“Is there an ultimate, Cyberface?”

“Oh no. But there is an ultimate goal, and this is it: Jam and Spoon.”

Ten odd years ago while I was at PGL a rave head called Dave Schnell gave me a copy of a radio broadcast by Future Sound of London. That tape, The Test Transmission, totally changed my taste in music and was the soundtrack of my life for pretty much the next five years. The flowing ambient trance, the banter between Cyberface and Yage, the fact that almost every song on there was huge but not until 7 years later and the loving fuzziness caused by repeated tape to tape copying.

Then I moved to New York, didn’t have a tape player and only got the chance to listen to it every time I went home. Bugger.

Until now…

That tape, with all its nth generation tape copy muffled loveliness, is now in MP3 form and taking pride of place on my iPod as I wander around New York. For me it is the sound of memories and I offer it to all of you who have shared that journey and so many good times:

Test Transmission

With thanks always to Dave for your mixtape generosity, wherever you are, and to all of you for everything, always.

PS, The MP3 is BIG and split into two parts (tape sides) – each ~65 meg. So if you’re not near a broadband Internet connection it will take you a looong time to get it. Sorry! Let me know and I can burn you a CD when I get a chance. Also, at some point that link will stop working as we’re decommissioning that server – so get ‘em while they’re hot!

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