Friperietronics vol. 1 was released in early 2020, following a live performance in 2019 consisting entirely of cassette tapes I’d purchased at thrift stores and charity shops, or friperies as they’re known in Quebec. I’d been working with live tape mixes for years, and imagined this series as an opportunity to present some of that work, which explores the limitations and affordance of cassettes.
Since I often don’t know what exactly is on a given tape, and since I don’t monitor as I’m mixing, I’ve come to regard the process of live tape mixing as a form of improvisation, in dialogue with my tapes and equipment.
I had intended to do a second installment much sooner, and began seriously thinking about it in summer 2022, when I moved into my current studio space, and while I began listening to my tape archive for potential inclusion, the gestation period took longer than I’d planned.
We hosted an open studio event at our studio space in Montreal on 25 November, the live recording of which is presented here as B1 (just as a 2019 live performance was B1 on vol 1). On 27 november I recorded additional material in the studio, with some tapes I’ve had in mind but also with some random surprises. The results were edited and rearranged, in some cases, and in others hardly touched at all. Two bonus tracks are included here, again mirroring the structure of volume 1.
There’s also apparently a very small Venn-diagram of folks who get the series’ title, so I might as well explain that Friperietronics is my dumb pun on friperie (French for thrift store) and Robert Fripp and Brian Eno’s “Frippertronics.”
credits
spiritual guides: Esther Bourdages, GENG PTP, Jason Lescalleet, Aki Onda
ARCHIVE
I’ve done a few mixes in this style over the last decade, and developed a performance practice using two or more variable speed tape decks in an improvisational context. Some are more or less traditional DJ sets, just with tapes, while others get more abstract.
Ukiyo-e Gōmune, or, alternate soundtrack to Revenge S03e01 (2013)
My first live tape sound collage, recorded live to stereo, made entirely out of cassette tape loops played on two tape players originally designed for use by the visually impaired. Run through a mixing board, additional treatments were made by running the signals through two aux channels, one with stereo delay, and the other with chorus and echo. Roland MC-303 also used lightly. Utilizing home-made field-recordings and musical fragments, as well as Gregorian Chants, some people speaking Polish, and a braille instructional tape.
Freedom & Command (2014)
I took the opportunity to rework my set up following a move. For a month I would experiment with different set ups, recording straight to tape. 3 tape decks, mc-303, mic and objects, flute, melodica, organ, guitar, effects, looper, etc. I didn’t think about it at all, just recorded until the tape side was full. I had ten sides (5 tapes in all) by the end of the month, at which time I produced this composition by mixing, dubbing, and effecting the various tapes I’d recorded throughout the month.
Interactions of Color (2014)
We moved to Minneapolis late summer, so once again this mix features experimentation with new set ups prompted by a move. I utilized two different variable speed tape players, one with pitch control and the other with the ability to switch from side 1/2 to 3/4 in mid play, which on normal tapes has the effect of playing the flip-side backward. The players run into a Mackie mixer with two effects sends, connected to a Memory Man stereo delay/looper on one channel, and a chorus and freeze pedal on the other. I keep it loose, using ambient or drone tapes as transitions when possible. Because it’s all live and on the fly, and because I don’t usually plan these things out, I often relied on whatever song happened to come up on the tape, or transitioned from one tape to another based on random associations. Rapsodie Espagnol, French composer? Might as well follow it with Spanish composer, Paris Hiss.
Or the murmur trees make . . . (2019)
A live tape mix, draws mostly on some contemporary tapes I acquired in the second half of 2019. By now, same typical set up, first mix made after moving back to Montreal. As in the past, this was a very loose and free form process, with no pre-planning as to which songs I’d end up playing or even the order I would proceed in. Part of what I like about mixing with tapes is the necessity of just going with the flow. The title comes from a poem from Pessoa.
Music for Quarantine (2019)
An EP of songs made from samples and loops sourced from thrift store tapes, plus a live recording of one of my “friperietronic” live performances, recorded in Stefan’s ground floor apartment, the same place where we recorded La Lumiere and the Anarchist Mountains Trio tape. The live performance is my favorite, and captures the random energy and risk of live improvisation. After that performance I made some recordings in my studio, which I rearranged and reworked into these seven tracks.
Neo New York (2022)
I put together this mix of tapes I listened to while getting settled into my new studio space. All recent hip hop tapes released between 2020 and 2022, following the thread of a few producers and MCs and themes, but mostly just stuff I’ve enjoyed recently and was excited to play loudly. Two variable speed tape players, a mixer, SP 404 and some effects. The right channel on one of the tape deck cuts in and out throughout. Peace to GENG PTP
Sound Propositions 