About
Memory Tapes is the project of New Jersey based Dayve Hawk, a one man operation where he writes, produces and plays absolutely everything himself. That DIY approach has led to some genuinely surprising sonic choices: the track "Bicycle" features a bicycle pump, while "Green Knight" builds its texture around the sound of sneakers squeaking on a basketball court. His debut LP Seek Magic came out in 2009 and shifted over 30,000 copies, with touchstones ranging from New Order to Cocteau Twins and a lot of dance driven rhythm work holding it all together. He came up during the chillwave moment but never really stayed pinned to that label. Each record takes its own direction: Player Piano went for what Hawk described as "psychedelic girl group music", aiming for a fuller band sound, and his third album Grace/Confusion arrived in late 2012. Before Memory Tapes he fronted the Philadelphia act Hail Social, and he also released early material under the names Memory Cassette and Weird Tapes.