Look into the Mirror (Tape 16)

by @wehappyfew · @fourtracktape · @thedutchwidows · @fairplay · @weekendsidehustle

Liner Notes

This is the first international tape collaboration I’ve completed this year, and it started off its journey in Germany with @fairplay. He wrote the lyrics and recorded the spoken style backing vocals (Chris also made a very cool looking cassette case which you can see in the photo below).

@thedutchwidows went next and laid down a cool spacey sounding Casio keyboard drone which he bounced together onto one track with a bass riff. Thanks for the awesome cassette tape badges too Mike! 🤘🙏

Liam from @theweekendsidehustle was in 3rd position and recorded the picked style rhythm guitar at the same time as knocking out a tambourine part with his foot (good going mate!)

I tried to run with the slightly 60s Velvet Underground vibe that was going on and added a lead vocal melody, punctuated with a mixture of mellow slide and fretted guitar riffs.

This is very different to anything else I’ve worked on this year, which is half the fun of doing these tape collaborations!

#4track #analog #cassette #fourtracktape #spacey #drone #1960s #spacerock #alternative #mellow

Lyrics

[verse] when looking around i was caught by your eyes i tried to escape was frozen like ice

[verse] for a moment or two i fell simply through the widening eyes began to realize

[chorus] look in to the mirror look closer and try to see if that's just an error or it's actually me?

[verse] what would i like to see? all the traces are there there are wrinkels and scars on the top some grey hair

[verse] I start to sink deep start brooding around I see myself smiling and i try to really and so i set out to really

[chorus] look in to the mirror look closer and try to see If that is just an error or it's actually me?

i am happy to see the mirror with me Happy was true Very little was blue

[verse) I hope for some time we stick together Plan for the pleasure To meet in the mirror

[chorus] look in to the mirror look closer and try to see if that is just an error or it's actually me?

(chorus) look in to the mirror look closer and try to see if that is just an error or it's actually me?

it's actually me? (...)

Comments

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@burr Mod

ooh! a mid-process bounce (in position 2)! i'm sure that's happened before but this is the first time i remember seeing it before. really like the relaxed vibe of this one. i'm doing a pass listening to a bunch of these 4-track collabs back-to-back so i'm hearing a lot of the same suspects over and over but love how differently the songs/tapes turn out because of how different roles and order. enjoyed this a lot.

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Wow, a lyrics-first four-track tape!? It's amazing how this has evolved from spoken word to sumptuous retro dream-pop. Love the fuzzy organ and slide guitar and the two layered voices sound so good. One of the best four-track collabs I've heard!

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@savvyaz

The technique of singing a melody right over spoken lyrics has me in awe. The whole song turned out really fabulous!

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this one’s beautiful, it’s got a wonderful energy going on with the tremolo-sounding effect that comes in and the keys. great great work y’all!! love the feedback at the end too.

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@cathreu

I love how consistent this is. That guitar pad humming along in the background with the satisfying slide guitar and those mellow, oddly comforting vocals. A fantastic all around experience. Laaaaaid back and a really lovely space to exist in, takes me to a time before I was born.

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Trippy and mellow, just what I needed this morning. I love the doubling up and bouncing of tracks (and creative use of feet). Really clever and creative old school four track technique that was realized to perfection! Like we always see with these it is hard to imagine you were not all together in the basement when this was created. Great job everyone!

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60's VU FOR SURE and I am digging this! I keep almost hearing Nico coming in and singing a chorus...and that's good thing! Love all the spacey ness and that slide guitar, this is so loose and cool.

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@george

yes. This is a total vibe. Excellent.

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Wow indeed. I knew within seconds I was gonna love this. The slide, the tremolo guitar, the tambourine (with the foot no less...that right there is brilliant), the lyrics (very cool and contemplative) and the VOX...All this plus spacy drone keys and bass on a four track? Masterful stuff. The ending was super cool too. You all rocked it!

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@peccary

This is great. I'm in my garden smoking a joint and this song is really tying it all together. That droning guitar in the background just melts in and out wonderfully.

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Oh wow! I love the style here and am totally grooving on the song. So many details and so unexpected in every way. The trem guitar and the slide set the tone, but the whole thing has such a wobbly loose vibey feel. Loved this!!!

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@beto Mod

This is incredible! I love how many tracks this has, and how everything fits in together so nicely! An amazing mix, and an amazing song from start to that gorgeous outro!

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This is so fuzzy and warm and retro. A good home for the mirror metaphor given that the 60s were an introspective, mind melting time. Sounds almost like one of Velvet Underground's more poppy songs - so you nailed it with the mix. The slide guitar pulls a lot of focus (in a good way) but all the elements are very well chosen. Well done, gang!

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@nadine

I'm amazed by the quality of recording. There's so much space in the arrangement I get the dreamy psych 1960s vibe. The pace of this song is just alright

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Wow, this sounds amazing! The tambourine and rhythm guitar parts are so understated and totally nail the VU vibe, and doubling up the vocals was genius - gives a disconcerting eerieness that suits the cognitive dissonance of the lyric. - and the lead guitar ties it all together. I love this!

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this has turned so well - slow laid back, just sauntering along.\

this is warm lazy sunny summer evening of a song.

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What a great collaboration. Love the unhurried pace. The jangle and drone, the understated vocal. And the tambourine is arranging genius! It's bang on the vibe. Love it.

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A really distinctive blend of instrumentation, too. Love the doubled vox and the quiet drone with the warm and bendy guitars. You lot are making the most of your bouncing abilities and you get a very full sound. Also, starting off with backing vocals is a bold choice! Impressed how everything coalesced around that part.

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...very cool what you've done with this! - great! - thank you all for including me in this collaboration!...

[FAWM]