Tiny Mix Tapes

Various Artists - These Carbon​-​Composite Poles Are Made For Walkin’ These Carbon​-​Composite Poles Are Made For Walkin’

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I’ve always preferred walking, as this footage from my childhood illustrates:

Thanks, then to Strategic Tape Reserve, the label based in Neuenbrook, Germany, for asking the following question on behalf of the sport-walking enthusiast: “But the music … where’s the music?” Sure, it’s easy to open your front door, carbon-composite walking poles in hand (because why wouldn’t you have those?), and head out into the beautiful crisp morning for a lengthy jaunt through the countryside. But all that noise! Birds, breeze, automobiles on distant roads — intolerable. Now we finally have, in cassette and digital form, the perfect musical accompaniment for outdoor walking.

Hoping to popularize the “premier low-velocity pole sport” originated by the Norse, Strategic Tape Reserve has compiled a who’s who of artists “working in a variety of styles from ambient to folk to glitchy noise techno and nearly everything in between.” The pastoral ambience of Qualchan. morphs into the clattering videogamery of moduS ponY, while the Tuesday Night Machines dabble in glitchy darkwave and VLK rips through a plunderphonic whirlwind. See? “Nearly everything in between.”

These Carbon-Composite Poles Are Made for Walkin’ draws heavily from the “stunningly influential” Jock Jams series, if not in content then at least in concept. It will be your constant companion through all of your mildly athletic feats. “No hillock is too steep and no 5k Rundgang is too long when you’ve got the power of song.”* Anything goes here, strolling friends — anything.

Well, almost anything.

*This promo text is just too good — I can’t help quoting it.