TAPE BRITAIN


Not-for-profit C20 cassette, edition of 25, cantaudio037, February 2016. Two 9-minute excerpts from the TAPE BRITAIN project commissioned as part of Marion Harrison and Harold Offeh's RADIO CITY (Tate Britain, 2015). The project is a cover version of Static/Clinic's THE PRODUCTION LINE (2012). Microphones are hidden around Tate Britain. Cables bring live sounds back to the Learning Gallery. Ten portable cassette recorders are used to mix the sounds coming from the speakers by visiting children, families, tourists, TV stars and artists.

In 1983, when I am 16, I read David Henderson in SOUNDS every week. His column Wild Planet reviews underground cassette releases from around the globe. I read his words and translate them into a SEND OFF FOR or DON'T SEND OFF FOR decision. Financial restriction mean choices have to be made, but this process began my interest in anticipated sounds. There was a gap between reading about a cassette release and it arriving in the post. That joyous space has gradually been eroded by the digital zoom of Kahn and Dyson, "that is to data transfer what the tunnel is to commuter throughput. The quicker the zoom the more transcendent, where all has been burrowed through, where time and space have collapsed, and the passage to another plane has been completed."

Dressed in photocopied inlays, the cassettes come directly from the producers, no middle agents involved. Some of Henderson's texts have resurfaced here and this incarnation of TAPE BRITAIN pays homage to his Wild Planet.






During TAPE BRITAIN, I attempt to splice cassette tape lengthways. Some results of that are included in these two 9-minute mixes. 2016. I come back from TAPE BRITAIN with lengths and fragments of thin tape, which I digitise. These are re-recorded directly onto cassette, further degrading the quality. TAPE BRITAIN's first visitor is Louie, beginning a process of cassettes turning the everyday into wondrous worlds.

That's ok, becomes Siqueros. Over my dead body will Henry Moore ever enter the Tate.
La La La.
Alright? We are back. What can you hear Louie? Louie. But can we change it? It's very very funny. This is a recording of a recording.
And how the curator stated and re-stated and stabilised. Baby crying. Whack cassette recorders off radiators.
Leave the Tate.
Excerpt from ResonanceFM's TAPE BRITAIN broadcast, introduced by Walter Benjamin. Analogue mix.
This was the first tape I ever had. Four days.
Oh wow, look, it's got a timer!
Guided by Voices, everywhere with helicopter. La Marseillaise.


MP3 versions

BLUE SIDE: Louie Louie
YELLOW SIDE: Helicopter


Production costs
25 x yellow/blue C20 cassettes and cases @ £7.28, 25 x Manilla envelopes @ £7.95 = £15.23, divided by 25 = £0.61.

COST WITH POSTAGE

Send postal address to alandunn44@gmail.com

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