One of the best things about tape decks or VCRs- any tape-based appliance, really- is that their design is very intuitive and simple, such that even a relative novice who doesn't know much about technology can probably repair one in their spare time. I've repaired several of my tape appliances by hand with just a few simple fixes. Information on how to fix your VCR or deck by hand on the Internet is surprisingly sparse, which is strange considering fixing a VCR is a lot easier than coding with Raspberry Pi or whatever.
Right now, both my tape deck and VCR are in for repairs at a local electronics shop for tune ups and adjustments- this is because I'm planning a lot of cassette and VHS releases in the near future, and want to be sure my recording equipment is in top shape by then. Even so, I'm fairly confident that I'm at a point where if my tape deck isn't working, I can disassemble it and get a decent idea of what's going on inside- whether the heads need alignment, or a belt slipped, or whatever. All one needs to do is look.
What are some of your best tips and tricks when dealing with a VCR or tape deck? Here's one of my favorites to start this thread off with: If your VCR ever "eats" your tape (meaning that the plastic shell of the tape will eject, but the tape itself is stuck in the machine) all you need to do is unplug the machine, reach in with both index fingers, lift the tape up on the inside, and then raise it over the drum (the big metallic cylinder in back that scans the tape). This always works! A lot of VHS-haters complain about their machines "eating" their tapes- but that only actually happens around 0.00001% of the time- and even if it ever does, the actual solution is mindbogglingly simple!
What underrated tape repair tricks would you recommend?
Recently I've been getting more into collages (I started working on a zine, and zines are known for their sporadic cut-and-paste style). I have access to a ton of old Denver newspapers from the 90s and as a result I can really express myself using all these ads for restaurants that don't exist anymore and the like with a glue stick and scissors. (see below).
I like old collages a lot, ones from around the 20s and 30s when print media was just starting to take hold and become popular in the public sphere. The best ones are by the Dadaists, I feel, they pioneered a lot of technique in the style and helped usher us into modernity. I guess collages also have a lot of overlap with the pop art movement of the 1960s and, of course, the punk movement of the 1970s. It's compelling to see how collages have changed over time as they become adopted by different schools of thought.
What d'you think about collages? What are some of your faves?
The Denver airport might be the most evil place on Earth, it's a huge waste of taxpayer money and serves no real purpose, in addition to being one of the worst-looking architectural eyesores ever.
Wow, this sure is surreal. only 6 months of playing live music at open mics around Denver, and I'm already going to be doing a live concert soon. It'll have 12 songs and I'll be selling tapes at it. If anyone is around the Denver Area, I highly suggest it- it's going to be absolutely fantastic. I've got a whole lineup of some of the best Denver New Wave hits all ready to go, and this oughta be the culmination of my musical endeavors.
In terms of comics, there are 3 categories I read regularly- old newspaper strips from the 1920s and 30s, my favorite being Thimble Theatre by Elzie Segar, EC Comics from the late 40s and early 1950s, and anything from DC Comics between 1939 and 1955. All of these, I'd argue, have had a significant impact on my own work in the field of comics, and have helped show me how well comics can be utilized as a medium.
I've read the first 50 or so issues of Batman and the first 20 or so issues of Wonder Woman. With H.G. Peter's art in particular on Sensation Comics I find a sort of pleasing aesthetic classical sensibility, the likes of which isn't really present in Batman or Superman from that timeframe. Then again, all 3 titles are going for completely different moods.
I'm a controversial cartoonist in that I reject most well-regarded comics of the canon- Watchmen, Maus, A Contract With God, The Killing Joke, etc. I find virtually nothing appealing about them, when compared to the raw hedonistic fun an EC Comic drawn by Jack Davis or Wally Wood offers up. I believe that the Old Witch, Crypt Keeper, and Vault Keeper are some of the greatest characters comics have ever produced, and all too often never get the clout they deserve.
If you're looking to read some fantastic comics, any EC Comics will do the trick- Weird Science, Tales From The Crypt, Shock SuspenStories, etc. Not reading them would be doing yourself a disservice.
Okay- here are some photos of the rough draft I printed out to make sure it was formatted correctly. Like I said, it's 300 pages and very thick, so it depleted my printer. I'll have to go out and buy a new toner cartridge soon. As you can see from these, I bound it with Elmer's Glue-All on the side.
Keep in mind that these photos are the first time anyone on the Internet has seen this anthology in any form, so the Melonland Forum here kinda has a 10-day head start on the rest of the Internet with this sneak preview. Relish that exclusivity while you can.
This here is one of my all-time favorite tracks, it's insanely obscure. 10 years old and only 200 views. I know nothing about who made it, there are no Google results for whoever it was. These tracks just exist somehow. I'm not even sure how I found it, to begin with.
This track's really well-realized sound was one of the key inspirations for me to enter electronic music production, myself. To think that a simple instrumental could have this much of an atmosphere is impressive, as well as the progression this beat introduces, starting out with saxophone, then building into a really exciting drum and string-filled crescendo. Definitely worth hearing for any rap fans.
It's the culmination of over a year of effort and interactive web experiences which have garnered thousands of positive responses. The stories themselves are inspired by the likes of Ellison, Matheson, and other greats of science fiction. I certainly approach short stories with zeal. I think it's because they're less intimidating than novels, and it's pretty easy to crank one out in a few days. The collection will feature 43 short stories altogether. I have a copy printed out and it's like a brick of pure entertainment.
On October 30, I'll be publishing a short story anthology which adds up to around 190,000 words and 340 pages. It is one of my most ambitious projects of all time and will be entirely self-printed and mailed. Every single copy will be glue-bound by hand and autographed, and comes with countless esoteric illustrations and extra features which gradually propel the reader into a vortex of madness. It will be fantastic.
Made this album in collaboration with an underrated British rapped named Conqoor. It's meant to be our last album together (at least he said it was going to be) and I think it serves pretty well as a finale of sorts. There are a lot of good songs on here.
What d'you think? What do these songs remind you of, in particular?
As someone whose music borders on being plunderphonic, what are your favorite plunderphonic bands/songs? I'm not talking vaporwave or projects which infrequently sample, I'm talking straight plunderphonics, songs which use mostly samples, with most of the samples in question being weird, eccentric, and vaguely recognizable, but only to the extent that they create an unnerving sense of recognition within the listener. Stuff which utilizes all the junk down at the thrift store to its full potential.
I have to say my two favorite bands within the genre are definitely The Bran Flakes and The Tape-Beatles. I like the Bran Flakes for their coherent worldbuilding and aesthetic, their fun spontaneity and their free-spirited drive, as well as their contributions to Internet culture. The Tape-Beatles, on the other hand, are hard and contemplative, I've listened to several tape-Beatles albums in full and they can get pretty intense with how much they chop up their material.
I have to say, however, that the greatest piece of plunderphonics I've ever heard or will ever likely hear was entirely by accident. In a playlist, I ran across People Like Us's song, "Ever," which is one of the most insane and deeply moving examples of the genre I've ever witnessed:
The full album this song is from isn't very notable, however this song stands out from the rest and surpasses the crowd. It's multiple late-60s easy listening tracks compiled into one mind-blowing, entirely cohesive new piece which sounds just like a standard late-60s easy listening track. The cuts are virtually unrecognizable, it's just like someone time-traveled back to the 60s and assembled a supergroup of all these separate bands to create one brain-bleeding orchestral assemblage.
For that, I have to hand it to Vicki Bennett: While "Ever" may not be the most interesting Plunderphonics piece, or the most experimental, it does achieve what few Plunderphonics songs do: to create the illusion of cohesion among chaos, to instill false memories. As someone who enjoys late-60s easy listening along the lines of Henry Mancini and Bert Kaempfert, I cannot stop listening to this thing. It seems every time I go back there's something new in the mix. This thing is haunted.
How about you? Any plunderphonics tracks out there which you feel could surpass this one, or which stand out in some way? Lemme know!
I've tried finding this some other places, so I guess I'll leave it here. It's worth a try.
I remember watching a clickbaity "top 10" video around 2016 or so. It was in the same format as Chills or Mr. Nightmare or one of those, but a little more obscure and kind of generic. It was a list of spooky videos, I think. Or spooky recordings. One or the other.
The entry which really caught my eye was one of this lady who broke into this couple's house, and brought her camcorder with her. The narrator explained that they found the VHS tape she had recorded onto under their couch or something, in a spot where they might not have found it.
The video then showed the recording the lady had taken. I remember she was wearing a white or tan t-shirt, the footage was very low-res and grainy, and she was definitely blonde. I think there might have been someone holding the camera for her, but it was really creepy because she was just silently talking into the camera, and I guess the sound was turned off. I don't think it was possible to read her lips.
The couple who found this tape was obviously really disturbed when they saw this video of the woman in their home, sitting exactly where they were. What's especially strange is that it was on a VHS tape, but this was in the 2010s. They didn't think she was a previous tenant, because they had met the previous tenants, and it seemed to be new. The narrator played the full video, I think, in its entirety. Really creepy stuff, the way she looks at the viewer with this knowing smile.
Like I said, it was on a YouTube top 10 list with a decent view count, though there are so many of them it'd be virtually impossible to find again, especially with it being a pretty old Top 10 list. I have heard from a few people who do remember seeing this video and certain details about how she looked, but nobody has been able to find it. It is a pretty weird piece of Internet history, and as far as I know I'm the main searcher for it. It has a special significance for me, because it partially inspired a well-known short horror story of mine.
If anyone has seen it, or remembers seeing it at some point, I'd be really interested in hearing your take. I might be misremembering some of these details, it was a pretty long time ago, but it was definitely real.
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