Look At These Tapes is a monthly roundup of our favorites in recent cassette artwork and packaging, along with short, stream-of-thought blurbs. Whatever pops into our heads when we look at/hold them. Selections by Jesse DeRosa, Mike Haley, and Scott Scholz.
Jake Tobin – Sorta Upset! (Haord)
Art by Jake Tobin, Kevin Mahoney, and Ben Mendelewicz
The turn of the millennium proved to be a most catastrophic time to be a saxophonist. Pushed up against the wall, it was do or die as legions of ska bands from Orange County gave their horn sections the final ultimatum - learn to play some keyboards or get out. Some adapted. Some perished. This guy is still waiting for his band to pick him up for the 2001 Fuck Cancer gig.
Damián Anache – Capturas del Único Camino (Already Dead)
Art by Damián Anache
The first US edition of Damian Anache's solo debut has cover art that matches the music on a heavy level: both the music and the album art variations in different editions are finished by running through an "interpretation algorithm" created by the composer.
Mustard-In-Law – At Breast Imaging Center (self released)
Art by Jay Schleidt
The second tape by new Iowa improv duo Mustard-In-Law gets right to the point, and that point is mustard. Mustard paper and cassette label with a yellow feather, and it's the perfect jam for sharing some fries with your sig-other's mama.
Pleasure Island – Golden Rain (Ascetic House)
Art by John Pyle
Every year, hundreds of Texans lose their legs and fingers or blow off part of their genitals due to mishandling of fireworks. John Pyle's cautionary tale should act as a warning to all you DIY pranksters out there. Please leave handling of fireworks to the professionals... or just your drunk uncle. Nobody would miss him and he probably deserved it anyway.
2814 – Rain Temple (Dream Catalogue)
Art by Kidmograph
Call me old fashioned, but I remember a time when kids would kneel at the altar of Zordox, the metallic destiny-orb, in silence for thousands of years. We'd overlook empires rise and crumble under the fists of greed. All the while, the almost silent hum of Zordox would keep you calm and full of uncontrollable spirit. We didn't "chug" Monster soda and play Pokemang on our phones. SMDH.
Andrew Weathers – Rock & Roll Can And Will Heal Us (FTAM Productions)
Art by ?
There is something about the phrase "Rock & Roll Can And Will Heal Us", spruced up with a rainbow gradient, on top of a pink/purple gradient that let's you know everything will be okay. That magic is real. That pure love exists. Whenever you are feeling absolutely drained grab this cover, hold it skin to JCard, and repeat the mantra "I can and will be healed."
Astral Spirits batch (Astral Spirits)
Art by Mase Man
If you've been following Astral Spirits, you know the label recently made a change to their art/layout strategy, with background cover textures and album titles in red on the spine. Subtle things to ponder while jamming the not-so-subtle fire music of Talibam! with Alan Wilkinson, Konstrukt feat. Graham Massey & David McLean, R. Lee Dockery & Smokey Emery, and Rankin-Parker/Pearce.
Ozark – Boombox (Haju)
Art by Ridgewell
It looks like somewhere in a recently revitalized condo / Starbucks / CrossFit gym post-payphone dystopia there is an 18-wheeler unloading a countless stream of cartoon boomboxes off of a conveyor belt. Not to a specific condo or Starbucks or CrossFit gym. It's just spilling them into a pile in need of 10,000 D batteries. When finished, the truck itself will suddenly be a giant boombox. Each citizen will be designated a boombox, it's tape explaining how many citizens they must kill to themselves survive. The future starts NOW.
Mike Nigro – Vertical Music (Oxtail Recordings)
Art by King Bozo
Hey, King BOZO. The Tape is called - VERTICAL - music. That poor, little fella can do everything but stay vertical! He's floppin' all over the place! And let's not even think about his health right now (several concussions I would assume), but the cassette itself. If he ends up getting sucked into the rollers and mucks up the capstans then all that hard work Mike Nigro put into this tape is GONE TO SHIT! So THINK before you draw, BOZO!!! (ps: cool art)
Max Eilbacher – s/t (self released)
Art by Noel Freibert
We all know the results of leaving a cassette out in the hot summer sun, but what about a Coupigny synth? Thanks to Noel Freiber's illustration on the new Eilbacher jammy, we now know. Panels and knobs become sun bleached. The casing begins to ooze like a bunk soufflé. Jacks turn into the vanilla pudding steps from Nightmare on Elm Street when inputs are attempted. Max still rips the devil out of it though. (Karl Fousek's hand not included).