Spinner RPM: Cassettes Won't Listen

Posted on Feb 21st 2008 2:30PM by Mike Spinella
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Brooklyn's one-man-band Cassettes Won't Listen -- aka Jay Drake -- has been making waves by delicately threading together ambient, electro, trip-hop and indie sounds. Drake has also remixed the likes of Midlake, EL-P and Morcheeba -- all artists that are somehow reflected in his own music. Meanwhile, by day, Drake is the director of marketing at for iconic indie hip-hop label Definitive Jux.

"Tons of coffee and not much sleep," Drake tells Spinner of how he's able to balance two full-time careers. "Working for a company that is run by artists makes my lifestyle that much easier to understand."

Drake is also known for a series of notable cover songs from '90s indie icons, ranging from Liz Phair to Pavement on a free digital EP called 'One Alternative.' "I like to cover the songs that inspire me to make music," he says. "Also, when I listen to a song and can hear a completely different version, thats when I choose to cover it or remix it." [Free Download]

Operating alone has its challenges and advantages. "When I moved back to song-writing after a few years of working on production exclusively, I realized that I worked much better alone than I did with other band members," Drake says. "Not to say that I don't work well with others, but it was nice to sit at home with no pressure to keep up with other musicians. Plus, I don't have to deal with firing anyone from the band or breaking up. I can't play all of the instruments at once. I'm approaching my live shows more as an electronic musician/DJ, so I'm able to work with loops and samples while also working with looping pedals and live instruments."

Embracing the Internet, Drake has attracted most of his attention with digital releases. And, using some of the knowledge he's acquired Def Jux, Drake understands, above all, organic growth in today's uncertain industry. "It is very expensive to self-release a record by yourself if you want to do it right," he says. "I used the digital releases as a way to get the music out there without paying tons of money on physical product. It's the same reason why the music industry is headed in the direction it is. Physical product is expensive and digital costs nothing. You can take the money you'd spend on pressing up your CD and hire a publicist or radio promoter instead."

His latest effort, 'Small-Time Machine,' will surface both digitally and physically on March 11. Meanwhile, Drake put together a DJ mix previewing some tracks from 'Machine,' along with some of his remixes.

Cassettes Won't Listen, 'Small Answering Machine' Mixtape

Cassettes Won't Listen, 'Paper Float' * [Download MP3]
Midlake, 'Young Bride' (CWL Remix)
Cassettes Won't Listen, 'The Sidewalk Cruise' *
El-P, 'Flyentology' feat. Trent Reznor (CWL remix)
Cassettes Won't Listen, 'Metronomes'
Cassettes Won't Listen, 'Lunch for Breakfast'
Aesop Rock, 'None Shall Pass' (CWL remix)
Cassettes Won't Listen, 'To Have A Crush'
Cassettes Won't Listen, 'Freeze and Explode' *
Asobi Seksu, 'Strawberries' (CWL remix)
Pela, 'Lost to the Lonesome' (CWL remix)
Morcheeba, 'Everybody Loves A Loser' (CWL remix)
Outro

* From upcoming 'Small-Time Machine' album

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