Tape Hisstory: Lo-Fi Home Recordings From Yesteryear

I recently found some old recordings I made around Y2K. This was back when I had a state-of-the-art 4-track recorder. I mean, I spent a lot of money on that thing. These days you get recording software for free that's twenty times better than what was cutting edge equipment at the time. But it's fun to look back at what once was.

At the time, performing wasn't really a goal. It was all about writing and arranging the songs. I didn't have a band, so I had to putter around with my cheap keyboard to accompany my guitar. These recordings have a lot of tape hiss and are ultra trebly. Some of that was intentional-- I was hooked on the Velvet Underground and their disciples, and sketchy production values were something to aspire to.

Even though these songs are very rough, they still have interesting lyrics, a few catchy hooks, and some of them really rock. The songs I write now are probably better crafted, but these older songs are bolder. Back then, the world was much clearer to me, and I was more prone to criticism and commentary. So when you listen to these tunes, I hope you enjoy the wisdom and passion of youth, and maybe you can join me in my nostalgia.