Cassette releases

[gaeel]

I’m very new to this scene, is there any particular reason why cassettes are such a popular format for physical releases?

Should I be scouting for a cassette player at my local thrift shop?

[n-So]

It’s a good question but I would say it’s because they feel a little more special and appealing of a physical item than a CD, and there’s a resurgence in interest I think to own physical tangible items both as a fan experience and as a way to support a small artist who is undoubtedly getting pennies from streaming revenue. they are also cheap for artists to produce without a label, versus something like vinyl which is crazy expensive to do on your own.

and lastly, a lot of this community is ambient music which lends itself well to tape both sonically and aesthetically.

[dude]

gotta emphasize cheap to produce. so it puts it in range for tiny runs which is the usual. they aren’t perfect but if you are like me, you grew up listening to them on your walkman while riding the bus to school. ticks a lot of boxes and frankly often sound really great. there’s no surprise or newness in the idea of tape fascination or emulation in production either so that is coupled in there somewhere i think.

[jlmitch5]

Last month I self-released my second album on cassette. It is another collection loosely centered around “compositional form” (this time long-form drones all across the frequency spectrum) from what’s become a sort of catalog of personal audio journal entries.

I look at these two records as sort of companions both created with a similar collection and mindset. The first, arps, being more exploratory, whereas this record, drones, is more consistent in approach. They are somewhat bookends (though I feel a little weird writing that, becuase I’m not sure what’s coming next).

My friend kaanchee helped out with art and layout and the cassettes were dubbed, printed and packaged through Cryptic Carousel. This time, I had the cassette mastered by Jake Reid at The Ice Station.

The album is streaming and cassettes are available on bandcamp (below) if anyone is interested!

[SenseObjects]

I just put up the cassette pre-sale for my latest album:

Self-released, limited to 50 copies, and shipping in about a month.

I’ve mentioned this in a couple other threads here, but this was recorded over the summer in Vermont at a two-week residency that I was very fortunate to attend. I composed and recorded a song day (minus weekends), with no overdubs (except track 11 for a little kaossilator solo).

It was great practice in listening, building, not being too precious, and following the sound. I’m really quite proud of what came out of it, both as an album, but also from what I learned in the process. This was my first real experience with modular synthesis, so I was flying pretty blind. I like to think that helped me in some ways though, being able to keep a true beginner’s mind. I don’t know what isn’t possible yet, and I approached each day with a very open mind. It was a good reminder to approach the other instruments that I’ve played basically my whole life with that same grace and play.

[NightMachines]

Here’s my latest cassette release:
HAWAIIAN YURT MUSIC

Created during my stay on the Hawaiian islands, using only locally sampled sounds: ambiences, ukuleles, nose flutes, vibraphones, pots, pans and more! Arranged and partly processed into granular waveforms in Korg Gadget on the iPad.

Cassettes come wrapped in a custom Burlap O-card with a big slice of Aloha!

Enjoy

Here are two promo codes:

Redeem here:
https://strategictapereserve.bandcamp.com/yum

[dude]

the pre-order just dropped for my new tape on onmyodo cassette:

art as always by od niwr (who is the nicest human alive)

the video for the single:

there are saved by the bell moments, a few deathly encounters packed within piano-lesson memories in an electro-acoustic/electronic instrumental soft funk through-composed style as is usual from this creator aka magicfromspace.

thank you so much for listening! this community hugely influences my thought and thoughtfulness. a reminder of love in what can often feel like tuff times.

[ingrown]

Newest tape from Yves Malone out now on Ingrown Records. This is his sophomore release under the Manville Heights moniker. Pro-dubbed, pro-stickered, and in glorious and most beautiful chrome.

Manville Heights - The Future Was Yesterday (Ingrown Records)

ingrownrecords.com

[risktoparkrageram]

Hey guys,

We are Malleable and we have just today put out a tape release on Claptrap, based on our most recent hardware liveset.

Most of the synth is an old proteus 2000 and an MB33, whilst the beats are sequenced off a tr-8 and an elektron, with some fx units too and Claptrap is our friend’s project that focuses on off kilter dance music.

https://claptrap-clptrp.bandcamp.com/album/beginnings-of-a-shaky-world

There is also gonna be a super limited edition photo book/case with more of the original artwork which we are super excited about - That is available if you email info.malleable@gmail.com!

We hope you enjoy it, and if you’re in London look out for us in the new year - we are gonna be doing a series of live shows with our new homemade raspberry-pi based sequencers for the first time.

Love,
Malleable

[Tyresta]

For those interested, my new album was released today on cassette and digital by Neologist Productions. The songs were created with eurorack modular, Buchla Music Easel, and various pedals and post processing.

It’s called “(Somewhat) Dark” and deals with feelings related to confusion, dread, and uncertainty. The music featured on the album is my darkest and most abstract to date. Fellow lines member @caelmore is featured on the opening track (“Properly Confused”).

100% of the digital sales will be donated to Onward Neighborhood House in Chicago.

I’ll include the link below if you would like to check it out.

[Net]

My album Weta & Weta was released today on English microlabel Rusted Tone Recordings.
The album spans several different styles, but I tried to adhere to a few basic ideas throughout:

• layering as few simultaneous voices as possible (I’d say most tracks are two to five layers at a given moment);
• an emphasis on my modular setup as the main instrument (otherwise, it’s mostly max4live);
• recording material to cassette tape prior to editing;
• avoiding overly serious posturing - trying out a few absurd ideas (though some of it is a bit dramatic)

I’d recommend it if you like choral / organ samples, granulation, field recordings and very rubbery modular patches.

Mastered by Dino Spilutini. My friend B.Quinn did the weta illustration.

Edit - in case anybody is wondering, the modules doing the heavy lifting on this album are:

• Reflex LiveLoop
• g0
• Two Princess
• Tropical Noise
• Pitchshaper
• Rampage
• 329 Phase/Flange

[Reamonnt]

Thanks for the tip. I just bought Dream of the Sleeping Stones from them.

[mrsoundboyking]

This sounds really good; nabbed a tape + looking forward.

[Catfax]

Hey guys just wanted to share my recent tape release! My friend described it as reimagined earthbound cave music… which I think is oddly fitting.

Hope you guys enjoy a listen!

[jonsimon]

Just finished this album made entirely from Ciat Lonbarde instruments. All songs made while doing an artist’s residency at the Sou’wester Lodge in Long Beach, Washington this summer. It was super fun just bringing up wooden toys and keeping things super simple.

Anyways, here it is!

And my setup at the cabin:

[mrsoundboyking]

I’m sorry I spammed y’all earlier. Wasn’t my intention.

[sellanraa]

Nice, I’ll have to peep it when I bump into Dustin when he has his wares Welcome to the OS crew!

[huron]

So many beautiful and inspiring cassette releases here. Here’s my latest, which I only have a few copies left of. https://huron.bandcamp.com/album/the-blue-tape

[petesasqwax]

Ah, this thread is fantastic! I’m on my phone right now and am itching to get back to a decent set of speakers so I can listen to all this new (to me) music!

@kin.sventa I actually happened upon your stuff already. “Mastered by Odd Nosdam” is such a guaranteed way to get my attention and it’s great to make your acquaintance here. Also 77 Rise are friends with the tape label I release material via - I Had An Accident which operates out of Spokane, WA. It’s home to so many of my favourite producers: Tenshun, Psychopop, Son of a Bricklayer, Heavy Twelves, Sinking Swimmer, John Pain, Black Monologs, Bongchops, Mhaze and so on.

[kin.sventa]

I just got put up on I had an accident! The homie audiosirus just put out an insanely dope tape through them. Sounds like big juss meets madlib. Gonna check out your stuff