The Quarazine Playlist #1: Love In Isolation
Photography Maddalena Vatti
Radio presenter Alex Robertson shares a collection of love songs to soundtrack these strange days
Hi. I’m Alex, Quaranzine co-editor Maddie’s boyfriend, and she asked me to put together a playlist to fit this issue’s theme, “Love in the time of Coronavirus.” I present and produce two radio shows and podcasts themed around music – “The Box” at Hoxton Radio and “Fantastic Beats and Where To Find Them” at The Roundhouse – so hopefully that qualifies me for the task.
Despite having spent most of my quarantine with company, I largely put together this playlist in solitude. These times have inevitably forced us to look inward, reflecting on the past, the future and the present, evoking an array of emotional ups and downs in the process. Love isn’t always fresh roses and holding hands in the park (you should be indoors anyway!) and, whether we’re spending each day with a loved one or not, there’s always an inescapable intensity. But there are certain moments, hours, days when these all-consuming feelings are broken by a release or an emotional plateau.
A mix of emotions is reflected in this collection of songs: regret, pain, loss, longing, happiness and joy are communicated, either sonically or through words. Each track also carries its own sense of personal intimacy, which draws together a tapestry of individual experiences.
As we approach the summer months, I’m looking to the future with hope, a hint of nostalgia and warmth. Hopefully the listener will find these fragments in the playlist and feel comfort.
Please press Shuffle.