Tapepack
Encyclopedia
Tapepacks are a collection of audio cassettes that feature live recordings of a music event/s. This form of distributing music is used predominantly in the Drum and Bass/Jungle
& Happy hardcore
scene in the UK
.
Usually tapepacks are pre-recorded with a "live" recording of a dance DJ set. This set is generally mastered from a DAT tape that was recorded at the live event, reproduced in large numbers & distributed to the masses through Independent Record shops, via mail order and at the next event held by the promoter.
These items began life as a by-product of the burgeoning "acid house
rave
scene" in the UK, and became a great merchandising tool for the promoters & a powerful and important way of spreading the word of this new music around the country and further afield.
Organizations such as Fantazia, Helter Skelter, Dreamscape
, Amnesia House, and many more were early pioneers of this type of merchandising product.
Initially the tapes were only single cassettes but as time progressed and their popularity grew, more tapes were compiled and sold together. Early on 1 to 2 tapes were found in a pack. By 1993 4 & 8 pack boxes were being produced in large numbers. By late 1995 promoters such as Dreamscape were using 12 tape boxes to cover their large events. In recent years some even included DVD
s and CDs as a bonus.
Nowadays the tapepack is in decline due to the much greater use of CD packs within the dance music scene but there are a great many numbers of collectors who trawl sites such as eBay
looking for these tapes.
Many promoters sell their merchandise on sites liketapepacksuperstore.com
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
& Happy hardcore
Happy hardcore
Happy hardcore, also known as happycore, is a genre of music typified by a very fast tempo , often coupled with solo vocals and sentimental lyrics. Its characteristically 4/4 beat "happy" sound distinguishes it from most other forms of hardcore techno, which tend to be "darker". It is typically in...
scene in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Usually tapepacks are pre-recorded with a "live" recording of a dance DJ set. This set is generally mastered from a DAT tape that was recorded at the live event, reproduced in large numbers & distributed to the masses through Independent Record shops, via mail order and at the next event held by the promoter.
These items began life as a by-product of the burgeoning "acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
scene" in the UK, and became a great merchandising tool for the promoters & a powerful and important way of spreading the word of this new music around the country and further afield.
Organizations such as Fantazia, Helter Skelter, Dreamscape
Dreamscape
Dreamscape may refer to:In music:* "Dreamscape", a 2006 song by 009 Sound System, a project by Alexander Perls*Dreamscape, a 1995 Jamaaladeen Tacuma album* Dreamscape, a 2009 album by Gil Mantera's Party Dream...
, Amnesia House, and many more were early pioneers of this type of merchandising product.
Initially the tapes were only single cassettes but as time progressed and their popularity grew, more tapes were compiled and sold together. Early on 1 to 2 tapes were found in a pack. By 1993 4 & 8 pack boxes were being produced in large numbers. By late 1995 promoters such as Dreamscape were using 12 tape boxes to cover their large events. In recent years some even included DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s and CDs as a bonus.
Nowadays the tapepack is in decline due to the much greater use of CD packs within the dance music scene but there are a great many numbers of collectors who trawl sites such as eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
looking for these tapes.
Many promoters sell their merchandise on sites like