Paul Lamare at Music Machinery has an interesting article about Poolcasting, which is a new way to design playlists around more than just a user’s interest. In addition to considering listener’s tastes, poolcasting also analyzes how different songs flow together to create a full musical experience.
I think this is a very interesting topic, and quite frankly something that has been lost since mp3s became the dominant form of music consumption. The concepts of album design (in terms of track order) have not had the same impact. Back in the day, bands used to consider how an album would ebb and flow, evoking different emotions at different times to create a fuller, more complete artistic experience.