Dig through the noise.
📼 How to Build a Bootlog
Filed by L. Wren, reluctantly, after realizing there were seven versions of the same live tape and all of them mislabeled.
Bootlog (n.)
A DIY catalog used to track the chaos of underground tape culture.
Also known as: The Bootgospel, The Ghostlist, or That Crumpled Sheet in Derek’s Backpack
🎧 Purpose
- Track which live shows were recorded
- Note who has which copies
- Identify lost or mislabeled tapes
- Determine which version has the best non-horrible bass bleed
- Start fights about what “counts”
🛠️ Materials Needed
- One notebook, preferably stained
- A pencil (erasers discouraged — write with conviction)
- Duct tape
- At least one cassette with a barely readable J-card
- Trust issues
🧾 What to Log
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Show Date: | 11.06.93 |
| Venue: | The Spill (back room) |
| Taper: | “Kyle’s cousin (???)” |
| Known Tracks: | Wallshine, Some Space (false start), Downvent Jam #3 |
| Sound Quality: | “Okay until the drum solo, then kind of underwater” |
| Notable Moments: | “Dirk climbs amp stack. Dylan says ‘Don’t encourage him.’” |
| Copies Known: | 3.5 (one has side B taped over with voicemail) |
📎 Pro Tips
- If someone says they have the “unmixed master,” they’re lying
- Bootlogs are personal. Respect bad handwriting
- Double entries are fine. Contradictions are part of the culture
- Never trust a version labeled “clean.” It isn’t
🧷 Suggested Annotations
- ⚠️ “Tape ghosting after 2nd chorus”
- 🕯️ “Pre-Jace tribute moment”
- 🎙️ “Tirefire voice bleed (unclear)”
- 💬 “Unknown shout at 0:42 — maybe Derek?”
“If you have a good bootlog, you’ve already forgotten what’s real.”
— Scribbled in the margin of a NBR radio flyer
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