Our music expert Doris Daga explains how to farewell the summer and welcome the autumn... listen to her 'Ode to Summer' playlist for Vogue Scandinavia below
The month of August is always twinged with the deepest melancholy, watching the night sky get darker after three months of endless light.
Suddenly, the grass is not as green as it once was, and ice cream does not look as appealing as the week before. It is officially the end of summer, but all's not lost. To celebrate these magical months and the return of the autumn chill, it’s time for one last hurrah: the final picnic.
Throughout the bathing warmth of June and July, we gather in the parks, play the traditional game of Kubb, drink a glass of bubbly, relish in treats galore, and most importantly: play music. It is vital to have the perfect soundtrack to end the dog days with a bang.
Creating a great playlist is an art form like no other, a journey heavily chronicled in the greatest of tales -looking at you High Fidelity. So, how exactly do you create the greatest end-of- summer playlist of all time? Let’s begin with a bit of nostalgia and then think of the greatest tunes which evoke the summertime - songs played at your midsummer party, which for my friends and family was Grimes’ Oblivion. Or the gathering where you danced until the sun appeared again - which doesn’t mean a whole lot as the sun rises again at 2am - but no other song comes to mind than the remix of Magnus Uggla’s classic Sommartid.
Vogue Scandinavia's 'Ode To Summer' summer playlist:
Melancholy is what comes next for a great playlist. Specifically, Scandinavian melancholy— it’s what we do best. This is the greatest ingredient for a playlist because it is not sad but rather, it allows you to appreciate what you have and what you’ve experienced, knowing that all great things come to an end. This feeling is what makes music in our culture so uniquely special: vemod. This is the end-all be-all in Scandinavian culture, and a must-have element in your playlist. You can run with this feeling in a few different ways, however, names such as Ted Gärdestad, Robyn, and none other than our American friend, and perhaps one of the greatest producers of all time, Timbaland. They all ooze melancholy... and summer.
Autumn brings tones of yellow, orange, and red. You can dust off your favourite swing coat and your made-for-walking boots. This is the time of new beginnings and awaiting the greatest that the season has to offer. Delicious pastries, spiced warm ciders, a smashing Halloween party, and for a few lucky ducks, the Northern Lights. This boils down to one simple but beautiful essential ingredient: joy. Think: Mark Ronson’s Bang Bang Bang, the B-52’s Love Shack and even Robyn’s Dancehall Queen.
If the return of autumn feels like the end of joie de vivre for a while, remember that our summers wouldn’t be nearly as breathtaking if we didn’t have to experience a little bit of darkness first. A Scandinavian summer is a luxury few get to experience. So, let’s send a thank you note to mother earth and the summer god, Frey and bid them adieu with a killer soundtrack.