Ode To A Crossfader By John Murillo Got This Mixboard Itch

Ode To A Crossfaderby John Murillogot This Mixboard Itchthis Bassline

Ode to a Crossfader by John Murillo captures the profound connection between music, memory, and personal history. The poem vividly evokes the nostalgia of vinyl records, the physicality of DJing, and the emotional resonance embedded in sound. This exploration delves into how musical expression serves as a vessel for cultural memory and individual identity, demonstrating that music is more than sound—it is a testament to personal and collective histories.

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John Murillo’s poem “Ode To A Crossfader” embodies a poetic homage to the art of DJing and the deep-rooted cultural memories intertwined within music. The poem’s vivid imagery and rhythmic structure evoke a sense of nostalgia, emphasizing the physicality of vinyl records, the tactile engagement of scratching, and the emotional heft carried through sounds and memories. This essay analyzes the poem’s themes of memory, identity, and cultural history, demonstrating how Murillo uses music as a metaphor for personal history and collective memory.

At its core, the poem emphasizes the importance of physical objects—crates of dusty records—as tangible links to the past. Phrases like “Forty crates stacked in the back of the attic” symbolize accumulated memories, each record representing a snippet of history, emotion, or family legacy. The dust on these records signifies neglect or time’s passage but also hints at the potential for revival and rediscovery. The imagery of “static in the headphones” and “hum in the blood” underscores the intimate relationship between music and personal identity, suggesting that sound is not merely auditory but ingrained in one's very being.

The motif of the “deep-bass buckshot thump” underscores the visceral physicality of music, highlighting how sound connects to bodily experience. Murillo’s depiction of “knuckles’ nicks and nightsweat rites” emphasizes the labor, physical effort, and lived experience involved in DJing, reflecting the artist’s homage to the craft’s tactile and emotional intensity. By describing “reasons and seasons pressed to both palms,” the poem suggests that these memories and experiences are held close, embedded within the physical act of DJing and listening.

The recurring references to “memory” and “dust” symbolize the preservation of cultural history through music—how records and the act of DJing keep ancestral and personal narratives alive. The phrase “memory cross-faded and cued” cleverly alludes to DJ techniques of mixing and transitioning between tracks, metaphorically representing the blending and overlapping of histories and identities. This usage underscores how music acts as a bridge, connecting the past and present, allowing personal stories to be relived and reinterpreted anew.

Furthermore, the poem reflects on the communal aspect of music, as seen in phrases like “field hollers to breakbeats” and “my father’s dust,” evoking a lineage of musical tradition rooted in communal participation and cultural storytelling. The “hollers” and “breakbeats” symbolize the vernacular and rhythmic roots of a musical culture that transcends individual experience to form a collective identity. The poem thus emphasizes how music not only preserves history but also sustains community bonds and cultural memory.

Murillo’s poetic voice reveals that music’s power lies in its ability to evoke emotion, transform memory, and forge identities. The lines “Got reasons in the dust / Got reasons in the chest / Got seasons in the blood” articulate a sense of rootedness and inheritance, illustrating how music is intertwined with the very fabric of personal and cultural history. The “dust,” “chest,” and “blood” symbolize different layers of memory—physical, emotional, ancestral—each interconnected through music’s narrative power.

In conclusion, “Ode To A Crossfader” is a profound reflection on the significance of music as a vessel of memory, identity, and cultural continuity. Murillo’s poetic craftsmanship demonstrates that beyond technical skill, the act of DJing and listening is an act of preservation—an ongoing dialogue between the past and present. Through vivid imagery, rhythmic language, and symbolic motifs, the poem underscores that music is not only entertainment but also a vital repository of personal and collective histories that continue to resonate across time.

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