Dictaphonia #5 lineup so far...

Here listed below is what I have received for Dictaphonia #5 so far. If you have not yet contributed to Dictaphonia, or even if you have previously contributed, please send a 3-minute audio work on microcassette. This will probably be the last volume of Dictaphonia!

01 Otolathe
Tampa, Florida, USA
"Tannenberg 1410"

02 William Wesley & The Tiny Sockets
Pounding Mill, Virginia, USA
"If something comes up with the fuzz I ain't got no buzz"

03) Rajun Cajun
Plant City, Florida, USA
untitled

04) Heffalump Tramp
Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England
"Bird terrorism crashes plane"

05) Ceramic Hobs
Blackpool, England
"Punk rock ist nicht tot"

06) Mi.T.-CON (Michael Thomas Roe and Conrad Schnitzler)
Atlanta, Georgia, USA and Dallgow, Germany
"micro-jam"

07) Charles Rice Goff III
Kansas City, Kansas, USA
"Take A Letter"

08) M.Stactor
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"Egg Blood"

09) Mannequin Hollowcaust
Kingsport, Tennessee, USA
"waste not/want not"

10) Ironing
Gainesville, Florida, USA
"Alachua"

DICTAPHONIA FEST, November 7, 2009 Gainesville, Florida

Hal McGee presents: 
Dictaphonia Fest 
Saturday, November 7, 2009 
7:00 PM 
The Laboratory 
818 W. University Ave., Suite C 
Gainesville, Florida 
$5.00 admission 

A showcase of microcassette experimental audio art 
featuring performances by participants in the Dictaphonia Microcassette Compilation Project. 

Performers must use microcassette in some way in their performance and it must be a prominent part of the sound. 

There will be a 9-minute time limit on performances and performers will only be allowed to use minimal gear, 
with a plug and play aesthetic and quick gear setups and breakdowns. 

Performers will play through a small mixer and two 10-watt guitar amplifiers provided by me. 

Keywords: lo-fi, lo-tech, minimalism, conceptual audio art, DIY, homemade experimental music 

22 scheduled confirmed performers: 

M.Stactor 
William A. Davison of Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

Richard Orlando 
Flushing, New York 

William Wesley & The Tiny Sockets 
Pounding Mill, Virginia 

Mannequin Hollowcaust 
Kingsport, Tennessee 

Vagina Teeth/Jesus Teeth 
Clemmons, North Carolina 

Projexorcism 
Hickory, North Carolina 

Su Sous Toulouse En Rouge 
St. Petersburg 

Black Beast Of Arrrghhh 
St. Petersburg 

Justin Robert 
St. Petersburg 

Krysten Davis 
Tallahassee 

Waterdigger 
Polk City, Florida 

Rajun Cajun 
Plant City, Florida 

Big Sugar Victorious 
Seffner, Florida 

Otolathe 
Tampa 

Fiver's Stereo 
Jacksonville 

Jamison Williams with Jay Peele 
Jacksonville 

SOS aka Astral Fields Farmer 
Jacksonville 

Two Woos -- Kathy Burkett and Doug Burkett 
Lady Lake, Florida 

Ironing 
Gainesville 

Mark McGee 
Gainesville 

minimum of none 
Gainesville 

Hal McGee 
Gainesville

Dictaphonia 4 Microcassette Compilation now available!

Volume 4 of the Dictaphonia Microcassette project is now available on a homemade microcassette release - see lineup of artists below

23 artists, 60 minutes of sound recordings made on microcassette, released on microcassette  

this is a homemade product! featuring simple homestyle packaging each tape comes with a j-card cut out of a USA road atlas (each one is different)

with a black and white photocopy insert with collage artwork on one side and a list of the artists and their piece titles on the other 

$6.00 postage paid USA and Canada $7.00 Air Mail postage paid everywhere else

PayPal to haltapes1 @ aol.com

Go to this page on my web site for more info on the artists, plus pictures of the artwork

The first three volumes of Dictaphonia are available online and in their original microcassette format - info links at the page mentioned above

I am still accepting contributions to the Dictaphonia project! Send a 3-minute sound piece on microcassette. Dictaphonia #5 will probably be released in late September, if I receive enough material to fill up a 60-minute tape by then. You can send a track even if you have contributed before. Go here for more info on submitting, including the postal address to send your tape to

Dictaphonia 4 Microcassette Compilation

SIDE A

01) Sparkle Girl

Seattle, Washington, USA

"A Series Of Tubes"

02) Mark Sonnenfeld

East Windsor, New Jersey, USA

"Nagging Haunt"

03) Igloo Martian

La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA

"The Pocket-Sized Beat"

04) Enstruction

Seattle, Washington, USA

"Agglomeration"

05) The Lexington Steele

Clemmons, North Carolina, USA

"Untitled No. 1 (for Shirley)"

06) Cellular Terror

Jacksonville, Florida, USA

"Electronic Fingerprints"

07) Witch With Flying Head

San Francisco, California, USA

"They Call Him Neato Bombeleato"

08) Dave X

Carterville, Illinois, USA

"Wire/Recorder"

09) Kathy Burkett

Lady Lake, Florida, USA

"Japanese Dachshund"

10) minimum of none

Gainesville, Florida, USA

"more talk"

11) Bryce Beverlin II

North Oaks, Minnesota, USA

"Mounded Cramphole"

SIDE B

12) Front Gauche de l'art/Hermann Kleid

Rennes, France

"Étude pathétique pour violoncelle un jour d'orage"

13) The Saint Petersburg Institute Of Noise

Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA

"I Never Road A Skateboard"

14) H.G. Wells

Seattle, Washington, USA

"Jesus Razor Blade"

15) The Montreal Nintendo Orkestar

Hampstead, Quebec, Canada

"The Great Origami Lobster (Dictaphone Version)"

16) The Silent Committee

Northampton, England

"Long Way Down"

17) Frog

Gainesville, Florida, USA

"Cryptically Titled"

18) Projexorcism

Hickory, North Carolina, USA

"Mother Teresa Of Calcutta"

19) Hal McGee

Gainesville, Florida, USA

"Download This!"

20) Super Pizza Party

Jacksonville, Florida, USA

"Pizza 3000"

21) Gerechtigkeits Liga

London, England and Berlin, Germany

"Kill-Burn"

22) S.O.S. aka Astral Fields Farmer

Jacksonville, Florida, USA

"Synchro-Expansion Microphone"

23) Dave Fuglewicz

Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA

"D-Enabled Tripton Zone"

review of Dictaphonia #3 by JLIAT in Vital Weekly

Vital Weekly 692

DICTAPHONIA MICROCASSETTE COMPILATION VOLUME 3 (Microcassette by HalTapes)
In all 23 tracks on this release of various material, the better I think realizing the nature of the media which in this case plays a significant part of just what is going on. Those interested can still buy the recorders to play this series, which raise a number of questions, one regarding modernism and what has subsequently followed, even to the extent that post-modernism is seen by many now as passé - we might be in a period "after theory". Certainly the microcasstte raises McLuhanish issues (theories!) which are/were "modern" - the alter ego of the present virtuality where even the medium has disappeared, perhaps the message has returned but its now empty theory-less and floats in MP3 MP4 Voc Ogg MOV flak. whatever - computers will automatically find the codec. but what is left in the virtual is the idea of a virtual and so non-existent individualism of Stirner (via iphones which make farting noises) who appears on this comp and who predicted the future and all this freedom, via torrents, posted on blogs, etc. I have been more concerned with wasps this summer than swine flu. Not w.a.s.p.(s) but something like that did for Stirner. this tape remains a tragic reminder of rationality and sense - and also property and object. (jliat)

Dictaphonia #3 now available for free download!

Dictaphonia Microcassette Compilation Volume Three

is now available for free download as individual tracks on this page on my web site

I offer high quality 320 kbps mp3s for listeners with high speed Internet connections and lower bit rate 64 kbps versions of for the convenience of those people with slower and dial-up Internet connections.

23 artists, 59 minutes

recordings by:

Neonworm

Mannequin Hollowcaust

Karl J. Paloucek

Justin Robert

Carl Holmes

Ooy

Fludd

JLIAT

Bisexual Swinger

Alan George Ledergerber

Stirner

auvikogue

mortuus auris & the black hand

Johnny Brewton

Master/Slave Relationship

Big Sugar Victorious

EGG

Vultures

Ecoute La Merde

Lindsey Leepe

Retarded Children

Raw Mummy

William Wesley & The Tiny Sockets

Dictaphonia Microcassette Compilation 4 upcoming

Dictaphonia Microcassette Compilation Volume 4 will be available on Friday, August 21, 2009.
See probable lineup below.

I am still accepting contributions to the Dictaphonia project! Go to this page for submission info:http://www.halmcgee.com/dictaphoniasubmissionguidelines.html

Dictaphonia #3 will be available in its entirety online in about five days
It is still available for purchase in its original microcassette format:http://www.halmcgee.com/dictaphonia.html

The first two volumes of Dictaphonia are still available in their original microcassette format, plus available for free download:
http://www.halmcgee.com/dictaphoniavolumeone.html
http://www.halmcgee.com/dictaphoniavolumetwo.html

Dictaphonia Microcassette Compilation #5 will be a special answering machine edition in which anyone can telephone Hal McGee's microcassette answering machine and leave a one-minute message - starting soon
Write me to request the telephone number.

Dictaphonia Fest, a showcase of experimental microcassette audio art featuring performances by participants in the Dictaphonia project, will be held Saturday, November 7, 2009, at The Laboratory, 818 W. University Ave., Gainesville, Florida, USA.

Dictaphonia Microcassette Compilation 4
probable lineup

01) Sparkle Girl
Seattle, Washington, USA
"A Series Of Tubes"

02) Mark Sonnenfeld
East Windsor, New Jersey, USA
"Nagging Haunt"

03) Igloo Martian
La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
"The Pocket-Sized Beat"

04) Enstruction
Seattle, Washington, USA
"Agglomeration"

05) The Lexington Steele
Clemmons, North Carolina, USA
"Untitled No. 1 (for Shirley)"

06) Cellular Terror
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
"Electronic Fingerprints"

07) Witch With Flying Head
San Francisco, California, USA
"They Call Him Neato Bombeleato"

08) Dave X
Carterville, Illinois, USA
"Wire/Recorder"

09) Kathy Burkett
Lady Lake, Florida, USA
"Japanese Dachshund"

10) minimum of none
Gainesville, Florida, USA
"more talk"

11) Front Gauche de l'art/Hermann Kleid
Rennes, France
"Étude pathétique pour violoncelle un jour d'orage"

12) The Saint Petersburg Institute Of Noise
Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA
"I Never Road A Skateboard"

13) H.G. Wells
Seattle, Washington, USA
"Jesus Razor Blade"

14) The Montreal Nintendo Orkestar
Hampstead, Quebec, Canada
"The Great Origami Lobster (Dictaphone Version)"

15) The Silent Committee
Northampton, England
"Long Way Down"

16) Bryce Beverlin II
North Oaks, Minnesota, USA
"Mounded Cramphole"

17) Frog
Gainesville, Florida, USA
"Cryptically Titled"

18) Projexorcism
Hickory, North Carolina, USA
"Mother Teresa Of Calcutta"

19) Hal McGee
Gainesville, Florida, USA
"Download This!"

20) Gerechtigkeits Liga
London, England and Berlin, Germany
"Kill-Burn"

21) S.O.S. aka Astral Fields Farmer
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
"Synchro-Expansion Microphone"

22) Dave Fuglewicz
Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA
"D-Enabled Tripton Zone"

Hal just bought a microcassette answering machine - look for Dictaphonia #5, the answering machine compilation!

Last night I won an auction on eBay for a Panasonic KX-T5100 dual microcassette telephone answering machine. If it actually works well, and I assume it will (but I will fully test it of course), I will make an announcement inviting people to contribute to Dictaphonia #5, The Answering Machine Compilation.

More details to come, after I fully develop the idea, but anyone and everyone will be invited to contribute a short audio recording of absolutely any sort. This will allow even those people who don't own microcassette recorders to create their own microcassette recording!

In the announcement I will state that if you want to contribute, send me an e-mail to get the telephone number. Contributors can call up and leave messages on the machine either anonymously, or they can state their name. This compilation will be released simultaneouly on microcassette, and online as two continuous mp3s of each of the two sides of the microcassette tape that I will load into the machine to record your telephone calls.

Contributors will be able to contribute more than once as long as you all promise to make short recordings! - from 15 seconds up to a couple of minutes.

I am looking for a lot of variety in the messages, style-, content-, and mood-wise, a big grab bag audio trash heap collage: rants, weird little sound effects, cryptic voice messages, funny, sexy, surreal, paranoid, confessions, hate messages, pranks, jokes, static, buzzing, feedback, dream recollections, lo tech electronic sounds, little poems and stories, etc. In other words, I prefer shorter, less-developed, fragmentary recordings that will be elements in a larger whole.

I will make an "official" announcement here and on MySpace, Facebook, and by e-mail announcement when the project is ready to start.

6 more contributions received - Dictaphonia #4 is nearly full

In the last week or so I have received six more contributions to the Dictaphonia project. This brings to 19 the total of contributions received that will be on Dictaphonia Volume 4, with about 4-6 more needed to fill up the compilation.

86) The Montreal Nintendo Orkester

Hampstead, Quebec, Canada

"The Great Origami Lobster (Dictaphone Version)"

87) The Silent Committee

Northampton, England

"Long Way Down"

88) Bryce Beverlin II

North Oaks, Minnesota, USA

"Mounded Cramphole"

89) Frog

Gainesville, Florida, USA

"Cryptically Titled"

90) Projexorcism

Hickory, North Carolina, USA

"Mother Teresa Of Calcutta"

91) Hal McGee

Gainesville, Florida, USA

"Download This!" 

two microcassette works released by the Saint Petersburg Institute Of Noise

The Saint Petersburg Institute Of Noise recently made available to the public two new microcassette works by Dictaphonia Compilation Project participants.

[s.p.i.n.job11]
Black Beast of Arrrghhh "Vietnamese Democracy" mc-90

Put well concealed cash in an envelope and send it to:
S.P.I.N.

P.O. Box 56845

Saint Petersburg, FL 33732

You can listen in streaming audio and download a 23-minute microcassette recording by Vagina Teeth/Jesus Teeth.

I have enjoyed listening to both and these recordings are both good examples of the possibilities presented by microcassette works and releases.

DICTAPHONIA Microcassette Compilation 3

is now available

23 artists

59 minutes of sound recordings made on microcassette, released on microcassette

Go to this page on my web site for more info

recordings by Neonworm, Mannequin Hollowcaust, Karl J. Paloucek, Justin Robert, Carl Holmes, Ooy, Fludd, JLIAT, Bisexual Swinger, Alan George Ledergerber, Stirner, auvikogue, mortuus auris & the black hand, Johnny Brewton, Master/Slave Relationship, Big Sugar Victorious, EGG, Vultures, Ecoute La Merde, Lindsey Leepe, Retarded Children, Raw Mummy, William Wesley & The Tiny Sockets

this is a homemade product!featuring simple homestyle packaging

each tape comes with a j-card cut out of a magazine (each one is different)

with a black and white photocopy insert

with collage artwork on one sideand a list of the artists and their piece titles on the other

$6.00 postage paid USA and Canada

$7.00 Air Mail postage paid everywhere else

PayPal to haltapes1 @ aol dot com

three more contributions received in recent days

In recent days I have received three more contributions, all of which will be on Dictaphonia, Volume Four. This brings to 13 the total of contributions received that will be on Dictaphonia Volume 4, with about 10-12 more needed to fill up the compilation.

83) Front Gauche de l'art/Hermann Kleid

Rennes, France

Étude pathétique pour violoncelle un jour d'orage

84) The Saint Petersburg Institute Of Noise

Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA

"I Never Road A Skateboard"

85) H.G. Wells

Seattle, Washington, USA

"Jesus Razor Blade"

DICTAPHONIA FEST November 7, 2009

Hal McGee presents:
Dictaphonia Fest
Saturday, November 7, 2009
8:00 PM

at The Laboratory
818 W. University Ave., Suite C
Gainesville, Florida 32601
USA

A showcase of microcassette experimental audio art, featuring performances by participants in the Dictaphonia Microcassette Compilation Project.

Larry Bruce, the proprietor and Chief Scientist at The Laboratory, has confirmed the date. The Laboratory is a new cafe located in midtown Gainesville that serves wine, beer, coffee, espresso drinks, and gourmet sandwiches, and snacks.

Performers must use microcassette in some way in their performance and it must be a prominent part of the sound. There will be a 9-minute time limit on performances and performers will only be allowed to use minimal gear, with a plug and play aesthetic and quick gear setups and breakdowns. Performers will play through a small mixer and two 10-watt guitar amplifiers provided by me.

I do not yet have a confirmed list of performers because it is four months away and things can change but these Dictaphonia project participants have expressed interest in performing:

Kathy Burkett (Lady Lake, Florida)
Otolathe (Tampa)
Su Sous Toulouse En Rouge (St. Petersburg)
Vagina Teeth / Jesus Teeth (Clemmons, North Carolina)
Krysten Davis (Tallahassee)
Fiver's Stereo (Jacksonville)
Ironing (Gainesville)
Mark McGee (Gainesville)
Waterdigger (Polk City, Florida)
Richard Orlando (Flushing, New York)
Jamison Williams (Jacksonville)
Belltonesuicide (Easthampton, Massachusetts)
Mannequin Hollowcaust (Kingsport, Tennessee)
Carl Holmes (London, England)
Big Sugar Victorious (Seffner, Florida)
Sonic Disorder (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Ed Cooper (Hickory, North Carolina)
William A. Davison (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
The Raytownian(s) (Huntsville, Alabama)
William Wesley & The Tiny Sockets (Pounding Mill, Virginia)
minimum of none (Gainesville)
Alan George Ledergerber (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

Douglas Burkett (Lady Lake, Florida)

Anybody else?

Dictaphonia #1 and #2 blogged by Dual Track

Dual Track blogs classic, hard to find, and out of print audio and video recordings of experimental, avant garde, and noise musics.

Dual Track has already blogged Dictaphonia Volume One and Dictaphonia Volume Two!

You can download both compilations in bundled files including the artwork. Dual Track presents high quality versions of the compilations with a respectful tone and proper spirit appropriate to the Dictaphonia project.

Check out Dual Track's Dictaphonia #1 blog listing here

And just published this morning, here is Dictaphonia #2 on Dual Track

several submissions received for Dictaphonia Volume 4

I have received several contributions which will be on the fourth volume of Dictaphonia.


73) Sparkle Girl
Seattle, Washington, USA
"A Series Of Tubes"


74) Mark Sonnenfeld
East Windsor, New Jersey, USA
"Nagging Haunt"


75) Igloo Martian
La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
"The Pocket-Sized Beat"


76) Enstruction
Seattle, Washington, USA
"Agglomeration"


77) The Lexington Steele
Clemmons, North Carolina, USA
"Untitled No. 1 (for Shirley)"


78) Cellular Terror
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
"Electronic Fingerprints"


79) Witch With Flying Head
San Francisco, California, USA
"They Call Him Neato Bombeleato"


80) Dave X
Carterville, Illinois, USA
"Wire/Recorder"


81) Kathy Burkett
Lady Lake, Florida, USA
"Japanese Dachshund"


82) minimum of none
Gainesville, Florida, USA
"more talk"

Dictaphonia Volume 2 now available for free download

Listen in streaming audio and download individual mp3s of the tracks on the Dictaphonia Microcassette Compilation, Volume 2

I offer two versions of the mp3s, one at 320 kbps for high speed Internet connections, and one at 64 kbps for dial-up and slower connections.

Dictaphonia 2 is still available for purchase in its original microcassette format.

recordings by
Dave Wright, Richard Orlando, Mark McGee, Sonic Disorder, Douglas Burkett, Jamison Williams, Zebra Mu, Ian Watson, Crap Last Tape, Kurt Gottschalk, Julie Schubert, Dada Action Group, Andrew Coltrane, The Raytownian(s), Belltonesuicide, blanco estira nuestro (+) hermana Hélice, Fried Marlenstahl, NXP, Rez Epo, Hanson Ono, Death Factory, Douglas Ferguson, Melissa Lovely & Justin Waters Here And Thereian Duo, Pony Payroll

Dictaphonia Volume 3 will be released on July 20th.

recordings by
Neonworm, Mannequin Hollowcaust, Karl J. Paloucek, Justin Robert, Carl Holmes, Ooy, Fludd, JLIAT, Bisexual Swinger, Alan George Ledergerber, Stirner, auvikogue, mortuus auris & the black hand, Johnny Brewton, Master/Slave Relationship, Big Sugar Victorious, EGG, Vultures, Ecoute La Merde, Lindsey Leepe, Retarded Children, Raw Mummy, William Wesley & The Tiny Sockets

Purchase and download for free Dictaphonia Volume 1

I am still accepting contributions for the Dictaphonia Microcassette Compilation Project
Guidelines

Dictaphonia Volume 3 lineup announced

The third volume of the Dictaphonia Microcassette Compilation Project is now full and complete. It will be available on July 20, 2009.

Dictaphonia Volume 1 is available in its original microcassette format and for free download.

Dictaphonia Volume 2 is available on microcassette and soon will be available in its entirety for download.

Dictaphonia Fest will be held Saturday, November 7, 2009 at The Laboratory, 818 West University Avenue, Suite C, in Gainesville, Florida, USA - a showcase of microcassette experimental audio art, with performances by participants in the Dictaphonia Project.

I am still accepting recordings on microcassette for the Dictaphonia project - Submission Guidelines.

Dictaphonia Volume 3

Side A

01) Neonworm
York, Pennsylvania, USA
"Panic Attack"

02) Mannequin Hollowcaust
Kingsport, Tennessee, USA
"shrapnel bath"

03) Karl J. Palouček
Berwyn, Illinois, USA
"Phonorail"

04) Justin Robert
Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA
"Nylon/Mylar"

05) Carl Holmes
London, England
"Impulse Response"

06) Ooy
Tokyo, Japan
"Subway"

07) Fludd
Genova, Italy
"Reso-Nuances"

08) JLIAT
Norfolk, England
"Beethoven's 9th - Bonus track (Movement 5)"

09) Bisexual Swinger
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, USA
"The Exercist"

10) Alan George Ledergerber
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
"I like to scare myself."

11) Stirner
Almelo, The Netherlands
"digita4dictaphonia"

12) auvikogue
Ulm, Germany
"heima®t/exp - lost concert series vol. 1"

------------------------

Side B

13) mortuus auris & the black hand
New Malden, Surrey, England
"Ena Ari Nea"

14) Johnny Brewton
Pasadena, California, USA
"Frequency Oblique No.001"

15) Master/Slave Relationship
Los Angeles, California, USA
"Give"

16) Big Sugar Victorious
Seffner, Florida, USA
"So Pissed Off"

17) EGG
Pasadena, California, USA
"Transmutations in Juarez"

18) Vultures
London, England
"Attacked By Plastic Spiders"

19) Ecoute La Merde
Lavancia, France
"Le Grand Guignol"

20) Lindsey Leepe
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
"Skyward Celebration"

21) Retarded Children
Novorossiysk and Saint Petersburg, Russia
"Support Service"

22) Raw Mummy
Nagasaki, Japan
"A straw and water"

23) William Wesley & The Tiny Sockets
Pounding Mill, Virginia, USA
"Wisdom Teeth"

three more Dictaphonia submissions - from Novorossiysk, Nagasaki, and Pounding Mill

Today when I got home from work I found three packages containing contributions for the Dictaphonia project:

70) Retarded Children

Novorossiysk and Saint Petersburg, Russia

"Support Service"

71) Raw Mummy

Nagasaki, Japan

"a straw and water"

72) William Wesley & The Tiny Sockets

Pounding Mill, Virginia, USA

"Wisdom Teeth"

Yesterday I worked on the master of Dictaphonia 3. After receiving these three tracks the third volume might be full, or I might have room for one more track. I will know in a few days when I add these three submissions to the master. This coming weekend I will create the artwork and start making tape copies. I also will publish mp3s of Dictaphonia 2 very soon. It is my plan to mail out the first contributor's copies of Dictaphonia 3 on Monday, July 20. 

Hal McGee announces new Wire Recorder compilation project

You are invited to contribute to my new Wire Recorder compilation project! Keep your submission to less than 360 feet in length (approx. 109 meters). Deadline for the project was November 1, 1948.

proposal for Dictaphonia Fest

I am working on setting up a Dictaphonia Fest in early November.

My friend Chris Miller and I went and had coffee at The Laboratory last evening. The Laboratory is a new cafe that just opened up here in Gainesville - they serve coffee, beer, wine, and gourmet sandwiches. We discussed numerous things with Larry Bruce, the proprietor. He calls himself "Chief Scientist" and wears a lab coat. When I pitched the idea of a microcassette-based show he seemed to like the idea!

I am going to propose Saturday, November 7th to him.

The idea in a nutshell, for now, is that I will invite only participants in the Dictaphonia project to come to Gainesville to perform at the show.

Performers must use microcassette in their performances and it must be a prominent part of the sound. The artists will be asked to perform short sets of under nine minutes.

Interesting, eh? I say interesting because I think it will be a real challenge to the the performers - in most cases the Dictaphonia artists used microcassette to RECORD what they were doing. This performance idea challenges them to use that machine as a performance instrument - to process sound with it, or whatever, however. Other than to stipulate that the performers "must use microcassette in their performances and it must be a prominent part of the sound" I won't give any further direction... other than to urge them to use minimal (and preferably lo tech) gear, with quick setup and breakdown times. It is my hope that the performers will do more than just play back a microcassette tape while they make other sounds, but at a bare minimum that would be acceptable.

I am also considering using only small guitar amplifiers, and I am CONSIDERING stipulating that everybody play through the same small amps that I will supply. Oh, and one more thing - this won't be billed as a Noise show - I prefer the term experimental music (or audio art). I am not sure yet, but I might bill it as a showcase of microcassette art.

It will probably be produced under the "Hal McGee presents" banner.