Cassettes

[tbtommyb]

So the revival of physical music formats carries on. Cassettes have been coming back for a few years now and seem to be getting pretty big (e.g. see here although a guy selling tapes probably isn't objective).

I'm too young to have ever had vinyl but I do remember having tapes. I'm not really sure what to make of their return. With vinyl I can understand the arguments about sound quality (though I'm not convinced the difference is noticeable in many home audio situations), their use in DJing, having a physical item etc etc. Tapes have always seemed to me to have their main (sentimental) value in making your own recordings, mixtapes and so on. Pretty cool for giving people control over recordings in a way that vinyl didn't, but do they offer any other benefits, especially as a medium for new releases? I'm struggling to think of why I would buy a new release on tape rather than vinyl.

Leon Vynehall's 'Music for the Uninvited' has plenty of tape hiss and compression, which he talks about here (incidentally doesn't the Red Bull Music Academy sound like it should be shit? but they have interesting articles). He said:

One of the reasons I wanted to talk about it is because over the past year, there’s been a real resurgence in cassette releases. The first song I wrote was “Goodthing,” which was started back in Brighton in October 2012. I would hope when people see what the concept is about, it’s not a by-product of something that’s recently come about again. It’s not about “oh, cassettes are cool again,” people lazily branding it a hipster thing.

but tbh i don't see how it's anything else, given that he hasn't actually released it on cassette.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Cassettes are a gimmick now, but they are more interesting than CDRs and can be just as cheap.

So good for DIY releases if you want physical media.

I've been buying them again for a few years.

 

[killer b]

I got a huge stack of tapes from my local record shop the other day - i figured he'd probably have a load in the back, and sure enough he did.

I've never really stopped buying or listening to them though - they're always really cheap in charity shops, and you occasionally turn up some amazing stuff that you wouldn't have listened to any other way - best score (until this weekend) was about 20 african pop albums from the 70s & 80s, amazing stuff.

Not picked up much new stuff on tape, but only because the local shop hasn't caught on - I like to buy physical media in person.

 

[killer b]

 

[killer b]

That Kemet Crew mix is just incredible btw. Best jungle mix I've ever heard I think.

 

[Ax^]

the alarm bells in my head would go off if ever ended up in seeings someones new cassettes tapes collection

 

[rutabowa]

I guess if a band puts out a cassette it means they have put a certain amount of effort in to producing the thing, whereas burning a cd requires virtually nothing. Otherwise I agree im not keen on the format.

 

[ska invita]

That Kemet Crew mix is just incredible btw. Best jungle mix I've ever heard I think.

that was an album they put out, all artists on the label...cant ease up on the jungle sound<tune

i like the promised land comp youve got there too

 

[ska invita]

ooh and the RIder Hardstep selection is a classic...love Silent Voice Buckwild on that

 

[killer b]

Not got round to listening to that one yet. Might break out the walkman for the journey to work tomorrow...

 

[ska invita]

(incidentally doesn't the Red Bull Music Academy sound like it should be shit? but they have interesting articles).

yeah really resent them on instinct but fair play they do do good things

 

[killer b]

The randall/gq mix is pretty solid too.

 

[ska invita]

The randall/gq mix is pretty solid too.

i saw you mention that in the CD thread and gave it a listen as its on mixcloud - pretty unusual selection, barely knew a tune from it. GQs mic was a bit loud in my headphone though.

 

[killer b]

Oh, I liked that.

 

[tbtommyb]

(tapes)

I hope you didnt' pay £8.99 for each!

 

[killer b]

nah, they were all under a quid each.

 

[ska invita]

ms invita has that laurie anderson album....
whats the Drum and Bass Selection thing? I recognise the font style but cant places the label....

 

[killer b]

Its another Randal mix I think.

 

[tbtommyb]

nah, they were all under a quid each.

come to think of it, why would a tape ever be £8.99? that must have been loads in the mid 1990s.

 

[killer b]

come to think of it, why would a tape ever be £8.99? that must have been loads in the mid 1990s.

they were always the same price as LPs, cds a bit more expensive (12 quid typically iirc)

 

[MrSki]

C30 C60 C90 G0..... The pet cassette

 

[killer b]

ms invita has that laurie anderson album....
whats the Drum and Bass Selection thing? I recognise the font style but cant places the label....

actually, its unmixed - tracks on a suburban base offshoot called breakdown records?

 

[ska invita]

my favourite teenage (pirate radio) tape:

its so heavy this tape - god knows what its made of

can be heard here!:
http://mikusmusik.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/old-tapes-mix-master-max-on-defection.html

 

[skyscraper101]

I loved making mixtapes. I miss that its no longer a thing.

Tapes are still good too if you have an old car stereo, or a boombox thing for the beach/camping etc. It's purely a nostalgia thing in the most part though.

 

[ska invita]

actually, its unmixed - tracks on a suburban base offshoot called breakdown records?

yeah suburban base was what i was thinking but thought maybe not cartoony enough

 

[ska invita]

I loved making mixtapes. I miss that its no longer a thing.

Tapes are still good too if you have an old car stereo, or a boombox thing for the beach/camping etc. It's purely a nostalgia thing in the most part though.

yeah me too...without a tape deck its not really going to work is it! and even with one i cant be bothered with them anymore. im glad people are though

 

[killer b]

I made a mixtape tonight.

Nit nostalgia here anyway. It's a good way of picking up stuff you haven't heard before cheap.

 

[skyscraper101]

this guy does scratch mixing with tapes

 

[ska invita]

ive only got so much physical room for physical products - what with youtube and spotify and everything else i never seem to lack new stuff to check out...but i guess theres lots of stuff these days that only comes out on tape...

 

[malatesta32]

just cant throw away fugazi, pixies and soundtrack to angelheart tapes.