Cassette Store Day

Mexicola · Post by **Mexicola** » Fri Sep 06, 2013 10:30 pm

Are we really doing this?!?

Don't get me wrong, I love cassettes, as anyone you came along to the Twoism meet back in June can testify. But, I dunno, feels a little bit too hipster to me. Or am I being too cynical?

Anyhoo, the chaps from Norman Records are on BBC Breakfast news about it tomorrow AM.
Should be an interesting interview.

A_Northern_Soul · Post by **A_Northern_Soul** » Fri Sep 06, 2013 10:38 pm

Yeah, it strikes me as a bit wank - something for those who find Record Store Day "too mainstream".

I don't think having a "day" for cassettes suits either. With record shops, there is a whole culture and retail sector which needs to be celebrated and saved, but cassettes (which I do love in their own way) are a much more personal thing - I don't reminisce about going to the "cassette store". Cassettes are all about home-made compilations & mixes, taped radio sessions and ultra-basic experiments with music making using a mono tape recorder (from Boots).

Cupz · Post by **Cupz** » Fri Sep 06, 2013 10:45 pm

Cassette STORE day?
Can't we just turn it into cassette day? Nothing wrong with playing cassettes all day.
I didn't even know there was such a thing as a cassette store. This is ridiculous.

Meanwhile, you guys can join me in Cassette LISTENING day on Sept 15th, and bust out those tapes. Show me those moves! I have a cassette with modern Italian pop songs bought for three "guilders", an old forgotten dutch currency, from a regular electronic store that I'm going to take for a spin. Maybe tape a battery-powered player to my bike and ride around town.

Mexicola · Post by **Mexicola** » Fri Sep 06, 2013 10:50 pm

We're agreed then - bullshit marketing spinoff.
That's that sorted then!

A_Northern_Soul · Post by **A_Northern_Soul** » Fri Sep 06, 2013 10:58 pm

Indeed. NEXT!

EnforcedNo · Post by **EnforcedNo** » Sat Sep 07, 2013 12:00 am

i agree with the other guy, cassettes are for small releases, record store day i get but no one goes out to find cassettes

Kilroy the Killjoy · Post by **Kilroy the Killjoy** » Sat Sep 07, 2013 12:23 am

Can't wait to see this either crash and burn or turn into another overpriced limited edition crapfest like RSD.

GH · Post by GH » Sat Sep 07, 2013 12:38 am

Maybe a little cynical. Cassettes were 50 years old last month. I think anything that contributes to keeping it alive as a format is a good thing.

A lot of small record stores are taking part and I guess anything that helps keep record stores open is good too, not that cassette day can possibly achieve that.

My cassette release has gone to a couple of stores for the occasion, so I reckon it's also an opportunity for small cassette labels/ artists to do something too. All good no?[/b]

Mexicola · Post by **Mexicola** » Sat Sep 07, 2013 8:41 am

Wow - did anyone see the BBC Breakfast interview? Kudos to the guy from Norman Records getting a Fucked Up cassette onto mainstream breakfast television: 'This is a band called, well let's just call them Messed Up!'

Catch it on iPlayer, if only for the most incredible hipster's-hipster I think I've ever seen with his original 1981 Walkman hanging off his neck. Zero self-awareness.

Guido · Post by **Guido** » Sat Sep 07, 2013 2:47 pm

I don't really have an opinion on this Cassette Store Day, but I think cassettes released by small indie/ambient/anything acts are pretty sweet.

pianoforte · Post by **pianoforte** » Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:37 pm

EnforcedNo wrote:no one goes out to find cassettes

Except me.

Personally, I'm all for CSD. I think it's great. There are tons of great releases that came out for the occasion, so I'm thrilled - the more (good) tapes, the better IMHO

pianoforte · Post by **pianoforte** » Sun Sep 08, 2013 12:29 am

"The average iTunes store download sounds miles better than anything that any cassette deck is capable of producing even under ideal conditions."

IanRedpoint · Post by **IanRedpoint** » Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:05 am

I think that best thing that could have happened on CSD (but I'm assuming didn't) was someone (TDK, Maxell etc.) re-manufacturing some decent blank tapes! A pack or two of SA-90s would have made me a happy man.

I so regret chucking out bags of CrO2 and Metal tapes years ago.

Cupz · Post by **Cupz** » Sun Sep 08, 2013 12:37 pm

pianoforte wrote:

"The average iTunes store download sounds miles better than anything that any cassette deck is capable of producing even under ideal conditions."

*uploads 26kbps mp3 to iTunes*

GH · Post by GH » Sun Sep 08, 2013 4:23 pm

IanRedpoint wrote:A pack or two of SA-90s would have made me a happy man.

Yeah, decent tapes are hard to come by, but I prefer C60s and they're like hens teeth.

harpoon dodger · Post by **harpoon dodger** » Mon Sep 09, 2013 12:26 am

Cassettes are cool. I like cassettes.

I agree, its a unique medium that has warranted the celebration. As hissy and self-destructing as cassettes can be, they have their place in history--especially for recording enthusiasts. I've still longed to pick up an old cassette-based multitrack, Tascam 424 or what have you, for making quick demos. I've never had the opportunity to, I think it would be a fun and creative project.

Happy belated Cassette Day!

Amo Bishop Roden · Post by **Amo Bishop Roden** » Mon Sep 09, 2013 1:07 am

I love cassettes to death, but I would never go out and buy new pre-recorded music on a tape. Tapes are for mixes and the like: road trip music, music for summer love, or just something to pop in the car every day.

I think record store day does a good job of keeping general physical-format music alive in this iTunes era. A few cassettes get released every record store day along with the vinyl. If the industry wants to sell more tapes there is a viable spot for them on record store day, they don't need/deserve their own event.

GH · Post by GH » Mon Sep 09, 2013 1:49 am

Incidentally, with my release, cassettes have held their own against CDs, and sold at least as many to date.

EnforcedNo · Post by **EnforcedNo** » Mon Sep 09, 2013 2:07 am

god i want the draft 7.30 promo cassette
even autechre said the promos sounded better than a digital file
and of course i want the boards cassettes
ALL OF EM

Negamuse · Post by **Negamuse** » Mon Sep 09, 2013 7:54 am

I used to give tapes to friends when Id done a track... recorded onto computer mag cover tapes. Cos they were "free" C15s, see? My own version of the old tunes tapes haha. Man, they were embarrassingly shit.