Exceptional take on the mixtape ritual. The part about pressing record and watchin the reels turn really captures something we lost in streaming culture. My dad used to have this whole system of labeling his cassettes with these elaborate codes and I never understood it until now, how that physical interaction with media created a diferent relationship with art itself. The subscription model as serfdom framing is spot on.
I think for me, making a mixtape was like participating in the process. You weren't just a consumer. You were an active participant. It had a different feel.
Flashback to sitting in my bedroom with my silver boombox, maxell tapes at the ready, listening incessantly to WHTT (Boston), praying for the DJ to shut up at the beginnings of the songs I wanted... needed. Thanks for this!
Also, feeling less like a hoarder with my wall-sized bookshelf now. And you know how I feel about the typewriter plan!
Yeahhh... they give us The Jetsons, we suddenly yearn for Little House on the Prairie. Makes sense, in a weird way.
The nostalgia dripping off this is giving me life!! I’m sad for kids these days… that they’ll never know the magic of a mixtape. Having to work that hard to steal our music gave us a resilience that generations after us don’t have. Thanks for this stroll down memory lane… AND for sharing my unhinged manifesto on slutty content. I’m sending you the hardest hot dog clink your way!! 🌭🥳
Just longing for the good ole days, as they were. You're welcome for both the scroll and the share. I've been enjoying your writing. It's always a fun read.
You took me through the childhood again. I could clearly remember 'fast-forwarding' the tape with a pen (pencil also worked), because my Walkman didn't have the FF feature.
I remembered recording songs on tape from the radio (and raging that the fucking DJ kept talking over THAT song).
The part about Japan was very interesting. Loved it, because I really want to visit it someday.
The shift to church/religion caught me a little off-guard. Out of place.
But everything is really well-put-together. Thank you. It was an awesome ride back.
Appreciate the feedback, and thanks for reading. Glad you liked it.
The thing about the subject changes is I'm going for a vibe more like an old school zine instead of just a newsletter. Sometimes the subjects will all have theme across the issue, sometimes random. Just depends on what I'm feeling that week.
Exceptional take on the mixtape ritual. The part about pressing record and watchin the reels turn really captures something we lost in streaming culture. My dad used to have this whole system of labeling his cassettes with these elaborate codes and I never understood it until now, how that physical interaction with media created a diferent relationship with art itself. The subscription model as serfdom framing is spot on.
I think for me, making a mixtape was like participating in the process. You weren't just a consumer. You were an active participant. It had a different feel.
Flashback to sitting in my bedroom with my silver boombox, maxell tapes at the ready, listening incessantly to WHTT (Boston), praying for the DJ to shut up at the beginnings of the songs I wanted... needed. Thanks for this!
Also, feeling less like a hoarder with my wall-sized bookshelf now. And you know how I feel about the typewriter plan!
Yeahhh... they give us The Jetsons, we suddenly yearn for Little House on the Prairie. Makes sense, in a weird way.
You're always welcome, and glad you enjoyed it.
Don't feel like a hoarder. By the time I move one, I plan on having an analog history stash for my grandkids to be like, "How do you use this?"
What a wonderful, engaging read, which hits the nail squarely on the head!
Much appreciated, my friend.
The nostalgia dripping off this is giving me life!! I’m sad for kids these days… that they’ll never know the magic of a mixtape. Having to work that hard to steal our music gave us a resilience that generations after us don’t have. Thanks for this stroll down memory lane… AND for sharing my unhinged manifesto on slutty content. I’m sending you the hardest hot dog clink your way!! 🌭🥳
Just longing for the good ole days, as they were. You're welcome for both the scroll and the share. I've been enjoying your writing. It's always a fun read.
You took me through the childhood again. I could clearly remember 'fast-forwarding' the tape with a pen (pencil also worked), because my Walkman didn't have the FF feature.
I remembered recording songs on tape from the radio (and raging that the fucking DJ kept talking over THAT song).
The part about Japan was very interesting. Loved it, because I really want to visit it someday.
The shift to church/religion caught me a little off-guard. Out of place.
But everything is really well-put-together. Thank you. It was an awesome ride back.
Appreciate the feedback, and thanks for reading. Glad you liked it.
The thing about the subject changes is I'm going for a vibe more like an old school zine instead of just a newsletter. Sometimes the subjects will all have theme across the issue, sometimes random. Just depends on what I'm feeling that week.