Make your own                                            
          _  __       _                                 _     
 ___  ___| |/ _|     | |__  _   _ _ __  _ __   ___  ___(_)___ 
/ __|/ _ \ | |_ _____| '_ \| | | | '_ \| '_ \ / _ \/ __| / __|
\__ \  __/ |  _|_____| | | | |_| | |_) | | | | (_) \__ \ \__ \
|___/\___|_|_|       |_| |_|\__, | .__/|_| |_|\___/|___/_|___/
                            |___/|_|                          
 _                                                            
| |_ __ _ _ __   ___  ___                                     
| __/ _` | '_ \ / _ \/ __|                                    
| || (_| | |_) |  __/\__ \                                    
 \__\__,_| .__/ \___||___/    /\                                
         |_|                  \/                                   
                                                               
by Celeste L'Orbesia

        /\      /\               /\                      /\
        \/      \/     /\        \/          /\          \/
 /\                    \/                    \/       /\
 \/ ________-------________------___________          \/
   /  ___    ____    ________   __________  \
  |  /   \  /____\  /________\_/________  \  \     /\
  | |   / \ |     |/                    \  | |     \/
   ||  |   \|                 |          | | |  /\
   ||  |     _____|_________________     | | |  \/           /\
    |  |    |  ___   \       /| __  |    | ||            /\  \/
   ||  |    | /   \   |     / /   \ |    |  | /\         \/
    |  |    | \___/   |     \ \___/ |    | ||/  \    /\
    |  |    |________/_______\|_____|    |  |    \  /  \
   ||  |_________________________________| ||  /\ \/    \/\
    |       _________________________       | /  \/     /  \
    | /\   /      o           o      \      |          /    \/\
 /\ |/  \_/  o                      o \_____|    
/  \/    \-----------------------------                   
          \    /\    /\    /\    /\    /\    /\    /\    /\
           \__/  \__/  \__/  \__/  \__/  \__/  \__/  \__/  \
____________________________________________________________|
 
One day I found myself in possession of an odd cassette tape titled "EASY 
WEIGHT: Zonder diet naar een natuurlijk gewicht", an eccentric self-help tape 
promoting weight loss through hypnosis. I came across it one afternoon while 
scavenging the local thrift store and was drawn by its DIY vibe and insert 
notes informing that it was a production of a Dutch non-profit organisation 
researching and promoting hypnosis for medical purposes, including for 
treating fibromyalgia. Although the tape is pure exploitation, it has some 
interesting musical qualities as well as a DIY attitude to it.
 
The tape has some connections with the synthesizer new age ambient world. 
Underlying the tape's narration is a belief that the unconscious can also be 
manipulated for medical purposes such a pain management and weight loss 
through music, through entrancing slow and pulsating melodies and guided 
visualizations.
 
The internet is full of hypnotherapy aids, including innumerable 10-hour 
videos and playlists on youtube. But before the age of youtube, a market 
existed for self-hypnosis and guided meditation or subliminal persuasion 
cassette tapes.
 
But, why not make your very own exploitation tape?
 
First, decide what kind of self-help tape you want to make. Stress and 
anxiety? Positive reinforcement? Quit smoking? Become a better lover? Weight 
loss? Sleep better?
 
Once you've established your exploitative goal, choose your synth(s). Ideally 
choose one or two synths for a more focused sound and recording process. An 
FM synth or rudimentary keyboard would do the trick. Decide whether you want 
to record one long track, or several shorter ones. Then, start with a slow, 
repetitive and entrancing melody to initiate the hypnosis state and build the 
narrative, which should be punctual and slow. Spice it up with some extra wow 
and flutter, which you can easily simulate by quickly turning the rate on a 
delay pedal, pitch pending or using the smackos tape simulator. For the 
format, you can for instance record one side of the tape for day time 
hypnosis and the other side for the night time, or record the same track(s) 
on both sides of the tape for longer or repetitive listening.
 
Don't forget the tape artwork and tape inlay, where you can invent the name 
of fake organisation or medical institution and real-life testimonies of 
people whose lives have been transformed forever by the tape!

HERE IS A LINK TO a recording of THE EASYWEIGHT tape!
https://soundcloud.com/dimgarden/easy-weight-zonder-dieet-naar-een-natuurlijk-gewicht-1989-90

C.L


----------------------------------------------------------------------

SEASONAL GREETINGS !!!                             ____
                                                  | |  |
                          ________________________|_|  |     _______
                         /\                      _\    |    /       \
                        /  \  _\   _\  _________       \   / _______ \
                       /    \             | ___ |   _\  \  \  |\__/| /
           \  \       /      \    _\  _\  ||_|_||      _\\  \_\____//
        ___|___|     /        \           ||_|_||  | _\   \   \ . . \
       /    oo \    /          \   _\   _\=======      _\  \   \     \
      /    _____/  /____________\___________________________\  / . . /
     /     |||||\__ |           |                          |   \     \
    /  \   ||||| \ \____ ____   |        ______________    |   /   /\ \
   /    \___     /    _/ ___ |  |       |((((((( _ ((/\|   |  /   / / /
   \        \   /_____/ |_|_||  |       |_ ((((|| |(/o.|   __/   / / /
   /         \ /    |  ||_|_||  |       |_|((((/   /. o|  /.   . \ \ \_
  /            \    |  |     |  |       |__\___\__/__ _|_/        \ \__\
 /   /         /____|  |     |  |                 ___/    .  .     \
 \   \_____    \    |__|_____|__|________________/.   .   .      __/
  \________\__\ \_                            __/       __       \__
              \___\                          /_________/  \_________\


Don't forget to let monsters in on Christmas eve!