Mixtape magic

February 20 - Mixtape magic

On Thursday three of us, Han, Paul and I, went along to see one of Mikey's gigs That Exploded as did loads of our friends.


As well as getting to watch sets from Leeds' i concur, and Hull's Misshapen Lodge and Dead Sea Diver.


I'd not seen the Lodge before and I really enjoyed it. Known for being experimental, I wasn't sure what the Lodge'd be like - I sometimes have a tricky time when it comes to art with sound. But for my money when it comes to the blurry line where sound-art meets music, they were definitely where I'd want them to be.


You could hear influences from all manner of genres, and all sorts of bands in there. They also did the best dealing with a heckler ever. They gave him a massive wall of sound to the face.


It was lovely to see Dead Sea Diver too. I'd seen Landseer before, also featuring songs by Chris, but it had been ages, so this was a welcome return as far as I was concerned. I'm hoping for lots more gigs soon. Also Dead Sea Diver is a much better name.



But the other thing happening that evening, aside from the live music, was myriad recorded music being passed around.


Tom Wiles, one of the Lodge members, had instigated a mixtape swap, which Hannah and I took part in, alongside a fair few other people.


The tape I picked out of Tom's satchel was actually made by the very person whose idea it was in the first place.


This picture is the tape which Tom made for me.


I understand that as of just now he has also started a blog about this mixtape swap, called The Lost Art Of Making a Mixtape.


I thoroughly endorse the mixtape idea. It was a huge nostalgia trip to make a mixtape, I hadn't done that in years. And now I get to listen to a load of music selected by Tom, which I am really enjoying.


It really does bring home to me just how niche and gentle my taste in music in. Lord help the mixtapee who retrieved the tape I had put in Tom's bag.


(Pictured is the inlay of what Tom put on the tape I got)


One of the things which surprised me about the whole process, and I suppose shouldn't have surprised me at all, was how tricky it is to pick up C60 cassettes these days. There were some C90s out there, but I really wanted C60s.


After trying all the charity shops in Beverley on a lunchbreak, I eventually resorted to eBay. Who would have thought fifteen years ago that the blank tape would become such a tricky to find commodity by now.


Anyhow, I'm looking forward to future mixtape swaps now.


Hey Han, whose tape did you get?


- Jonny Nest