Tape Loop...The Return?, But With A Twist Options

[Wife Of Rolex]

Had an idea. Let's see if anyone's up for it.


Remember Tape Loop? It was fun. But perhaps it got a bit samey in the end. Fair enough. But how about a relaunch with a little bit of tweaking to the format?


Instead of just putting together a tracklist to share your tastes, you have to put together a tracklist set to a chosen theme. These compilations then go around and, rather than giving lengthy reviews of each of the tracks, Loopers just give a summery and a score out of 10 based on how well they capture the theme and the quality of the tracks/mix overall. The tracks can be as well known or as obcure as you like as long as they fit the given theme. The compilation with the most points wins and chooses the next theme and so on. And like traditional Tape Loop, the tracklistings themselves remain a secret until the end.

The whole idea is to rediscover your own record collection as well as sharing and discovering different music with others.

If anyone's interested then please do say so. Interest permitting, I'd say 5 or 6 people would be about right for it to work.

This post has been edited by Wife Of Rolex: Mar 26 2010, 07:07 AM

[Sostie]

It's an idea I have toyed with myself, but how exactly does it work.

As it stands one CD, 5 people...that's at least a 10 week loop. But how do you decide the theme? Who decides the theme? If it's a case everyone chooses a theme and everyone does a CD based on those that's a Loop of over 50 weeks! Or does everyone have their own theme? Or does everyone do 5 discs of all the themes chosen and send them in one post?

[Jon 79]

I like the idea of choosing your own theme, and possibly keeping it a secret. ...It may (or may not) be obvious what all the tracks have in common. It could be a music style, a lyric, an emotion, a place, a person etc. The album title can give it away... or not if your prefer.

[Wife Of Rolex]

There'd be a set theme for compliations from the start. For the sake of an example, a theme could be 'The letter B'. Everyone does their own mix to convey the theme. The connections could be the song titles or the artists or something else, as long as there's a tangable link to the given theme. The best mix - the one with the highest points tally - wins. And of course a mass reveal of everyone's tracklisting. Saves PM'ing each time.

The person with the winning mix then chooses the next theme for the next Tape Loop round. At this point people can choose to either stay in the game, drop out or drop in - in the case of one or more dropping out - on a first come first serve basis. This should keep things fresh.

As this doesn't require indepth track by track reviews; just simply a summery of the mix overall and a score, the 2 week turnrover could be reduced to just a week or maybe 10 days. That'll cut down the round time. There'll be a 4 week gap between each Loop to give people a chance to think about and put together their compilations.

As it's slightly more competition based* the compilations should be between 10 and 15 tracks long so they all play for about the same duration. No 18 track 80 minute epics.



* Not really. There're no prizes but if you win you get the warm glow and inner knowledge that you'd probably rock as a 6Music deejay.

[Everlong]

This sounds pretty fun actually. A tentative yes from me.

[Ade]

Some observations/suggestions:

- The 'set theme' aspect may need some careful consideration. Depending on what sort of music each individual listens to, it could prove a little restrictive. I would recommend therefore that themes aren't too specific in order to avoid said restriction. Also, once the agreed number of Loopees have registered to play, perhaps each of them could submit 2 or 3 proposed theme suggestions, upon which a general vote is cast? The most popular theme starts the round.

- As with the theme, quite how the scoring system is implemented will need careful consideration.

I know we've usually rated each Tape Loop compilation out of ten in most cases previously, but I wasn't initially sure about implementing a 'scoring' system per se, especially if it's going to be rated on how well the music conveys a theme. If you ultimately don't like some of the music within the mix, it's only natural that you're going to be influenced by that when it comes to 'rating' the CD. But in terms of adding a little healthy, creative competition to the Tape Loop, it's a good idea in principle.

- The 'summary review' certainly sounds much better - the main reason I completely lost momentum last time round was the seemingly obligatory lengthy reviews - a summarised outline is absolutely fine in my opinion. Without that expectation for a track-by-track analysis hanging over people it would keep their interest, and might also help prompt a much quicker turn-round. I believe a weekly mailing date would be quite workable - say, every Saturday.

- Revealing the tracklists only at the very end also appeals to me (rather than repeated PMs) - might also help encourage mailing CDs on every week.

- As much as I enjoy 80 minute 18-track epics, a set running time limit of around 50 minutes wouldn't be a bad idea.

[sleeping_pirate]

I'd be up for this.

[PrincessKate]

Me too, I like the theme idea.

[Wife Of Rolex]

Some observations/suggestions:

- The 'set theme' aspect may need some careful consideration. Depending on what sort of music each individual listens to, it could prove a little restrictive. I would recommend therefore that themes aren't too specific in order to avoid said restriction. Also, once the agreed number of Loopees have registered to play, perhaps each of them could submit 2 or 3 proposed theme suggestions, upon which a general vote is cast? The most popular theme starts the round.

As it's open to people's interpretation when making their mix, the compilation can be linked to artists, song titles, genres, writers/producers or any manner of connection. There should be enough scope in anyone's record collection to convey a given theme whether it's general or specific. I plucked a theme out the air yesterday as a test to see what I could use and found I actually had more than I thought I would to make a decent mix, and I'd be the first to say I have a slightly limited collection to pull from.

Having a vote for the first Loop theme will just lead to too much umming and ahhing and likely to split the preferences of the group before we've even kicked off. Plus it would cut into the time of future Loops when people could be getting on with putting their mixes together. You get the theme given and you go for it. The aim is to strip Tape Loop back to its basic elements. A few simple rules and then we're away sharing some music, with just a small friendly bit of competition. I've got a very general theme in mind to kick things off when Loopees have been confirmed. It's fair for the winner of each Loop to pick the next theme thereafter.

I know we've usually rated each Tape Loop compilation out of ten in most cases previously, but I wasn't initially sure about implementing a 'scoring' system per se, especially if it's going to be rated on how well the music conveys a theme. If you ultimately don't like some of the music within the mix, it's only natural that you're going to be influenced by that when it comes to 'rating' the CD. But in terms of adding a little healthy, creative competition to the Tape Loop, it's a good idea in principle.

But that's what happens with Tape Loop anyway. You rate the overall mix depending on the quality of the songs. It's the choices the person makes. This time, though, it's all about people's different approaches to the same theme through their own tastes rather than a collection of maybe not so widely known tracks and artists they like and want to spread the word of. Tracks can be really well known chart hits or obscure b-sides that only you seem to know about. Points awarded just make it easier to see where the preference lies.

- The 'summary review' certainly sounds much better - the main reason I completely lost momentum last time round was the seemingly obligatory lengthy reviews - a summarised outline is absolutely fine in my opinion. Without that expectation for a track-by-track analysis hanging over people it would keep their interest, and might also help prompt a much quicker turn-round. I believe a weekly mailing date would be quite workable - say, every Saturday.

I'm inclined to have it every Tuesday.

Most post offices are only open half days on Saturdays so cuts people's chances of making the last collection. Plus it's not value for money on postage to post on a Saturday as packages will be left in the sorting office over Sunday, as well as any Bank Holiday Mondays. Tuesdays avoid both and at least get the money's worth out of the stamp as it'll arrive the next day. Or at least should.

- Revealing the tracklists only at the very end also appeals to me (rather than repeated PMs)

Not least because I still don't have a couple of tracklists from previous Loops.

- As much as I enjoy 80 minute 18-track epics, a set running time limit of around 50 minutes wouldn't be a bad idea.

That's why I thought 10 to 15 tracks would be a good limit. I reckon people, whatever the size of the record collection, would have at least 10 tracks to go with any given theme. 15 should be more than sufficient and bring a bit of a challenge element to those with the bigger record collection at their disposal.


Yep, I think I managed to fully disect that post.

This post has been edited by Wife Of Rolex: Mar 28 2010, 02:30 PM

[PrincessKate]

I'm inclined to have it every Tuesday.

Most post offices are only open half days on Saturdays so cuts people's chances of making the last collection. Plus it's not value for money on postage to post on a Saturday as packages will be left in the sorting office over Sunday, as well as any Bank Holiday Mondays. Tuesdays avoid both and at least get the money's worth out of the stamp as it'll arrive the next day. Or at least should.

But not very flexible if you don't work anywhere near a post office. Saturday probably makes more sense.

[Wife Of Rolex]

Right, there's 3 definites and 4 tentatives interests.


Definites:

Me
Sleeping Pirate
Princess Kate

Seemingly definite maybes:

Sostie
Jon79
Everlong
Ade


First 3* to make themselves definites get on the list and I'll set up the finer details in due course.




* As that would leave one person out I'm happy to give my place up if the that person reeeeeally wants to do it.

[Wife Of Rolex]

But not very flexible if you don't work anywhere near a post office. Saturday probably makes more sense.

Having a posting date brings people up to speed on when to post on the cds. You're free to post on Saturdays if that's easier but as a general guide for Loopers a post date is given to keep things moving in a smooth way.

[Jon 79]

Yeah. count me as a definite.

[Ade]

Well that's me told.

[Jon 79]

But not very flexible if you don't work anywhere near a post office. Saturday probably makes more sense.

Agreed. I can only get to a post office on a saturday. (unless I get up early ...which doesn't happen too often)