Design Concept: Mixtapes for the Mp3 Age

Posted by Shaun Seneviratne

 

[photo via]

Mixtapes are some of the best things in the world! Passively telling someone how you feel through songs, spending the time to make sure songs transition into one another well, diversifying the genres, etc. It's really the only reason I miss tapes (sadly I don't even have a tape player anymore). Mix CDs just don't carry the same weight as tapes (it's much easier to queue up a bunch of songs in iTunes and burn a CD than sit at a stereo and wait for a song to finish before adding the next one). 

Though I miss the idea of tapes, I like the practicality of mp3s. What's a sappy kid to do?

 

The NVDRS Tape is an mp3 player that, quite obviously, resembles an audio cassette tape. Like a real tape, it comes in either 45, 60, or 90 minute options. To make this mp3 experience even more organic, the only way to fast forward and rewind is to stick your finger in the spools and turn it manually:

 A digital reader in the middle even shows elapsed time on the tape:

Can this get any fucking cooler?!?! I really hope this concept becomes a reality.

One problematic thing: if I give a mixtape to someone and it doesn't work out with us, is it in poor taste to ask for this back?

Here are some mixtape faves of mine:

  • Jawbreaker - "Chesterfield King" 
  • Promise Ring - "Make Me a Mixtape"
  • Yo La Tengo - "Sugarcube"
  • Braid - "Forever Got Shorter"
  • The City on Film - "Portland Maine and the Pouring Rain"
  • Alkaline Trio - "Clavicle"
  • Descendents - "Nothing With You"
  • The Ergs! - "Kind of Like Smitten"
  • Daft Punk - "Digital Love"
  • Rites of Spring - "For Want Of"
  • Hot Snakes - "Plenty For All"
  • Lemuria - "Length Away"
  • Lifetime - "I Like You, OK"
  • Saves The Day - "Sometimes, New Jersey"
  • My Bloody Valentine - "What You Want"
  • Nada Surf - "Inside of Love"
  • New Order - "Age of Consent"
  • The Ramones - "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"
  • Red House Painters - "Have You Forgotten"
  • Kind of Like Spitting - "43c"
  • Big Star - "Thirteen"
  • Owen - "Good Deeds"
  • Smoking Popes - "Rubella"
  • Ryan Adams - "Two Hearts"
  • My Morning Jacket - "Lowdown"
  • Kath Bloom - "Come Here"
  • Ida - "599"
Sorry. . . got a little carried away! Kudos if you made it that far.

[Via Yanko Design]

Related: Cassette Tape Tells Time (1980)


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Posted Feb 19 2009, 11:36 AM
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Comments

Ankur said:

This is cool.

February 19, 2009 11:59 AM

DaniB said:

I want it.

I still secretly listen to the dub of my perfect mixtape.

The one I sent to the boy who moved away which transitioned often back and forth between "Fuck You!" and "I love you!" in a manner which reflected my feelings exactly.

Some of the songs are really bad because they were dubbed onto his tape from another tape.

Oh, I miss it.  (the tapes, not the ex.)

February 19, 2009 12:56 PM

matt said:

new order, age of consent, great choice.

February 19, 2009 4:18 PM

Jen said:

Oh, Chesterfield King.  Bought the album on vinyl for a present, years ago, and that song was the deciding factor.

Alkaline Trio, Yo La Tengo, New Order, (help me but) Saves the Day... I'd wager the author is of a similar age and disposition as myself. I recognized far too many of those tracks for comfort.

That said, you can only give away this once.  I've just moved on to the mix CD, but with special care paid towards transitions from one song to the next and custom collage art for the case.  

That, and even though I'll put old high school standbys on my mixes (except Alkaline Trio - Radio, that doesn't hold up well - Nose Over Tail instead) I'll also usually throw in some old country, some local selections, Motown, random obscure foreign band, Queen (everybody gets into Queen) and a few decent newer tracks (MIA being the current fave, Outkast will show up from time to time).

And I'll save the playlist, since I've been asked for new copies more than once.

I'm usually making the CDs for work listening, so it's a delicate balance of covering plenty of bases AND making sure the transitions flow seamlessly.

It's an art form for sure.  

Of sorts.

February 22, 2009 5:53 AM

steve said:

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March 5, 2009 11:41 AM

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