Home to the first public school and free public library, Boston continues its history of pioneering with the first citywide mixtape in the country.
“Dear Summer Vol. 4” is the largest edition of the annual mixtape yet, featuring 23 artists and nearly three hours of music to complement and enhance Boston’s summer vibes.
Local artist Chimel “Real P” Idiokitas, co-executive producer and curator of “Dear Summer Vol. 4,” said the sentiment behind the annual mixtape is about creating a platform for local artists to “engage with each other” and gain new followers and listeners.
“I think that’s just the goal: creating that musical ecosystem, creating that infrastructure here so musicians can stay and then consumers can continue to love those musicians right in their backyard,” Idiokitas said.
Fellow co-executive producer and curator Brittany Lee, who is also deputy director of strategic initiatives for the Mayor’s Office of Tourism, Sports and Entertainment, said her focus this year was discovering new artists to contribute to the project.
“We definitely put a lot of thought, research and time into making sure that we’re digging deep and trying to figure out where people are from and making sure that they really represent Boston and the area proudly and boldly,” Lee said. “One of the things that stood out to me this year in general is all of the artists had a real sense of identity. They weren’t just making good songs and vibes, but they have distinct voices and clear artistic perspectives and a confidence in their sound.”
The sounds on this year’s edition include jazz, Afrobeats, Latin music, hip-hop and indie rock, among other genres and fusion. Idiokitas said aside from his and Lee’s searching, which started back in January, his teenage son also assisted this year, pointing out local emerging artists who are expanding Boston’s artistic profile.
“He’s 16, very knee-deep into the Boston music scene and loves it,” Idiokitas said. “So I’m fortunate enough to have great ears around me.”
Lee said producing this mixtape was a great reminder to her that Boston is not short on talent.
“There is a never-ending resource that we can tap into, and I love that we can continue to uncover and discover the creatives here,” Lee said.
Idiokitas is already looking forward to next year’s edition, which he said could include appearances from artists in previous editions of the mixtape. And although work just wrapped on the latest volume, the team’s search process is year-round, meaning they’re always looking for new artists and considering submissions.
Ultimately, Idiokitas said this is a way for him to continue to uplift and support local musicians hoping to make their career dreams a reality.
“I’m excited to continue to champion these artists,” Idiokitas said.
Guests
- Chimel “Real P” Idiokitas, co-executive producer and curator of “Dear Summer Vol. 4”
- Brittany Lee, deputy director of strategic initiatives for the Mayor’s Office of Tourism, Sports, and Entertainment, co-executive producer of “Dear Summer Vol. 4”
