Squeamish Bikini
  • Home
  • Squeamish Features
  • Squeamish Reviews
  • Squeamish News
  • Squeamish Contact
  • About Squeamish

Press Record

5/12/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
We have all heard people say “it’s the thought that counts” usually in a brave, yet disappointed tone, but it’s true. Provided your thought/idea wasn’t crappy.

I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t appreciate a good mix tape. Ok not so much now since the noble tape deck went into serious decline. But a well thought out and decorated mix CD makes for a very acceptable gift if you can’t stretch to a shop bought present.

What makes the mix tape so touching is that it takes so effing long to make. Someone has spent a long time selecting tracks they want you to hear. Maybe getting into a slightly tearful state, figuring out what to do when the song you ABSOLUTELY must hear doesn’t quite fit on the end of the tape. Start all over again? Write down specific listening instructions to turn tape over ASAP for the rest of the song?

I have dedicated huge amounts of time to deciphering the message in a track listing. They love me? They just want to be friends? They miss me? They will meet me at the station at 7? They want to impress me with the insouciance demonstrated by mixing a Mars Volta track into Prince? Like ‘I’m making a mix tape and I don’t even care’.

This is a waste of time because all the person wants to do is either A) introduce you to better music than the crap you make them listen to in the car or B) astound you with how cool and obscure their music taste is. It is a trade-off. But it is a trade-off of enthusiasms.

Whatever you intend, the mix tape is still an affectionate form of media. A, ‘hey listen to this!’ because I like you/I love this band, let’s share this.

Someone once made me a CD that had a track list detailing how all the songs reminded me of her. Another person covered the CD case in crappy stickers that featured an animal I like to assume was supposed to depict me. Inside the CD was covered in felt tip in a manner that was kind of messy but must have taken some concentration. Someone, on finding out I was very ill sent me a CD wrapped in a photo of us. The decoration is as important as the content.

Which is why just posting a Spotify playlist, or emailing over some mp3s doesn’t have the same kind of buzz (hiss or click) a mix tape had.

When we still lived in the days of mix tapes, I would sometimes record secret messages in the middle, as a kind of test to check the person had really listened to the tape. It’s like Thurston Moore, in his own essay about mix tapes says, “…are you listening, or just hearing? There is a difference, of course”.

I hope you’re listening. 


Squeamish Kate
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    Categories

    All
    Books
    Booze
    Cinematic
    Dress Up
    Educating Sue
    Educating Sue
    Friday 5
    Friday 5
    Geekery
    Gender Agender
    Gender Agender
    Glitter And Twisted
    Glitter And Twisted
    History Repeating
    History Repeating
    How To
    Just A Thought
    Just A Thought
    Let's Get Political
    Let's Get Political
    Music
    Nom Nom Nom
    Nostalgia
    Tellybox
    Why You Should Love

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos from Pink Sherbet Photography, anunez619, NikRugby23!, Asso Pixiel