Monster Children

Spring Break Tapes
Posted By Hazal – 22.09.2012

I know a few people in Los Angeles, mainly artists, actors, models, musicians etc, because lets face it, other types of people don’t live in LA. In the midst of all these beautiful people, there’s one guy I know, in particular, that is just too cool for me. I haven’t even tried to be apart of his circle… I’m just not cool enough. He has, however, started a new music label, but not the normal kind of record label because that’s been done. This cool cat birthed Spring Break Tapes, a label that creates albums on the traditional tapes we used as kids, and he’s not the only one; apparently it’s a whole ‘thing’ that I’m just finding out about. So I asked the man some questions.

Hey Joe!

J: Hey Hazal!

What is Spring Break Tapes?

J: Spring Break Tapes is my label that I started in early 2011.

How did the idea come about?

J: Being a huge music lover and collector, I always wanted to have my own record label. But that seemed like such a daunting task and I really had no idea where to even begin. So one day I was out searching for new music and I went in to Vacation Vinyl in Silverlake. I saw this table they had set up with cassette tapes all over it but the tapes looked new and I didn't recognize any of them. So I asked the clerk what the story was and he basically introduced me to the world of cassette labels. Amidst this happening my good friend Justin Peroff (of Broken Social Scene, Eight and a Half) wanted to find a way to release his solo music that he had been working on. So he finished up some tracks, I researched pressing up cassettes and Spring Break Tapes was born.

Who have you got enlisted so far? And who/what is on the horizon?

J: So I've got Justin cranking out music under his moniker Junior Pande. we're getting ready to release his second cassette. He introduced me to Toronto emcee Don Cash who I released earlier this year. I just put out an instrumental hip-hop mixtape "Greetings from Spring Break Tapes" that features some amazing producers/beatsmiths. Composer Ali Helnwein signed on to do a release with me. His cassette just got posted for pre-order on the site and will be available in a few weeks. I've got more projects in the works. The one I'm most excited about is re-releasing local Silverlake heroes, The Movies first album on cassette. It's going to be like a 10-year anniversary re-release. They have been broken up for a while now but I think people will continue to discover them through the years.

So is collecting tapes or listening to music on vintage equipment a growing trend that I'm not cool enough to know about? Are tapes the new records?

 J: Yeah I think certain people are really in to experiencing music like we did back in the 80's. I don't know if tapes will be the new vinyl but there are definitely people out there that are super into them and collect them. Before the re-release, that first Raekwon cassette went for $100-300 on ebay. I know people who collect 80's & 90's hip-hop tapes. I still have some of mine. But it's not just hip-hop by any means; you can find all kinds of music out there on cassette. What's rad to me about it all is that it's another avenue to discover new music that for the most part you can't find anywhere else. And the releases are usually limited to 100 tapes so when they are sold out, that's it. And when people take time to make sure the art and packaging is really great, it can be like a piece of art.

What if I don't have a tape player? How can I partake?

J:Well, like new vinyl, some cassettes come with mp3 download codes. But you can also get a walkman style cassette player for $15 brand new and just nerd out with that thing hanging off your belt. They even make USB ones so you can import your tapes straight to your iTunes. I know people that still have tape decks in their cars so they are stoked on all this.

Anything you want to add that I should know about?

J: I could give you a list of other cassette labels that I like?… I'm all about supporting the homies.

And he did send me through those links, which I have listed below.

Get on the site for Spring Break Tapes – check out the stuff and have a listen, but remember the idea is to revive listening to tracks on tapes so don’t be a fool, buy a tape, dig out your walkman and crank that shit!