Tiny Mix Tapes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tiny Mix Tapes (or tinymixtapes) is a music webzine which regularly provides professional reviews of newly relased albums. The site focuses on new independent music and related news. Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven [1] and hosted on GeoCities, the site moved to its current domain in 2001. The site has received press attention for its "automatic mix tape generator", a feature that creates online mix tapes on reader request. Tiny Mix Tapes is also a featured reviewer on Metacritic.
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[edit] Description
The writing staff are volunteers, and are disguised from the outside world by using monikers to hide their real names. The editor-in-chief is Mr P, while Grant Purdum handles the managing of the editing. The News, Music Reviews, Automatic Mixtape Generator, Delorean, Concerts, Articles, Interviews and Tours are handled by Matt Weir, Jay, Trillian, Charles Ubaghs, Leah, Nicolemc99, Leveer and Katiedid respectively [2].
The site was redesigned in December 2006. It now contains advertisements.
[edit] Features
Tiny Mix Tapes offers a variety of content, including music reviews and news. The "DeLorean" [3] section reviews music released before Tiny Mix Tapes began that may no longer be popular, albums that the writer believes "classic" or influential, or music that is significant to the writer.
Similarly, "Eureka" [4] consists of reviews of music that resonated with an individual writer. These tend to be underground avant-garde or experimental musicians, but there are no requirements that it be as such.
There is also a section devoted to interviews, and an accompanying concert section where the writers review any concerts they have attended.
[edit] The Automatic Mix Tape Generator
The site's defining trait, the Automatic Mix Tape Generator [5], was created to offer a personal contribution to the site. Started in 2002, readers think up a title or the theme for a mixtape, and a group of volunteers called the "Mixtape Robots" will compile a track list. Due to the increasing volume of requests as well as a hatred for "Songs to get over the girl" mixtapes, not all requests are filled, although occasionally certain titles will have multiple track lists.
Mix tapes are generated by a dedicated group of volunteers who have a sizable range in both age and musical taste. These 'robots', as they are referred to, create mixtapes that center on various themes/ideas offered by the general public. The AMG robots produce playlists fulfilling the request as they interpret it. Mixtape track lists are then available up on the website, along with the significantly sized archives. Most of the songs on the mix tapes come from indie or underground bands/musicians. Mainstream music can and is usually incorporated into the tapes when suitable, though often with a sense of irony.
When the site was redesigned in December 2006, the AMG disappeared. It "ran away", according to Trillian, and was replaced by a fondue recipe. In January 2007, the Automatic Mixtape Generator went back online with the most recent batch of mixtapes from several months ago. Requests are currently being taken for new ones.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- The Guardian: "The Guide: www.tinymixtapes.com/amg", by Johnny Dee, June 4, 2005
- Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC): "The mix has been nixed!", by Alexander Morrison, February 13, 2005
- Concord Monitor (NH): "Mixtape madness", by Vanessa Valdes, June 16, 2006
- Malay Mail (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia): "Playlist", September 21, 2005
