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Over the last few years I’ve been tinkering on and off with tape loops, more recently in the microcassette format. Standard compact cassette loops are definitely in vogue at the moment, with many great artists fabricating their own unique loops (Amulets always springs to mind). Making a workable microcassette loop is somewhat trickier to fashion but rewarding when a playable loop is made! Once the shell is (very) carefully prised open a myriad of challenges await, the most obvious being the tiny size you have to work within. The lighter and thinner magnetic tape is very fiddly and easy to damage. Installing the loop correctly inside the shell is a matter of patience, and a great deal of trial and error.  Two microcassette loops were fabricated which I’ve discovered to be a very accessible way to experiment with recorded sound. The hyper compressed sound quality of the format is one I’ve always enjoyed working with, switching between either 2.4 cm/s or 1.2 cm/s playing speeds on both units produces very satisfying results. My initial experiments eventually resulted in a brief demo video, the sound source being a simple metal singing bowl. A basic delay pedal is also included which goes great with this simple set-up. Do let me know your thoughts! |
Michael RidgeAs an artist I create works in various formats, but most often it involves sound and found objects. Archives |
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ELECTRONIC COTTAGE is an international community where independent artists, musicians, writers and freethinkers can meet and share ideas, sounds, visual art, photos, zines, videos, reviews, news and info, opinions, tech and gear articles, and much more, all in the spirit of two-way communication.
EC draws inspiration from the Cassette Culture Revolution of the 1980s, 90s and beyond; Mail Art, Small Press and Zines, Dada, Fluxus, Punk Rock, Hacking, Circuit Bending, Anarchy, and Noise.
EC values inclusion, democracy, experimentation, independence and freedom of thought and expression, open-minded exchange, and Community.
ELECTRONIC COTTAGE is an international community where independent artists, musicians, writers and freethinkers can meet and share ideas, sounds, visual art, photos, zines, videos, reviews, news and info, opinions, tech and gear articles, and much more, all in the spirit of two-way communication.
EC draws inspiration from the Cassette Culture Revolution of the 1980s, 90s and beyond; Mail Art, Small Press and Zines, Dada, Fluxus, Punk Rock, Hacking, Circuit Bending, Anarchy, and Noise.
EC values inclusion, democracy, experimentation, independence and freedom of thought and expression, open-minded exchange, and Community.