Mixtape 1&2 are the first of several dictaphone recordings that were made during the writing process of La Dispute's second LP, Wildlife.

All performed and recorded by Chad Morgan-Sterenberg except for the first 20 seconds of Mixtape 1, which feature his brother, Derek.

Released as limited run of 700 on cassette for La Dispute's merchandise subscription in 12/2016. These are the only physical copies available.

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My creative process is as follows.

Wait until at least 1 am to begin playing guitar. Make sure the days tasks are as mind numbing as possible. (You would think that it would be a good thing to be inspired all day long and then pour out these inspirations through the medium of music, but no, being inspired is exhausting.) I do not write if I am under the effect of any alcohol I have consumed. I will write better on an empty stomach than on a full one. Taking my contacts out will help me feel less fatigued. I do not play loudly, but at extremely quiet volumes so as not to disturb those that are sleeping. I play everything with a tremolo on. I vary between playing with my hands, and with a pick. I do not discriminate against what comes out of my playing; if I play something I will record at least a snippet of it, even if it doesn’t make sense to me. It is better for the temperature to be mild, so that I can play without a shirt and be comfortable without sweating too much. I will play until 4 am, and that is my cutoff, at that point it is time for bed. If I am feeling fatigued before that time I will quit early. I do not like to play while I am tired. Something needs to be recorded during every session, so as to keep productivity high. At least a twenty minute tape should be able to be produced every week. I can take any day off I choose, but only if I am away from home, or under the effect of alcohol, but this should not be a common occurrence. If I am at home and have no desire to play, I must still play. The lack of desire will quickly be dissolved shortly after I begin playing. I must not think about anything outside of playing during playing hours, so as to keep distractions to a minimum. Parts can be repeated from tape to tape, but only if the part has progressed enough to justify the repetition. Recordings should be a mixture of spontaneous ideas and premeditated ideas, the former so that new ideas are not forgotten, and the latter so that old ideas find context within the new. Parts should not be repeated until they are (what I think as) perfect, they are recorded as is. Fixing them will only degrade the piece’s original intentions. Realizing what was meant to be played is much simpler than remembering a singular, instinctive occurrence that gives a part its definition. Rewinding is only accepted to listen back to a recorded part or to choose a new starting point for the next recording. Any recorded part must not be erased in its entirety but it may be shortened if it seems necessary to do so. If there is material already on the tape before I begin recording, it may be preserved if it is done so intentionally. Space may be left at the end of the tape even if there is more recording time left. It will be clear when a tape is finished. Plenty of water should be consumed to combat the ill effects of headaches, but not so much that I must relieve myself during a session, as that would be a distraction. Ideally the excess water will be sweat out, and if I am not sweating I am not playing hard enough. Sitting and standing are both accepted postures, but they should be alternated to minimize the cramps of sitting and the fatigue of standing. The lights should be dimmed considerably, but not so much that I am unable to see what I am playing, or that I am unable to adequately control the buttons of the recorder. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, (…portion removed by author...) I must remove my socks before playing; otherwise everything that comes out will be absolute garbage. Cheers.

7/31/10