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MUTE SOUND TAPE

4/25/2020

27 Comments

 
Here is a file that I found on a hard drive.  It is about the digitization of a cassette that I made and sent in 2011 to Mute Sound (Pedro Bericat), not having any copy of it, being an "exclusive" cassette for Pedro Bericat and his collaborators, who used it to make the video that accompanies this article.
​​This Mute Sound Tape was made under the name i.q.c.m., one of my old sound and visual projects (especially Mail Art) in the 90’s. Normally it was written I.Q.C.M. (with or without dots).
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iqcm logo (photolith film)
The sound is based on the manipulation of CD-R’s, which contained previously recorded sounds made with virtual synthesizers, cassette manipulation and radio sounds, using a simple tape recorder to make the cassette.
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Cover art
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Side A
Picture
Side B
27 Comments
Niniji
4/26/2020 08:58:12

Really awesome artwork, it appears very mysterious to me. (I will visit the sounds later and come back to tell you about it. )
Speaking of capital vs. lower case letters. I used to write niniji in all lowercase letters because I thought looks more “cute”, until I felt it was a hassle to remind people to uncapitalize the first letter or correct my autocorrect all the time. :-P

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Rafael González
4/26/2020 11:04:34

Thank you for your comment and explanation! Wishing you like the sound but I can't make sure it's something like lowercase

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Dylan Houser
4/26/2020 13:10:30

Reminds me of the Australian noise rock band feedtime. They always had their name displayed in all lowercase, because, in their words : “looks better”

Rafael González
4/26/2020 16:44:34

Dylan, thanks for the information, I had not heard anything about this band.

Niniji
5/13/2020 11:03:23

you know? I think “the lowercase” sounds like a pretty good idea for a band name, unless it is taken already.
And I wonder if they will write it like “The Lowercase”, or “the lowercase”.

Rafael González
5/13/2020 13:57:47

Yes, a good garage punk band.

Niniji
5/14/2020 06:50:16

ah yes. I just found out about them.

Neda mehrjoo
4/26/2020 09:11:02

Merci , Rafael. that's my pleasure to meet both of you . I have learned so much from Hal and you .

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Rafael González
4/26/2020 11:07:58

Thank you very much for all these years of friendship and learning. It is a huge pleasure to have met you.

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Chris Phinney
4/26/2020 09:12:00

Wonderful article, pictures & music & video Rafael! Excellente amigo! I enjoyed very much.

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Rafael González
4/26/2020 12:36:48

Chris, thank you very much for your comment. I am very happy you enjoyed it.

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Leslie Singer
4/26/2020 09:18:04

very cool spy movie. receiving messages in tiny discs that are to be hand played. and then the cassette is the motherlode with all the important information.

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Rafael González
4/26/2020 12:38:28

I love your words.

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Dylan Houser
4/26/2020 13:09:25

The finger rubbing on the tiny Fischer Price records reminds me of this classroom science experiment I took part in when I was in fifth grade: we’d have a turntable, but no speaker, so we had to use a paper cup with a needle in the bottom center of it, which we would then place on the grooves of the record, and sound would come from out of the cup. Needless to say, it was my first experience with playing a record, considering it was the 90s and my household didn’t own a turntable, as records were considered “obsolete” at the time.

Rafael González
4/26/2020 16:56:10

Dylan, your school experiment, in some mysterious way, has brought you to the “Dedodisco”. Honestly, all those early experiences continue to influence me. There are many things that I use that come from my childhood. I think something similar happens to all of us.

Niniji
4/27/2020 11:16:05

so those little discs really work like that!? it's another mysterious thing, for me. .. hmm...

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Rafael González
4/27/2020 14:28:47

The great Lo-fi adventure ... yes, those little vinyls sound that way

Dylan Houser
4/26/2020 13:46:22

Just finished Side A of the tape and am starting up Side B now...damn this is some beautiful stuff

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Rafael González
4/26/2020 16:47:19

I'm glad you like it. You are a very patient person! thanks for your time.

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Hal McGee
4/27/2020 14:39:23

Please explain the method by which you and Tomas played these discs. What are the objects that you are moving with your fingers on the surfaces of the discs?

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William Davison link
4/27/2020 17:13:54

Looks to me like the discs themselves are being spun by hand and there is a "stylus" built into the cardboard packaging. Amazing! I'm curious about a couple of things...1) is it just the cardboard itself that's resonating with the needle and producing the sounds, or is there some other sort of amplification involved? And 2) is there some place that manufactures these fantastic little discs?

I love Mute Sound and was fortunate enough to be included in one of Pedro's releases. Great stuff!

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Rafael González
4/27/2020 19:13:14

William, the cardboard is both a needle and an amplifier:
https://www.discogs.com/es/Vidosa-Vidosa-Dedodisco/release/12333371

Rafael González
4/27/2020 19:41:20

Hal, these two guys are Pedro and Tomas playing the small discs (Dedodisco) and the Mute Sound Tape. About Dedodisco it is difficult to me how explain it but I have found two links that can help:
https://www.discogs.com/es/Vidosa-Vidosa-Dedodisco/release/12333371
https://youtu.be/VUn7ekE7NMA

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William Davison link
4/27/2020 17:07:34

Great sounds and images, Rafael!

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Rafael González
4/27/2020 19:06:54

I'm so glad you liked it, William! Thanks for your comments.

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Juan Angel Italiano
5/24/2020 16:24:10

¡Tremendas músicas! y que video más loco de "terrorismo sonoro antiacadémico" Que bueno que difundas la obra de Bericat y sus Mute Sound, un proyecto notable.

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Rafael González
5/24/2020 17:01:23

Juan Ángel, me alegra mucho que te haya gustado. Admiro mucho el trabajo de Pedro Bericat y me siento afortunado de haber colaborado con él y su Mute Sound. Yo conozco la obra de Pedro desde 1986 ó 1987, siendo mi primer contacto con la misma a través de la revista Particular Motors, editada por el STI (Zaragoza, España). Muchas gracias por tu comentario y tu tiempo.

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    Picture


    ​Rafael González
    ​Electronic Cottage
    Assistant Editor

    Failed meditation session of a compulsive
    coffee drinker


    In 1986, at the age of 16, I released Exenple,
    ​my first cassette of industrial music,  which I recorded with my 13-year-old brother under the name Brigada Nadie.

    I was a member of the futurist multidisciplinary group Equipo Estético Étika Makinal (or 3EM), and Spanish experimental noise band I.Q.C.M.

    Over the years I have created many solo and collaborative audio works.
    ​
    ​In recent years I have turned my attention more toward visual and mail art. I like to create collages and rubber stamp art.

    ​email
    ​
    La Laguna (Tenerife)
    Canary Islands, Spain

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Electronic Cottage is a webzine covering independently-produced Experimental & Electronic Music, Space Rock, Audio Art, Video Art, Mail Art and more.