The Happy Trail

Moving to the music: a ‘heightening’ experience

To those devoted listeners to KUPS, there is a new show that comes on Sundays at 6 p.m. that has given a new direction to the station.
The show is Mattress Music.  And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like.
For one steamy hour, there is streaming music dedicated to passionate lovemaking, frantic f****** and casual sex.
Senior Mel Kohler came up with the idea of doing the show after a conversation with friends.
“The inspiration for my show actually came from a question one of my best friends asked me. Simply, ‘What’s the one song, without fail, that makes you want to f***?’”
While pondering that question I thought of what I would like to hear—“Wonderland” by Natalia Kills—but what crossed my mind is the cultural view of sex and music.
Almost everyone can say that Barry White is the quintessential lovemaking crooner.  But who do you know who can say with a straight face that they have him on their iPod?
Sure smooth jazz and R&B are what people think of, but not everyone gets horny when they hear that music.
Kohler cites this aspect as one of the most intriguing part of her show.
“I don’t think any particular genre is ‘sex music,’ but I’ve often heard from listeners who were surprised to hear electro or alt when all they expected to hear was Usher and Drake.”
Not everyone has the same preferences in music, so why should they have the same preferences of tunes during sex?
Music in general is not a necessity when it comes to sex.  This article isn’t meant to force you to turn on that stereo before you put on that condom.
Simply, music is a way for many individuals to heighten the experience of sex, whether you’re playing up the mood or synchronizing with the rhythm.
So I encourage you to try to experiment using music with sex.  And if it’s not right for you, turn it off (the stereo that is, keep everything else on full power).
First things first, if you don’t know if you like some tunes in the background, go for a test drive.  My rule of thumb is if you’ve never done it in bed before, then masturbate to it first.
While you’re getting down with yourself, get your iPod on shuffle and test out songs or specific genres that get you going.  Also, try to vary the volume to see what fits you.
Set up a playlist on horny songs and get going.  Try this playlist with your partner, and even have him/her/hir add some songs!
The song selection could add to the intimacy with your partner.  You can come up with a specific playlist for when you’re getting down.
And for those who have some trouble with communication, playing “your song” is a great way to signal your partner any desire to get frisky.
Music can also help alleviate communication during sex.  For those who have trouble integrating dirty talk, songs with sexy lyrics can help you out.
All you have to do is repeat a lyric that corresponds to the moves you’ve got going on. (For this, I recommend “Sex Therapy” by Robin Thicke.)
Apart from music heightening the experience of sex, it can also help partners along.
Incorporating music can not only help dirty talk, it can also provide a rhythm for you and your partner.
But be wary about using certain songs to coordinate with humping. Dubstep may be fun to dance to, but not everyone enjoys a crazed jackhammering after the bass drop.
Adding music to sex can be new and exciting; for others it feels natural.  If you’ve never done it, I dare y’all to try and add that stereo in the background.
On KUPS, Mattress Music is there to help broaden the scope of sex music for students.
“Anything can be sex music, but my hope with the radio show is to collect jams that are sexy and accessible to anyone,” Kohler said.
Be sure to tune in to Mattress Music, Sundays at 6 p.m. on KUPS 90.1 FM, The Sound.