MUSIC: (Short sequence of musical beeps) (Pacey baseline) (Two-step drum beat)
Talia Randall:
Welcome to Cassette Tape Radio, if you don’t know me by now I’m your host Talia Randall. How you doing? Today’s show is all about the bizarre, embarrassing, inexplicable notes that I’ve found in my phone, and various notebooks.
I’m not talking about long chunks of prose or deep excerpts from a diary or journal. I’m talking about random words and sentences that are just on their own, in the middle of a blank page, in a half empty notebook. Ideas or phrases I’ve written to myself but that have absolutely no context, like I’m supposed to know exactly what I meant when I wrote it down. I have literally tonnes of these.
Do you do this? Please let me know I’m not the only one babes. Message me on insta for reassurance yeh? Anyway, its short and sweet episode – I hope enjoy it.
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A sudden pang of memory – yesterday I wrote something incredible, what was it? I rush back through the pages of my notebook only to find the words:
- Bingo
- Couscous
My pocket buzzes with calendar reminders that simply say:
- Biscuits and juice – not a shopping list
- I have been bitten by a dog – in my mind
Scribbled observations that matter to literally no one:
- The woman is holding a sign that said ‘teach me’
- Look at the pigeons with their sex beef
Questions to myself:
- Is recombobulate a word?
- A thought! How much of myself is borrowed?
- Can you be born nostalgic?
- I wonder how many people have hated themselves for ordering the babychino?
- What is the numerology of busses?
- Does Cotton Eye Joe get really annoyed at people always asking him where he comes from?
I find individual poem ideas that occupy entire blank pages with no other words next to them:
- Write a poem about tracker bars
- The margarine poem remember
- Bag of poo poem
- PTSD acrostic poem
These must be ideas for bigger projects – deep and meaningful:
- C-rock. Rock music for people in who wear crocs
- Fistful of wotsits: a memoir
- Roadie Steady Cook – recipes for people on the road
Are these potential stage names?
- Dj Djembe
- Cocaine enema
- Hefty ballerina
Sometimes I stop, mid conversation at a party “I have an idea”. I clumsily thumb myself a note in my phone, wide-eyed, jaw swaying. Next morning I find it and it says:
- All you need to know is that mayonnaise is the king of the evening
These must be sweet reassurances to myself:
- Remember if no one comes its ok
- Get your shit together and smile more
But some are pure, context less jargon, existing on my own in my notes app. A little up yours to any sense or logic
- Jazz!
- Idea! People hugging
Maybe that all they want. Just to exist as they are, in their own right, free from any tether or explanation:
- Remember the secret snake skin (no)
- Maggots can be funny too you know
- Just a jumble of brain farts
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(jingle fades in)
Thanks for listening to the show today. This is you reminder that Cassette Tape Radio is a mixtape style podcast – each episode is totally different to the next – there’s comedy, poetry, strange bits of writing like today’s show. There are also interviews with some incredibly talented artists. Listen back to see what I mean.
The podcast is an experiment, an open sketchbook so let me know if you’re listening, and what you think of the show, my DMs are open and I’d honestly love to hear from you.
All the episodes are transcribed too – that’s available at my website taliarandall.com so please share that with anyone who wants or needs to read instead of hear.
Cassette Tape Radio is written & presented by me, Talia Randall, music & audio by Jamie Payne. Catch you next time.
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