Graduating: Music & Memories from Bristol

“Little did I know when I first heard this way back in 2017 that it would go onto become a song that is synonymous with my university experience. The song transports me back to a late Monday night in a packed flat 5; surrounded by unfamiliar smiles, awkward laughter and the smell of cheap alcohol. Denzel captures this ‘pres’ mood perfectly with the lyrics “Everybody have a good night We gon’ make it to the daylight” and as soon as I hear those lines, my head floods with memories of all the intoxicated fun we’ve had. The song has all the ingredients for the perfect trap banger; a stank-face-inducing beat, an infectious hook and the lyrics aren’t too bad either! In conclusion, this song slaps.“

“This track was released about a year before we started uni and this was the time when Tom Misch and Loyle Carner were increasing in popularity. This song is very versatile, which is demonstrated by the many different situations I remember listening to it in: it was big feature of our 1st year ‘pres’ playlist, we listened to it during afternoons spent on The Downs in the sun, at afters in Hiatt Baker flats. Finally, it reminds me of when the girls and I saw Loyle Carner and were right at the front.”

“For me, university (2 East, 2 Royal York Villas, 12 West Park, Bristol, home) was the place I went to be free. Whether I was running around brazen drunk in the corridors of Manor Hall, watching The Chase in Clifton Village or chatting shit in a small kitchen off Whiteladies Rd., I will always associate Bristol with fantastic experiences that taught me a great deal. I’ve chosen ‘Touch’ by Hybrid Minds because it’s the sort of song I’d hear at Motion, swallowed by a pulsing crowd alongside JP, or at Tokyo World with 12 West, exhausted with sun-stroke. It’s also not a song I’d have discovered by myself and that’s the other thing: Bristol and the people I met there showed me things I would not have experienced or learnt on my own. I’ll always cherish those lessons and will remember them fondly whenever I hear this song.”

“Hearing this song takes me right back to my first year in Bristol. I hadn’t even heard of Aminé before uni, but my flatmate in first year (@Max) played it so much that I now know most of his songs off by heart. This song was a big feature of ‘pres’ in 1st and 2nd year and always gets everyone in a good mood.”

“An upbeat, pure vibes bop with an element of nostalgia, a perfect representation of the university experience. I have listened to this over 100 times in the last 6 months and can’t get enough, and this is similar to how I feel about uni: if only it lasted longer!“

“I don’t know when and I don’t know why, but at some point during the first year of our uni experience, this song just became synonymous with the happy times. We now all know this song so well that within hearing the first half a second of the intro we know what’s coming. Whenever this song comes on it is inevitable that big grinning smiles and highly energetic dancing will follow.“

“This song came out in December of first year and was played all the time everywhere. It was a good pres song that set the right vibe. Anytime I hear it, it just reminds me of first year, being in halls, meeting new friends and having fun!”

“From the first listen on a Daily Mix whilst walking from the U1 bus stop to Durdham in Freshers week, I became addicted to the haunting whistle sample leading into a cold trap beat. Attempting to highlight my individuality, I played this song consistently at every pres in Flat 5 (I realised much later that this song has over 250 million plays on Spotify). This song will always act as a place marker on a happy time in my life.”

“This song frames my university experience, having significance both in my first and final year as a student. The album, ‘ye’, came out about a week before the end of 1st year, and it was played A LOT during that window of celebrations. 070 Shake’s beautiful echoing singing is at the forefront on the outro, and the lyric ‘we’re still the kids we used to be’ takes on its own personal meaning for me in this context of reflecting, moving on and getting older. This song also takes me full circle through my uni experience, as we got to see 070 Shake perform this song live during our final year of university. What a song!”