I saw this small exhibition at the (always excellent) Horniman museum recently and found it fascinating so I thought I’d share it. It is on until the 27th of Feb if you want to see it. The details are here.
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So many projects
And so many of them only half completed. Going through all my old tapes uncovered so many unfinished pieces. Projects started either on my own or with friends that never got off the ground.
Listening to some of them brought back good memories. Listening to others made me wonder what the hell I was thinking when I record them, and others still I had no recollection of whatsoever.
Whilst in many ways it is interesting to hear all this stuff, I’ve dumped probably in the region of 70% of the material I’ve made over the years and I’m still not sure about some of the stuff I’ve kept.
It has made me want to take a few of these old projects forward again, and perhaps that’s a good thing. Time will tell. Hopefully in a few years when I’m going through a similar process of review I won’t have the same experience. Who knows?
Picky
Just couldn’t resist getting these for myself.
Words
You might be seeing a few more like this over the coming days and weeks. Just fun really.
Sutton Environmental Fair
I thought I’d posted about this before, and whilst clearing a load of magazines and paperwork I came across the programme.
I went to the Environmental fair at the end of August. I hadn’t been to it in a while, but it was just as good as I remembered. The fair is a relatively small event, but it is a local event and has a real character to it, which it hasn’t lost at all.
There were 3 stages and some really interesting acts played, from the larger traditional band type format, to solo musicians and people doing some fairly experimental stuff for a local event.
I was so glad that I went to this fair, it always feels good to support local events and the stages were all powered by solar energy too. I don’t think many events can make that claim.
I’ll have to make sure it is in my diary again for 2011.
Beyond the border postponed
The wonderful story telling festival Beyond the Border has been postponed like so many events in 2020.
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Bro Ar Men at Beyond the Border
I saw this band at Beyond the Border in the summer, and I really enjoyed them a lot. The guy playing the Mbira was a real character and really funny. He was also a great Mbira player amongst other instruments he played.
I wish I’d got their CD now.
More about beyond the border
Here are a few more posts about the Beyond the Border festival if you’re interested.
Not getting to Beyond the Border this year
I am not going to be able to get to Beyond the Border this year
If you have never eaten one of these then you’ve never lived
The last time I went to Beyond the Border I discovered these. That was back in 2014. I’ve waited two years to have the pleasure again, and it was worth the wait. I’d hoped that these would be available again at Beyond the Border, and they were, possibly one of the best foods I’ve ever…
One of my favourite pictures from Beyond the Border
I only took one of these and thought it probably wouldn’t work out, but it did and I really like it.
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Old tech
This is what I’ve been using to retrieve my old songs from often crumbling cassettes. Sadly it too is somewhat past it’s best and I’m not sure how much longer it will last.
I’m considering getting an old cassette 8 track. Probably not immediately, but in a while I think.
Some more about old multitracks
If you’re interested in old multitrack stuff then here’s a few more posts on the subject.
I can’t believe I missed Cassette Store Day
It was last weekend and I missed it completely. Which is a real shame for me. So, to make it up to myself I thought I’d post a few of my favourite cassette pictures.
Cassette Store Day 2015: The Awesome Tascam
Thinking about cassettes for me has to include a tape 4-track, or in this case, 8-track. A beautiful and highly functional piece of hardware.
Yello: The Eye
I’ve only listened to this album a couple of times now, but it is great. I’ve been a fan of Yello since I was at school and I was introduced me to them. But in recent years I haven’t kept up with they work. So getting this album was great.
Look what I found
I haven’t seen one of these in ages, but in unearthing loads of old cassettes you can find some real treasures. This is a TDK Metal tape with an aluminum body. A great find, and I think they were pretty expensive when they first came out.
I wonder what else I’ll discover?
A cassette magazine from a long time ago
SFX was a cassette magazine from the 80s. I remember it well and thought it was really innovative back in the day
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Four Track Futures
Since I started going back over my old tapes and retrieving them I’ve been thinking about the process of recording to tape, or if not to tape in a linear way and not wholly sequenced.
I liked that way of doing things in the past. There was more room for error and because of that more room for inspired accidents. I miss that. You just don’t get that so much with sequencing.
So I am giving serious consideration to tape again. I might even consider getting a tape 8 track at some point!
Tascam Cassette Multitrack 
Teac Blue Reel to Reel Cassette 
TDK Metal Cassette 
Teac Black Reel to Reel Cassette 
I am Ashley Elsdon 