The traveling cassette tape (an experiment)

Events
#1

I like sending stuff by mail and today the idea of this traveling cassette tape came to me. Here’s what I was thinking;

  • A cassette tape is shipped around the world to participats in the experiment.
  • Each participant records a (short) segment to the tape - a field recording, a short composition, a sound, a voice etc. (we can specify this more if wanted, or not)
  • Each participant sends the tape by mail to the next participant on the list

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UPDATE
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~The Traveling Cassette Tape Project~

Registration is now closed. We have 40 participants in the project (!)
Spreadsheet - Traveling Cassette Tape

The list has been sortet with european countries first, followed by North America.

Details

  • Participants receive the cassette by mail and record a short piece of audio to the tape (music, field recording, voice, etc).
  • max 2 minutes per artist
  • Locate your position in the spread sheet and contact the lines-member listed after you for shipping details relevant to you
  • Send the tape by mail to the next lines-member

Cassette recording rules:

  • Please make sure to use only 1 side of the tape. Cassette decks with 4 recording tracks record two channels to side A and two channels to side B, which would «mess up the tape» for everyone else)
  • Please make sure you’re recording in ordinary speed (many of the Tascam 4 tracks record in ‘high speed’ mode)

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For this to work, it’s obviously essential that the tape is moving around and doesn’t stop at one location. Personally, I like the idea of not having a time frame on this. One participant might sit on the tape for a while before recording and sending it away to the next.

In the end we’ll have a cassette tape of various sound experiments. I was thinking we can record the tape and publish the collection on bandcamp, or make duplications of it if that’s of interest.

33 Likes
#2

Very much up for this - but not too keen on putting contact details online, sorry. There must be other ways to share names (real or otherwise) and addresses.

1 Like
#3

ilike it like it im in count me in i want like yes

2 Likes
#4

I’m down for this! I did a noise project once through the post on cassette. Worked out great!

1 Like
#5

I am Definitely into it!

1 Like
#6

Interested. But also concerned about publicly available contact details. Otherwise, count me in please:)…

1 Like
#7

PO Box could be an option. I don’t think you can open one under a pseudonym (at least they checked my ID when I got mine). But technically only the person with the tape before you needs to know your name.

1 Like
#8

I am in Canada, am I still able to be apart of this?

1 Like
#9

we’ll find another way! I can update the top post with lines member names. Once we start the project we can perhaps share the details in an e-mail? Or I could collect details from everyone and share the address you’ll need according to your position in the line, or something like that? Open for suggestions

For sure! I was thinking this is a world-wide thing. The cost of sending a single cassette tape in the mail with standard shipping should hopefully not be too bad.

#10

20 characters of I’m in!

1 Like
#11

Haha such a cool idea!!! Yes count me in if possible. Hopefully the tape will not get lost when sending over too long a distance. But It might also be interesting if this project runs for a long time due to long shipping times. It might traverse different historical periods. :slight_smile:

4 Likes
#12

Nice one! I am in :slight_smile:

2 Likes
#13

I’d like to join as well! (From Norway)

Could be cool if we had a blog page or something similar and each participant posts an image of the cassette in its new recording location. :slight_smile:

5 Likes
#14

yes!! Great idea!
We could also get the #travelingcassettetape trending on instagram :sunglasses:

5 Likes
#15

Hehe, I’m not active on instagram, but that would be fun too!

I have never blogged, but was hoping someone could make a nice simple page. Then we could make a collage image for the tape in the end.

But the main thing is to get the tape on the road :).

2 Likes
#16

im keen! Tascam here but I modded it to do normal tape speed too :slight_smile:

1 Like
#17

PO Box with a business name as your pseudonym, then only the PO knows your name.

Also: I’d love to be in!

2 Likes
#18

How about you get the address details from the first recipient via PM, then they do the same in turn with the next along the line? That way there’s no need for PO boxes (unless you want to, of course) and no need for a central list, maybe?

5 Likes
#19

Sounds like fun to me! I’m in the UK fwiw

1 Like
#20

I think this is a great idea! Everyone just needs to find their slot in the running order and contact the next in line for shipping details

4 Likes