Comments on: "Anything is possible at Royal Mail"

"Anything is possible at Royal Mail"

sleepcrime — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:42:08 -0800

Dictaphone Parcel. Lauri Warsta put a tape recorder inside a box, set it recording, sealed up the box, sent it from London to Finland through the post, then animated the captured audio. Previously

By: carpenter

carpenter — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:51:25 -0800

Intriguing. A wonderful work of art.

By: beagle

beagle — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:52:38 -0800

Wow, I haven't seen reel-to-reel in about 30 years. It would be cool to add a GPS view of the locations to something like this.

By: klapaucius

klapaucius — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:58:10 -0800

Janek Schaefer did something a lot like this.

By: zsazsa

zsazsa — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:14:58 -0800

Something tells me this wasn't actually recorded with a reel-to-reel dictaphone just put loose inside a box (physical damage, tape length, battery life, etc). There's a lot of artistic license here.

By: oneswellfoop

oneswellfoop — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:18:47 -0800

Having once worked with reel-to-reel tape (radio 1970s/1980s), I can definitively state that was NOT recorded that way. I am more than a little disappointed that it only included one snippet of overheard conversation; the street noise and box-dropping sounds do NOT a narrative make.

By: zippy

zippy — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:20:53 -0800

One: put a 'phone in a box.

By: Bathtub Bobsled

Bathtub Bobsled — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:29:18 -0800

Something tells me this wasn't actually recorded with a reel-to-reel dictaphone just put loose inside a box (physical damage, tape length, battery life, etc). There's a lot of artistic license here. Technically, he could get 25 hours of battery life using Sony's Alkaline batteries, but that would qualify as hazardous material in the US. Don't know about Europe, though. The bigger concern is tape length. Ideally, in tape length he had up to 12 hrs and 48 min, but judging by the audio, I can assure you it wasn't recorded at 2 inches per second (technically 1 7/8", but I've always rounded it). Plus, that reel at the beginning was 7". So, he only had 6:24 which, again, sound degradation would have been very apparent. But we'd be overthinking this, wouldn't we?

By: filthy light thief

filthy light thief — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:03:17 -0800

Sadly, the Previously post includes a site that now hosts malicious software (Google diagnostic of didntyouhear.com).

By: nickrussell

nickrussell — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:24:20 -0800

That's brilliant... reminds me of the London soundscapes

By: empath

empath — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:36:49 -0800

Is recording people without their consent legal in the UK and finland?

By: L'Estrange Fruit

L'Estrange Fruit — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 17:02:37 -0800

I love it, but I did have the same skepticism of the recording equipment. Still perfectly enjoyable as a perfect fiction.

By: davebush

davebush — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 18:24:51 -0800

GEORGE:That's all there was. And yet, it speaks volumes. A low rumple. A metallic 'squink.' A 'glonk.' Someone crying out..."Dear God!" Let's start with, uh...with you, Wyck. WYCK: George, Quinn here was moving a chair...he lost his balance and dropped it...it must have fallen on your briefcase, which, for some reason, contained a running tape recorder?

By: yiftach

yiftach — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 22:40:30 -0800

I'm so glad I watched the video before reading the comments and having the more cynical/pedantic among you harsh my buzz. This was just cool. I don't care if it was what it claimed to be on the ~~tin~~ repurposed FedEx box.