Bound Unto Root-In Good Faith: An Analog Audio Journey
a guest blog by Dominic Francisco, a mikekonopka.com client
As a little kid, I would often get lost in imagination. This was especially prevalent during
bath time, when my mom would entertain me with cassettes featuring fables for children. They were jubilant little moral fantasies that captivated me with their sincerity, lighthearted irony, and slightly scary undertones. Those stories, the warm water, and the stillness of the bath induced a sensory experience that I’d never felt before. I was temporarily transported to a tangible, wondrous place in my head. It was absolute magic. Unfortunately, the identity of those cassettes has been lost to time, but they left an indelible impression on me still.
Since then, I’ve been keen on making art that evokes that same sensation. In my early creative years, I expressed myself through atmospheric sound collages, but lacked the confidence to add my words to them. In 2019, I overcame my hesitancies and started writing for what eventually became my horror-fantasy spoken word project, Bound Unto Root. With the aid of original scores by musicians Nico Rivers and James Fixx, I quickly had a few releases under my belt.
Bound Unto Root-In Good Faith: An Analog Audio Journey
Releasing them on tape felt like a natural fit, so I had cassettes made and went looking online looking for help with transferring for digital distribution. That’s when I found Mike Konopka. He was quick, precise, and very personable. It was a fantastic experience. And that was that. My project was done.
But, as time went on, my perception warped. Those releases were personal, precious things.
They meant everything to me, so they had to be perfect. I started obsessing over the smallest of perceived flaws. Was it this sentence? That one? A passage? An entire concept? I found myself stuck in strange loops of shame that had overtaken any sense of accomplishment that I once derived from them. It was as if I was watching my work rot away in real time.
I picked apart every little thing that might be the source of my souring until there was nothing left to hide behind. Indeed, there were words that I wanted back. That’s fine. That’s part of growth and I was still finding my voice as a writer and as a narrator. What was actually haunting me was hiding in plain sight: these releases were tainted by my insecurity. I had pitched my narration down significantly on them, as a cheap way of avoiding vulnerability. Now all I could hear was someone too embarrassed to be themself. It felt silly. It felt wrong.
This couldn’t be it for Bound Unto Root. I had to accomplish what I set out to do, and the only way was through intention and earnesty. So, I started anew.
Bound Unto Root-In Good Faith: An Analog Audio Journey
I kept my scope small. I did my best to ignore self-imposed limitations, apply lessons from past regrets, and stay submerged in the process. I focused on how I felt as a kid, back in the bath, mind wrapped in fantasy. Soon, I was immersed that headspace. I was rejuvenated. I was inspired. For the first time in a long time, I was able to explore ideas freely, without judgement, and let them develop at their own pace. Before I knew it I had written something that I deeply identified with. I had the essence. Now it was time to refine.
I took my time. I reshaped and reworked. I ran endless revisions by my extraordinarily patient girlfriend, Rachel, until everything felt just right. I cut cherished passages that didn’t serve the whole. I rehearsed my narration every-which-way until I found my voice in it. I booked my first-ever studio session, only to leave knowing that I had a better take left in me. I couldn’t afford more studio time, so I cobbled together a makeshift recording booth at home and worked until I got the right performance.
It was time to hand it off to Nico, who composed a brilliant, thoughtful score. Next, to Amy Hiley who crafted a linocut for the cover art that perfectly encapsulated the piece’s core themes. My vision was coming to life.
Onto mixing and mastering. I remembered Mike from the cassette transfers, and knew he would be a perfect fit. And he was. He was highly attentive and diligently sculpted the sound I was after. Soon, he sent over the master. It sounded great. I approved it, and we were all done.
Bound Unto Root-In Good Faith: An Analog Audio Journey
A couple of days later I started overthinking again. I latched onto a minor flaw that I should have caught much earlier. If I missed this, what else flew under the radar? Was I too wrapped up in this project to trust myself? I had said it was done, after all. Should I just muscle through the doubt? No matter what answer I landed on, my confidence continued to erode.
That’s when Mike went out of his way for me. He called me. He steadied me. He assessed the issue, re-framed it, and empowered me to make the decision that was right for me. It was wild to have someone of Mike’s prestige essentially saying, “it’s your choice, and your choice is valid”.
That was liberating. All of the pressure I put on myself quickly evaporated. The answer was
clear. I slept on it for good measure, and I slept well.
I made my choice, and that was that. I could actually let go.
So, I give you: In Good Faith.
It is art made of what those stories summoned in me all those years ago, realized with the help of immensely talented collaborators. It is an artifact of both having confidence in and getting over myself. Worry will most likely find me again, but this will still be true. And it’s all I could ever need.
-Dominic Francisco
Bound Unto Root-In Good Faith: An Analog Audio Journey
Credits:
Writing, Narration, Photography – Dominic Francisco
Music, Mixing – Nico Rivers
Mixing, Mastering – Mike Konopka / Thundertone Audio
Editing – Rachel Herscher
Linocut – Amy Hiley
You can purchase and listen to In Good Faith at links below:
https://bounduntoroot.bandcamp.com/album/in-good-faith
https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/BoundUnto Root/ingoodfaith
Bound Unto Root-In Good Faith: An Analog Audio Journey
Mike Konopka chimes in: Thanks so much Dominic!
BTW, audio cassettes are experiencing a resurgence for several interrelated cultural, aesthetic, and practical reasons including:
Nostalgia and Retro Appeal: Many people who grew up with cassettes feel a deep emotional connection to the format. Also, younger generations, especially Gen Z, are discovering cassettes as a tangible, vintage alternative to digital media. Plus, cassette’s analog format contains ultrasonic audio information that other low-rez digital mediums can’t reproduce.
People Actually Like Physical Media: There’s a growing desire for tactile, collectible music formats—similar to the vinyl comeback. Cassettes offer something to own, display, and gift, standing out in the streaming era where music often feels disposable.
Affordability for Indie Artists: Compared to vinyl and CDs, cassettes are cheaper and faster to produce in small batches. Unique artists like Bound Unto Root use them for limited edition releases, often bundled with digital download codes.
They Present a Unique Listening Experience: Cassettes demand intentional listening—no skipping tracks or shuffling. This slower, more focused experience contrasts with the short attention span, hyper-accessibility of streaming platforms.
Cassettes are Fun and Cool to Collect: Limited runs and exclusive tape-only releases create a sense of rarity and value. Analog audio lovers also enjoy the hunt for obscure or out-of-print tapes at thrift stores and online. Cassettes are gaining popularity not just because of sound, but because of what they represent: intentionality, nostalgia, individuality, and an alternative to the boring and sterile convenience of ho hum streaming.
