If you’ve shown any discerning interest in new music over the past twelve months you will have noted the astonishing rise of Brooklyn-based imprint Captured Tracks, the label run by Blank Dogs main man Mike Sniper. Displaying an alarming prescience as if in control of Biff Tannen’s Almanac, Captured Tracks have been responsible for the release of a seemingly endless stream of great new garage, post-punk and lo-fi inspired bands, a healthy portion of which descend from these very shores. CT are so on it that they’re plucking bands from under our very noses before most of us knew they even existed. Give someone else a chance guys!
With that kind of knowledge and insight to hand, we thought it would make sense to ask them to contribute a mixtape to our on-going series. In keeping with the long-standing tradition of olden days mixtapes, they’ve compiled a set of tracks to fit on a Side A and B of a C-60, like a real-life cassette, but without all the rewinding and fast-forwarding. Mike was even gracious enough to throw together some artwork to act as an insert. Always giving.
Given that they’re so far ahead of the curve, it’s not surprising that I’d only actually heard of about four of these bands before. It’s an education in obscurity (for me at least – you all might have cooler older brothers/sisters) with some real gems – I was particularly bowled over by Swans and West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band (I think there was something in the sentiment of both those songs that resonated with me – depression and getting old!). Below is a short Q&A with Mike and links to download side A and B as separate zips. Just right-click. You know the drill.
DOWNLOAD SIDE A – Platform Mixtape XI- Captured Tracks C60 – Side A
DOWNLOAD SIDE B – Platform Mixtape XI – Captured Tracks C60 – Side B
Platform: Hey Mike, so, you made us an actual C-60 mixtape, with artwork to boot. It seems there’s been a renaissance of tape labels recently. Do you feel a lot of nostalgia for cassettes/cassette culture? Is this something you did a lot growing up?
Mike Sniper: Yeah a bit of nostalgia, sure. I also like them. They’re a a nice little package and you have to commit to listening, you can’t just click on a new track. I did this all the time growing up, tape mixes for myself and other people. Found out about a lot of music that way.
Did you put the two sides together with any clear concept in mind?
No! I wish I could come up with some great reasoning right now on the spot, but really it’s just the way it happened. I think a good mix is generally in the order you think of the song, because whatever you reach for next is what you want to hear after the last song ended. Kind of a berserk O.C.D. listening experience.
Looking through the tracklisting, I’ve only heard about four of these bands before – where do you find this stuff? Are a lot of these songs from your youth?
No, I grew up after most of these bands had long disbanded, I was always buying up older records, tapes and import CDs coming up. When I really started getting heavy into post-punk in the early 90’s, it’d already passed. At the time it was the rise of grunge, and hardcore was very popular at my high school. I didn’t like either.
One thing I always wanted to ask about CT, how is it that you find all these amazing bands? It seems like every week you’ve got another release planned…
I dunno! I don’t want to realise how and then ruin it!
That in mind, what’s next for CT? Anything you want to give a big shout to?
We finally put the “Upcoming Releases” section on the site. As you can see, there’s a lot happening. I’ll give a “big shout” to my friends in the UK - Wetdog, Male Bonding, Veronica Falls, La La Vasquez… hello there, guys!
Tracklisting:
Side A
1. Guerre Froide – “Ersatz”
2. caUSE-coMOTION – “Baby Don’t Do It”
3. The Jason Crest – “Teagarden Lane”
4. Martin Dupont – “It’s So”
5. The Servants – “A Sun, A Small Star”
6. In The Nursery – “Stone Souls”
7. Cliff Wade – “You’ve Never Been To My House”
8. Wallagh – “Film”
9. The Klubs – “Can’t Ebenezer See My Mind?”
10. Tactics – “Second Language”
Side B
1. Kaleidoscope – “Love Song For Annie”
2. Capital Punishment – “Confusion”
3. Sad Lovers and Giants – “Clint”
4. West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band – “Eighteen Is Over The Hill”
5. Hans-a-Plast – “Barfuss In Scherben”
6. Swans – “God Damn The Sun”
7. Die Bunker – “Opher”
8. Salvation Army – “Happen Happened”
9. Comsat Angels – “Our Secret”
10. Dandelion – “La Farfalla”
