I haven’t got any statistics to back this up, but I’m comfortable guessing that tape enthusiasts are put to a more constant battery of interrogation than most other hobbyists. I guess for the skeptic it’s not enough that we simply like the cassette (in the way that, say, someone might simply like model trains) - we have to have a specific and coherent rationale for the preference. Why not vinyl, if tangibility and cover art are such a factor? Why not CDs, the happy medium between portability and physicality? I think the root of this incessant questioning is actually positive - everyone cares about music. Everyone. So where it’s easy to dismiss model trains as a peculiar and unrelatable fancy, a mode of music consumption is going to be picked to pieces.

Me, I could (and have) wax philosophic about the physical, spiritual, mental, metaphysical benefits of tapes ‘til the proverbial cows come home. I’m sure anyone who cares enough to read this could. And that’s fantastic. What’s even better, however, is when we don’t have to say a word, because a particular cassette does that job for us. Enter CСЧБОΓG ΣΘΣ and Jade Badger.

Physically, the tape is fantastic. The card is glossy and heavy and is as lurid as its comic book cover inspiration. Inside there’s also a flap with an info-card describing Cobra, complete with cut-out lines (protip: keep this thing in tact, or buy a second copy if you must). On the inside is a pure white tape with transparent bottom and hand-drawn red marks. Very clean, very pretty.

As if that weren’t enough, the Hexagram 63 actually comes in two editions. The first (advertised as 'Side A’ on bandcamp though the physical cassette is the same) is a wicked red-splattered black, and the insert features a cut-out Snake Eyes card.

Technically, the black one is the “American” version. That being said, I live in America and got the white one. Put otherwise, the world is yours.

The tape itself is a two-sided hip-hop beat odyssey. According to the dual-bandcamp pages, the album is a beat-tape battle between Snake Eyes (side A, The Jade Badger) and Storm Shadow(side B, Cyborg 303), encompassing romance, politics, karate, and every twist and turn imaginable, sandwiched between fuzzy bass, classic kung-fu flutes, and Wu Tang and Kill Bill samples. And it never, ever quits: far removed from the disappointing (but perhaps understandable) 7-to-10-minute beat tapes that seem to be cropping up nowadays, the entirety of this tape clocks in closer to a satisfying 45 minutes.

My favorite track so far is Interlude (Sorry Snake but flesh is weak) and one listen should tell you why. Another winner is ∇.

You don’t have to be a G.I. Joe fan. You don’t even have to be particularly into beats (though you will be by the end of the tape). Just look at the album and listen to a track or two. Both will do a far better job of recommending this tape than I can. What I do have to say is this: the next time I’m tasked with explaining my preference for cassettes, I’m going to have this one with me. And I’ll be showing, not telling.

Stream the whole thing on bandcamp, then for the love of all that is kung-fu, buy one. You’ll be doing yourself a HUGE favor.

Side A: http://snake-eyes-606.bandcamp.com/album/hexagram-63-side-a-snake-eyes

Side B: http://cyborg303.bandcamp.com/album/hexagram-63



A final note: I bought the tape from the second link above, and I think the tape shipped from France. I’m not sure where the first one ships from, but it’s something to keep in mind (if you’re not buying for the physical tape color itself). Happy battling, y'all.