J-card design for the Posterboy Mixtape
Posterboy Mixtape Spring 2023 J-card

Posterboy Mixtape: Sixty Minutes of Instrumental Cuts and Headnod Jazz

While the audio cassette has enjoyed a niche revival, it simply can not recreate the culture that it once engendered. The act of lending, tape swapping, and recording duplicates was standard for countless informal peer groups. Mixtapes were a part of this broader cassette culture, and often enjoyed particular appreciation among enthusiasts. The playback of adjacent tracks gave listeners a way to consume a curated selection outside of demo, ep, and lp formats. Irrespective of one’s approach, most would likely agree that when either side of a cassette reaches the end, its final track ought to be a neat fit, and not abruptly cut or split.

Being that cassette culture flourished before the internet, the tracklist was not insignificant. For a listener interested in hearing more, knowing the artist and track title might be the only tangible lead. Usually visible through the transparent plastic case, the tracklist was typically written on the j-card. Beyond its practical function, this folded card is where many would attempt to make every cassette recognisable at a glance. Like amateur musicians who recorded live sessions to cassette, the mixtape embodied a DIY ethic, and personalised the sharing of music.

ArtistTrackTime
DJ MuggsLiquid Diamonds00:00
TeebsShells03:14
OhblivRaw Zeta05:42
Rejoicer feat. Sefi ZislingYesterday’s Forest Magic07:33
MedlineLa Planète Sauvage10:56
Prefuse 73Vikings Invade the Mediterranean But Don’t Leave15:50
Jahari Massamba UnitHommage À La Vielle Garde (Pour Lafarge Et Rinaldi)16:47
Stimulator JonesLa Mano21:22
Free The RobotsKaduwa25:43
Hidden OrchestraFirst Light (Nostalgia 77 Remix)28:29
AmmoncontactGood Life to Groove Merchant31:41
Karriem RigginsCia35:35
DabryeNova38:42
ShigetoField Day41:50
Flying LotusBlack Balloons Reprise (Instrumental)45:40
MadlibGat Damn (Instrumental)48:15
KnxwledgeMakeitliveforever50:58
Perched on the number 23, a lapwing bird holds a compact cassette tape in its beak.
Posterboy Mixtape 2023