EV003: My Mix Tape Epic

As someone who grew up in the 80s not having much spare cash but loving music, cassettes and home-taped albums/compilations etc. were a vital way of sharing and discovering music. I would have loved to have bought all the LPs I have now back then, but I just didn’t have the money. The social side was just as important too – whether showing-off, sharing with mates, going to a party of trying to impress prospective girlfriends. I made quite a few and gave quite a few away.

After a recent tidying session in my loft, the re-discovery of a load of cassettes, the acquisition of an actual cassette deck, I got myself into a multi-way twitter coversation with @russelltanner, @sarahlay, @danslee, @jvictor7 (and others) about making/sharing mix tapes. So of course I felt the urge to contribute to what became the “Epic Mix Tape” project.

It’s a compilation of tunes from 1987 to 1992 when I was at university in Cardiff and first started DJing. I was lucky enough to be and “indie” DJ between about 1989 and 1992 – a “golden era” when I had the chance to play a surprisingly diverse range of tunes to some very big crowds. SInce then the Term “indie” has become somewhat meaningless – consigned largely to the “white boys with guitars” mainstream ghetto. I won’t rant about this right now, but back then it essentially meant “Independant” – a state of mind as much as based on the fact that most of the tunes we played out were on independent labels (Rough Trade, Creation, Factory, 4AD etc.). Also the music was full of joy and a surprisingly amount of it could actually be danced to. So I set to with a stack of vinyl and tried to craft a tape based on this period in my DJing/musical life.

And here are the results – 2 sides of roughly 45 minutes, crackles and all:

It was recorded off vinyl using Audacity on my macbook, tidied up just a little tiny bit and finally recorded back to cassette on a re-used TDK SA90 (one of the best general purposes cassettes going IMHO). The track listing is as follows:

Side 1:

1.”Nothing Can Stop Us” – Saint Etienne
2.”Take 5″ – Northside
3.”Fishes Eyes” – New F.A.D.s

4.”Cab it up!” – The Fall

5.”Only Losers Take the Bus” – Fatima Mansions

6.”You made me realise” – My Bloody Valentine

7.”Big bad baby pig squeal” – Silverfish

8.”Remember what it is that you love” – The Family Cat

9.”Destroy the heart” – The House of Love

10.”Shallow” – Catherine Wheel

11.”Quick as rainbows” – Kitchens of Distinction

12.”Jacket hangs” – The Blue Aeroplanes

Side 2:

1.”All on you (perfume)” – Paris Angels

2.”Mama told me not to come” – The Wolfgang Press

3.”The storm” – World of Twist

4.”Robinson Crusoe” – Cud

5.”Don’t fear the reaper” – The Bridewell Taxis

6.”Dreamtime (Mix)” – The Heart Throbs

7.”Sweetness and light” – Lush

8.”Deus” – The Sugarcubes

9.”Trumpton Riots” – Half Man Half Biscuit

10.”Buffalo” – Stump

11.”Lil’ Devil” – The Cult

12.”Do it quick” – Snuff

And here’s how it looked:

You can find out more about the Epic Mix Tape project by following @epicmixtape on twitter too – join in for swaps!