styles.
Closing Thoughts
Starting next Tuesday, I'll be documenting my musical journey with regular posts on this blog as well as on 3TrackSet.com. From sharing my personal favourites to exploring the recommendations of friends, family and other fellow music fans, I'm eager to dive into the world of music discovery and share it all with you. And who knows, we might just come across that one song that becomes your anthem for two weeks straight before it starts driving you up the wall. But that's all part of the ride isn't it?
Until next time!
~ J. Patrick
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