The Transportica Tapes
The Transportica Tapes is a multi-media musical podcast. In the ”Transportica tapes” we listen to found-footage style audio recordings from an alternate dimension that are edited together by an unknown narrator. The audio recordings range from phone calls, to personal recordings, to drive thru windows, etc. Any form of sound that gets transformed into an electric current has been printed onto these tapes for reasons unknown. In the alternate dimension. The U.S. government was dissolved and a new government was formed in its place, called Transportica. In the 80s a war broke out between the automotive industry and the countries cyclists and pedestrians. The U.S. government backed the automotive industry, and lost. In it’s ashes a new country was formed called Transportica that banned cars, with a few regulated exceptions, and instated bike-centric infrastructure. The podcast follows a Phoenix punk band who writes a theme song for the department of bikes latest accomplishment, renovating route 66 into a super bikeway. An interstate tunnel made for long distance biking. Unknown to the band, the department of bike has decided, based off the merits of their song, to recruit the band to spy on the business dealings of car-loving CEO billionaire, Lonnie Muscle the Muskrat. There has been rumors that he has been making plans to destroy the nations bike-centric infrastructure to reinstate cars as the main form of travel. The band will be sent on an impromptu west coast tour as a guise to investigate these rumors and put a stop to Lonnies plans. Along with podcast, there is a companion zine made for each episode. It is called The Transportica File. https://substack.com/@thetransporticatapes?r=39ryln&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page
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Episodes
Wednesday Feb 05, 2025
Wednesday Feb 05, 2025
In The Transportica's Tapes first minisode we meet the last pigeon in Phoenix, named Igmy. In this episode we listen to the private tapes he recorded as he investigates what happened to all the pigeons. This episode was written and voiced by Ben Schifano and mixed and mastered by Dean Simpson
Sunday Jan 05, 2025
Sunday Jan 05, 2025
In the second episode of our podcast we get to see how Viola, the drummer of Vampire State Evacuation Plan (VSEP), spent her day leading up to the Lost Cat Show. Her day includes, banging on mailboxes, interviewing people to be her double, listening to interviews, and being interviewed herself!This episode is the second in a 5 episode arch that ends with the titular Lost Cat Show. Come along for a bizarre musical adventure!The Transportica Tapes are created and directed by Ben SchifanoSound mixing and mastering by Dean Simpson
Cast:
Camille Sacristan - Viola
Darian Lorrain - Lenny, Coquette
Connor Franklin Rey - Stickburt Drums, Mailbox "Owner"
Dylan Blank - Chaz Schrader
Ben Schifano - Narrator, random person, Interviewee 1, interviewee 2, Piper, The Kickflip, Lonnie Muscle the Muskrat, Dave, Blue
Kylo Gun - Cog in a Hotdog MachineMore from the cast:For more from Camille Sacristan check out this album they made with her mom!https://open.spotify.com/album/0PSvrvpBpnNpDZBHvSvCUe?si=97HtDBabSBeuKYomZ3FCpwFor more from Kylo Gun check out their artist pagehttps://open.spotify.com/artist/2SNRTDQkECXZZdaOkxlyyp?si=xGmtSY2nQM2cf7_Lp-C5GQ
For the companion Zine to this episode, see our substack:https://thetransporticatapes.substack.com/p/the-transportica-file
Thursday Dec 26, 2024
Thursday Dec 26, 2024
In this premiere episode of the Transportica Tapes, we meet Blue, the front person to local Phoenix band Vampire State Evacuation Plan, as they get everything in order for their bands show that night. A touring band from Texas is coming in, and if this show isn't a success the bad press will not be good for the band.
This episode is the first in a 5 episode arch that ends with the titular Lost Cat Show. Come along for a bizarre musical adventure!
The Transportica Tapes are created, written and directed by Ben Schifano
Sound mixing and mastering by Dean Simpson
Musical composition by Ben Schifano
Cast:
Ben Schifano - The narrator, Blue, Mr. Hardpress, JIF, Therapy Booth
Tessa Ramirez Keough - Vanessa
David Kaptur - drive thru attendant
Dean Simpson - Spitz
Connor Franklin Rey - Printco Employee
Ben Conley - Randy, Rick
Valerie Constantine - backing vocals on "The Theme To Superbikeway66"
For the companion Zine to this episode, see our substack: https://thetransporticatapes.substack.com/p/the-transportica-file