"Cassette Tape of Memories"

Hello.
This is Aoyagi.

This column is about the memorable cassette tapes that I briefly touched on at the end of my previous article .

This is a story of memories, so please bear with me.


When I was in high school, I often went to Tatsumakido , a cultural shop beloved by locals located about a five-minute walk from Nagaoka Station in my hometown of Niigata.


The store was packed with records, cassette tapes, clothes, incense, art pieces, and more.


In the midst of all this, one cassette tape really caught my eye.
DJ ANDO 's "WALK AROUND".





The jacket design was so cool that I picked it up right away.
(I reacted to it without knowing at the time, but later found out that the cover sampled Miles Davis.)

The moment I saw the track list on the back, I knew I had to buy it.


I left the store and rode my bike with excitement in my heart, and as soon as I got home I closed the door and put a cassette in the radio cassette player.

When you press the play button, side A starts spinning and the beat plays from the speakers.



"Wow, that's crazy."



The moment the music started playing, I was completely captivated.

Each song is fresh and it feels like you're being taken to a world you've never seen before.

Before I knew it, I was repeating it so many times that I thought the tape might wear out.



A few days later, I went to Tatsumakido again.



As usual, I stepped into the store, which was filled with the scent of incense, and without hesitation, I bought Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 of the same series.





My encounter with this mixtape was one of the reasons why I wanted to make my own mixtape.


From then on, I really wanted a turntable, so I got a part-time job at my dad's construction company for two weeks during the summer vacation of my first year of high school.

From morning until night, they carry concrete and assemble timber under the scorching sun.

My first work experience was extremely tough, and I got blisters on my hands and my whole body was aching, but the sense of accomplishment and joy I felt when I received my paycheck after two weeks of part-time work is still a fond memory.


With my first paycheck, I bought a turntable and a record, and the moment I dropped the needle on it for the first time, I was so happy.


When I listen to "WALK AROUND" again now, memories of that time come back to me.

Below is the track list.
If you find a song that interests you, I encourage you to give it a listen.