Optic Echo Presents – Best Vinyl of 2016

Perhaps more than a tradition by now, Mike Jedlicka of Optic Echo Presents has been sharing with us his favorite vinyl-only selections of the year since 2011. The process begins in December when an acquired collection of records starts getting groomed, re-listened, re-arranged, and then finally, here it is, a sonic summary of the entire year in just a bit over 100 minutes in length. Jedlicka and I were taking last night, him in Portland, me in New York, the opposite coasts of this barely united states of America, finding ourselves in some similar stages of our lives, with all those other 'real-world' things, like jobs, family, health, and aging. We may be thousands of miles apart, slowly crawling along our own [pre?]determined trajectories, but we agree that the only thing that unites us, and most importantly, keeps us stable in these days of insanity, anxiety, and stress, is music. Music is here to ground us back to base. It is with these words that I’m honored to share you this beautiful mix, get you excited about HC’s upcoming Best of 2016 lists, and welcome you to the new year! For full track listing and more information about this mix, please visit headphonecommute.com