Mix Tapes and Human Interaction

Do you remember those embarasing mixtapes? I certainly do and hopefully today, no one holds one of my humiliating time capsules in his/her hands.

Early in the 90s I remember uncovering a box full of LP stored at my house's attic. Many LP's from the late 70s and 80s where stored there by my father, who used to be a record collector. I remember having Michael Jackson's Thriller LP in my hands and thinking of the new technology that would help me take this wonderfull sound with me wherever I would go. The walkman.

Marketed in Japan as walkman and in America as Soundabout, it is considered to be a technological breakthrough during the 80s. The device was developed by Sony's audio engineering division led by Nobutoshi Kihara. However in the year of 2003 and after lengthy legal battles, Sony recognized the German-Brazilian Andreas Pavel as the original personal stereo inventor. The undeniable evidence shows a patent registered in the U.S. in 1978 and a prototype developed in 1973. The recording and playback capabilities provided by the cassette and the walkman empowered the music fans not only to carry their music wherever they went but also gave them the abbility of creating mix tapes recorded from the original LP at low cost and preserving a decent sound quality.

Through my life I've recorded so many mix tapes that's not even funny. I've taylored them to suit needs that range from having someone else explain my "feelings" towards girls, all the way to creating soundscapes for relaxation therapy, long driving sessions and debaucherous intoxication nights @ homes and clubs. The beaconing feature that the Cassette and CD mixes have is the human interaction that music sharing requires (or at least used to). The bond that is created between two persons who are willing to share the tapes they've acquired is almost as important as the music itself. That is so because having common interest towards art expressions is as human as the different interpretations that individuals give to what the artist is offering. This individuality is what sets them apart and yet unites for it demands respect and understanding. Unfortunately all of that has been replaced with the none material music sharing that p2p and online music and video services providers have made available for lazy music enthusiasts.

So what's the big deal? We have playlists now... Just add the song you like to your playlist and bang your head against the wall. We even have programs (Serrato DJ software) that detect the bitrates of songs and adjust the following song's metrics for non stop fanny shaking. We have online music sharing communities (last.fm) that hold leviathanesque numbers of users who in turn participate by creating personalized content for as many artist as they listen to. They can even pretend they listen to bands that have never existed!!!!

I've identified the depersonification, of the now a day's music sharing scene, by finding myself alone in concerts, whereas in my early years of music exploration, I attended venues by myself but never alone, there's a subttle difference. Many have found themselves in such situation and have taken advantage of it by being outgoing and speaking their mind with fellow concert goers, and have relived the commaradery that music awakens. So... It's important to go to shows, show your support for the bands you like (since you already steal their music) and meet people.

Anyways, check this out I find it very cool.

Please post comments or suggestions. Rock hard!