Memory Tapes

Memory Tapes
Also known asMemory Cassette, Weird Tapes
Born
Dayve Hawk

1981 (age 44–45)[1]
New Jersey, United States
GenresChillwave,[2] glo-fi[3]
OccupationsSinger-songwriter, record producer
Years active2008–present
LabelsSomething in Construction, Carpark Records, Sincerely Yours, Acéphale, Inertia Records
Websitememorytapes.bandcamp.com

Dayve Hawk (born 1981), better known by his stage name Memory Tapes, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer, and the former frontman of the Philadelphia-based band, Hail Social.

Career

Memory Cassette / Weird Tapes: Early EPs (2008–2009)

Hawk first began releasing material under the names "Memory Cassette" and "Weird Tapes", releasing three EPs under these monikers: The Hiss We Missed, Rewind Whilst Sleeping, and Call & Response between in 2008 and 2009.[4]

Seek Magic (2009–2010)

Hawk's first album as "Memory Tapes" entitled, Seek Magic, was released on August 24, 2009 through the labels: Something in Construction, Sincerely Yours, and Acéphale.[5] The album's artwork features a painting titled "Mirage" by American artist Tomory Dodge.[6]

The album sold over 1,000 copies on pre-release through Rough Trade, and has since sold over 30,000 copies.[7] The CD release of Seek Magic was bundled with a four-track bonus disc including a remix by The Horrors and a 22-minute instrumental, "Treeship", which could also be downloaded from his website for free.[8] The Quietus commented on the album's only single, "Bicycle", saying, "It’s a neat trick, alright: a song to make you look back on 2009 with a bittersweet sigh before the year is even out".[9] Pitchfork equally described the album as, "a record of achingly gorgeous dance-pop that captures both the joy of nostalgia and the melancholic sense that we're grasping for good times increasingly out of reach".[10]

Hawk toured Seek Magic from January to March 2010 across Europe and North America.[11]

Player Piano (2011)

Hawk's second album, Player Piano, was released on July 5, 2011 via Something in Construction in Europe, Carpark Records in the U.S. and Inertia in Australia.[12] He was quoted as saying it would be "psychedelic girl group music". The music on the album reflected more of a "band" sound than his previous works, and also lacked their reliance on sonic saturation and obfuscation. Pitchfork described the album as "flat and airless, sucked dry of his typically evocative detailing" and gave it a mixed review, scoring it 6 out of 10.[13] BBC Music also provided a mixed review commenting, "Player Piano is a musical jacket potato: satisfying but never amazing".[14]

Hawk toured Player Piano throughout July and August 2011 in both Europe and North America.[15]

Grace / Confusion and subsequent singles (2012–2015)

Hawk released his third and most recent album, Grace / Confusion, on December 4, 2012.[16]

Hawk released a single, "Fallout" / "House on Fire" on October 25, 2015.[17]

Musical style

Hawk's work as both Memory Cassette and Memory Tapes is associated with the chillwave music genre which emerged in the late 2000s.[18] Each album has its own separate feel and instrumentation. Seek Magic used a lot of dance rhythms and sounds and had touchstones such as New Order and Cocteau Twins.

Personal life

Hawk lives in New Jersey[19] with his wife and two daughters.

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

  • The Hiss We Missed (as Memory Cassette) (2008)
  • Rewind While Sleeping (as Memory Cassette) (2008)
  • Call & Response (as Memory Cassette) (2009)
  • September (2013)

Singles

  • "Bicycle" (2009)
  • "Graphics" (Re-modal edit) (2010)
  • "Yes I Know" / "First Hills" (2011)
  • "Fallout" / "House On Fire" (2015)

References

  1. ↑ "Memory Tapes". Ticketmaster. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  2. ↑ Goble, Corban (April 1, 2011). "R.I.P., chillwave: the top 10 chillwave artists, and where they are now". The Pitch. Archived from the original on March 30, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  3. ↑ Sherburne, Phillip (January 5, 2010). "Hey Dude, You Got Chillwave In My Glo-Fi". Rhapsody. Archived from the original on March 24, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Rising: Memory Tapes/Memory Cassette/Weird Tapes". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Memory Tapes - Seek Magic Review". BBC Music. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Dodge, Tomory - Mirage". Knoxville Museum of Art. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Memory Tapes: Seek Magic | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. September 30, 2009. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Hear Memory Tapes' 22-Minute Instrumental, "Treeship" | News". Pitchfork. October 7, 2009. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Memory Tapes - Seek Magic". The Quietus. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Memory Tapes: Seek Magic Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Memory Tapes changes mind, will tour in 2010". Consequence. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Memory Tapes - Player Piano Review". BBC Music. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Memory Tapes: Player Piano". Pitchfork. July 7, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Memory Tapes - Player Piano Review". BBC Music. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Memory Tapes announce summer tour". Consequence. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  16. ↑ "WE'RE TAPES: Grace/Confusion". Weirdtapes.blogspot.ca. February 2, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Memory Tapes - Fallout / House On Fire". Carpark Records. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Deconstructing: Memory Tapes And Life Beyond Chillwave". Stereogum. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  19. ↑ Maurer, Mark (September 12, 2011). "New Jersey electronica artist Dayve Hawk builds an international following". NJ.com. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
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