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A mix tape (commonly the two words are stuck together as '''mixtape''') is a home-made compilation of songs (typically copyrighted music taken from other sources) recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto a Compact Audio Cassette . The songs can be sequential, but a true, seamless mix from start to finish can be made by Beatmatching the songs and creating overlaps and fades between the end of one song and the beginning of another. With the advent of affordable, consumer-level Digital Audio , creating and distributing mixes in the form of a Compact Disc or MP3 Playlist has become the contemporary method of choice, but the term ''mix tape'' is still commonly used, and will be used throughout this article to refer to mixes in different media ( CD , MP3 , MiniDisc , Audio Cassette , etc.). A mix tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a Conceptual mix of songs linked by a Theme or mood, to a highly personal statement tailored to the tape's intended recipient. Essayist Geoffrey O'Brien has called the personal mix tape "the most widely practiced American art form," and many mix tape enthusiasts believe that by carefully selecting and ordering the tracks in a mix, an Art istic statement can be created that is greater than the sum of its individual songs, much as an Album of Pop Music in the post- Beatles era can be considered as something more than a collection of singles. HISTORY In all likelihood, the first homemade mix tapes began to appear soon after the introduction of the compact Audio Cassette by Philips at the 1963 Berlin Radio show. Before the introduction of the audio cassette, the creation of a pop music compilation required specialized or cumbersome equipment, such as a Reel-to-reel player, that was often inaccessible to the casual music Fan . As cassette tapes and recorders grew in popularity and portability, these technological hurdles were lowered to the point where the only resources required to create a mix were a handful of cheap cassettes and a cassette recorder connected to a source of prerecorded music, such as a radio or LP player. The growth of the mix tape was also encouraged by the use of audio cassette players in Car Entertainment System s, and by the introduction of the Sony Walkman in the late 1970s . A distinction should be drawn between a private mix tape, which is usually intended for a specific listener or private social event, and a public mix tape, or "party tape," usually consisting of a recording of a club performance by a DJ and intended to be sold to multiple individuals. In the 1970s, such DJs as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five , Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force, Kool Herc And The Herculoids , DJ Breakout , the Funky Four , and DJ Hollywood would often distribute recordings of their club performances via audio cassette, as well as customized recordings (often prepared at exorbitant prices) for individual tape purchasers. One 12 October 1974 article in '' Billboard Magazine '' reported, "Tapes were originally Dub bed by jockeys to serve as standbys for times when they were not in personal use of disco Turntable s. They represent each jockey's concept of programming, placing, and segueing of record sides. The music is heard without interruption. One- to three-hour programs bring anywhere from $30 to $75 per tape, mostly reel-to-reel, but increasingly on cartridge and cassette." Club proprietors, as well as DJs, would often prepare such tapes for sale. disc is currently the most common medium for homemade mixes]] Throughout the 1980s , mix tapes were a highly visible element of Youth Culture . However, the increased availability of CD Burner s and MP3 players and the gradual disappearance of cassette players in cars and households have led to a decline in the popularity of the compact audio cassette as a medium for homemade mixes. The high point of traditional mix tape culture was arguably the publication of Nick Hornby's novel '' High Fidelity '' in 1995. Since then, mix tapes have largely been replaced by mix CDs and shared MP3 playlists, which are more durable, can hold more songs, and require minutes (rather than hours) to prepare. While some mix tape enthusiasts bemoan the obsolescence of the cassette tape, others concede that the greater convenience offered by the mix CD has expanded the possibilities and accessibility of the medium, as indicated by the recent resurgence of mix-swapping clubs that trade mix CDs by regular mail. Some mix enthusiasts also appreciate the potential of the mix CD for extended, continuous mixes and creative album art. Today, websites particularly concerned with electronic music {Link without Title} provide mixes in a digital format. These usually consist of recorded DJ sets of live, beat-matched mixes of songs, which are used by DJs seeking to demonstrate their mixing skills to an online audience. Some radio shows worldwide specialize in mix series, including The Breezeblock and The Solid Steel Show on BBC1 and The BTTB Show . Additionally, DJs like DJ Spooky or DJ Shadow , The Avalanches , and RJD2 have gained fame for creating new songs by combining fragments of existing songs (which need not necessarily belong to the same genre). The resulting Remix or Mash-up can be seen as an evolution of the mix tape, in that it appropriates existing songs to give them new meanings through their juxtaposition, but does so in a quicker, more integrated style. This practice is heavily derived from the use of song loops as musical backdrops for an MC's rhymes in Hip Hop music, which is also related to Turntablism . TERMINOLOGY The term ''mix'' originally referred to the recorded output produced by mixing sounds from different audio sources on a Broadcast or Cinematic soundtrack, or in the Recording Studio . (The earliest citation of this use by the '' Oxford English Dictionary '' is from a 16 March 1932 issue of '' Wireless World ''.) Subsequently, it also referred to a live audio mix produced by a club DJ, who would attempt to seamlessly blend two prerecorded songs by using Beat-matching and Pitch control. A ''mix tape'' was the reel-to-reel or cassette recording of such a performance. The term was later applied to more rudimentary homemade mixes, despite the fact that few amateur mix tape enthusiasts were technologically capable of producing a true "mix" between songs, although many did place a great deal of emphasis on song transitions. ''Mix tape'' and ''mixed tape'' are usually seen as interchangeable variants, although each term has its defenders. A distinct usage of the term ''mix tape'' refers to a '' by Me'shell Ndegeocello . Given that DJs and MCs were originally drawn to the compact audio cassette because of its convenience as a medium for home recording, the use of the hip hop mix tape as a means of creating and distributing original music shares some characteristics with the distinct phenomenon of Cassette Culture . Misnomer ous usage of the term The term mixtape has been commonly used to refer to any music storage medium recorded personally or by a group of ameturs. These mediums range from Recordable Compact Disk s, MP3 Player s, a computer Hard Drive with MP3s on it, and other similar media. MIX TAPES VS. COMPILATIONS Many commercially available compilations of pop music, such as those in the consistently best-selling '' Now That's What I Call Music! '' series, initially seem to share certain important characteristics with mix tapes. Like many private mixes, a significant number of the earliest pop LPs were essentially collections of popular singles, and such compilation albums have often taken cues from underground mixes of the same era. One example is '' Disco Par-r-r-ty '', the first nonstop dancing LP record, which was released by Spring Records in October 1974. Consisting of a continuous mix of songs by such artists as James Brown , Mandrill , and Barry White , it was clearly inspired by the bootleg DJ mixes that were becoming popular at the same time. However, the relative Anonymity of the compilers of such albums is arguably inconsistent with the rationale behind most mix CDs, which typically reflect the musical tastes of a single compiler. While the editors of such compilations do exercise a certain amount of discretion over song order and selection, the term ''mix tape'' or ''mix CD'' is generally restricted to a compilation where the identity of the compiler is clearly associated with the album itself. For example, Starbucks , the coffee chain, sells a compilation CD series called Artist's Choice, which consists of mixes based on selections by such artists as Johnny Cash , Tony Bennett , and Sheryl Crow . Similarly, Apple Computer 's ITunes store features Celebrity Playlists, downloadable mix tapes in AAC-compatible form, selected by such artists as Moby , Barry Manilow , and Andrew W. K. The presence of a readily identifiable compiler whose tastes are reflected in song selection and arrangement allow retail mix CDs to be distinguished from other types of compilations. The distinction can be rather subtle. For example, while most "greatest hits" compilations of individual recording artists consist of a collection of singles in chronological order, others include album tracks, new songs, or obscure selections in addition to established hits, and sometimes reorder the songs for optimal listening. As such, these compilations can be seen as "artist-specific" mixes selected and arranged by the artists themselves. One recent example, among many, is R.E.M. 's '' In Time '', the song selections and track listing of which inspired a certain amount of heated discussion within R.E.M.'s online fan base. One could also argue that the modern movie '' LEGAL ISSUES IN THE U.S. One important distinction between homemade mixes and retail compilations of pop music is that the latter generally obtain permissions for the use of copyrighted songs, while the former do not. As a result, mix tapes such as those produced and sold by club DJs in the 1970s are Illegal (although rarely, if ever, Prosecute d) under the definition of Fair Use expressed in the Copyright Act Of 1976 . Most mix tape enthusiasts assume that private mix tapes are inoffensive from a fair use standpoint, but this is far from clear. A 30 January 2003 article in the '' New York Times '' cites Frank Creighton, a director of antipiracy efforts for the Recording Industry Association Of America , as saying that "money did not have to be involved for copying to be illegal." While mixes on cassette tapes may not have inspired the wrath of the record industry in the past, Mr. Creighton said, "digital mixes have better sound quality." And given the proliferation of CD burning for friends and relatives, "it would be naïve of us to say that we should allow that type of activity," he said. Others have argued that the Audio Home Recording Act Of 1992 protects the noncommercial use of home recording devices. (In general, it seems reasonable to conclude that individuals creating mix tapes for private use or one-off gifts are unlikely to be prosecuted under existing piracy laws.) AESTHETICS While the process of recording a mix onto an audio cassette from LPs or compact discs is technically straightforward, many music fans who create more than one mix tape are eventually compelled to confront some of the practical and aesthetic challenges involved in the mix tape format. From a practical standpoint, such issues as avoiding an excessive amount of blank tape at the end of one side (which requires careful planning of the length of each side of the mix) and reducing the audible click between songs (which requires mastery of the pause button on the cassette recorder) have been identified as part of the shared experience of mix tape aficionados. From an Aesthetic point of view, many enthusiasts believe that because a tape player, unlike a CD player, lacks the ability to skip from song to song, the mix tape needs to be considered in its entirety. This requires the mix tape creator to consider the transitions between songs, the effects caused by Juxtaposing a soft song with a loud song, and the overall " Narrative Arc " of the entire tape. One notable listing of such aesthetic "rules" can be found in a paragraph from ''High Fidelity'': Many enthusiasts also devote substantial attention to the packaging of a mix tape intended as a gift, sometimes going so far as to create cover art and customized liner notes. The cover of the original McSweeney's edition of '' Songbook '', a 2003 essay collection by Nick Hornby , was intended to suggest the packaging of a homemade mix CD. It also came with an actual CD featuring ten of the songs discussed in the text. Indeed, the look of mix tapes, featuring hand-written notes on the recording medium manufacturer's supplied labels, has become one of the aesthetic conventions of modern design, a distinct style that designers may attempt to copy or cite. From an artistic point of view, many creators of mix tapes seem to regard them as a form of emotional self-expression, although whether a mix tape retains the same web of emotional associations when passed from its creator to the recipient is, at best, debatable. Some argue that in selecting, juxtaposing, or even editing originally unrelated tracks of pop music into a new work of art, the "author" of a mix tape moves from passive listener to of pop music. TYPES OF MIX TAPES Although a "comprehensive" list of the different genres or categories of mix tapes could be extended indefinitely, and probably to no useful end, creating a taxonomy of mix tapes is a project that many mix tape enthusiasts have intuitively attempted. The different types of mix tapes identified on such community sites as Art of the Mix (which lists over two hundred genres, sometimes tongue-in-cheek) suggest the variety of potential categories. Beyond such basic genres as the simple taping of an entire album, the collection of favorite songs, and the "snapshot" mix of recent favorites, some of the more commonly cited categories (most of which are self-explanatory) include the driving mix, the workout mix, the party mix, the krazy mix (eclectic selections of obscure, rare or otherwise unconventional tracks), the didactic mix (intended to educate the recipient as to the essential works of a particular artist or genre), the concept / theme mix (a mix of Christmas songs, songs about cars, or covers of songs by a particular artist or similar), and the mood mix (simply a mix of songs intended to sustain a specific mood, stated or unstated - notable subgenres include the romantic mix and the break-up mix). MEDIA REFERENCES TO MIX TAPES Since the publication of Nick Hornby's ''High Fidelity'', the frequency of literary and pop cultural references to mix tapes has increased considerably, although Hornby was far from the first author to mention the starts to sing and Trent asks her where the Beach-Mix tape is and Blaire tells him that she burned it because she heard it too many times." The novel '' Morvern Callar '' by Alan Warner , which was published shortly before ''High Fidelity'', includes track listings for three mix tapes made by the book's main character. However, extended , gesture of friendship, prescription for an ideal party, or simply as an environment consisting solely of what is most ardently loved." Finally, ''Mix Tape'', the first book entirely devoted to the phenomenon, was published in December 2004. Written by Thurston Moore (a founding member of the rock band Sonic Youth ), the book includes personal stories and reminiscences from over eighty mix tape enthusiasts. Not surprisingly, quite a few references to mix tapes have been made by recording artists themselves. For example:
A number of other references to mix tapes in Popular Culture include:
MIX TAPES IN GLOBAL CULTURE All of the references to mix tapes cited above come from media sources in the United States , the United Kingdom , or continental Europe . The use of mix tapes in other countries is less documented. However, it seems reasonable to believe that mixes exist wherever access to popular music is combined with a convenient means of recording homemade compilations (although mix tapes may not have been a significant element of the Youth Culture in such countries). For example, Sarah Erdman's 2003 book '' Nine Hills To Nambonkaha '' includes a description of the tape collection of a middle-class African in Côte D'Ivoire : One should also note that in Africa , India , and parts of the Middle East , audio cassettes currently remain the most popular medium for prerecorded music. This suggests that the compact audio cassette may still be the preferred medium for mixes in at least some parts of the world. REFERENCES
MUSIC SAMPLE SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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